"Is the Confederama still around?" Topic

When I was around 10 years old 1968is our family went on vacation and stopped in Chattanooga Tn and saw a huge (to me at the time) lighted diorama of the battle. It had thousands of figures with lights on the end of their muskets and lighted advance paths. Very cool, I was wondering if it was still there.
Anyone ever been there?
Thanks to the interwebs battlesforchattanooga.com

Looks like they have changed the name to something more PC.

Like you, I was there in the late 60s and again in the early 70s, so I remember it very well. It was a very impressive layout. I believe it was completely refurbished in the early 90s

I saw it probably about 7 years ago or so. Not sure about today.

Tom

The miniatures used were made of soft lead, made by SAE (South Africa Engineers). Lead disease claimed many of the miniatures, but I believe some portion of the Confederama diorama is still in existence. You could buy sets of the miniatures in the lobby, and I still own several.

Confederama was located at the base of Lookout Mountain. In addition to miniatures with lighted muskets, it also had cannons that puffed smoke. The scale was approximately 30mm.

The story of the battles was set to the music of Gone With The Wind.

According to this articles, it's no longer known as "Confederama" but "Battles for Chattanooga Museum"…

link

And here's the link to it's present name and location, and website: battlesforchattanooga.com

Yep. It's still there. Right outside the entrance to Point Park.

Nice to know it's still around. When I was 12 the family drove through Chattanooga and I noticed The Confederama building from the top of Lookout Mountain (it had a Battle Flag painted on the roof). The Old Man was opposed in principle to spending any money on roadside attractions, so we did not go. We never visited Rock City, either.

Thirty years later I drove through Chattanooga and visited The Confederama all by myself. My inner 12-year-old was completely satisfied.

Read about it in a brochure years back.Never been there,though. Did get to see parts of Shiloh back in 2012.

Awwww, Zippy. You should've seen Rock City and Ruby Falls

Rock City, Ruby Falls, The Hidden Sea, The World's Largest Ball of Twine…I missed them all. The Old Man firmly believed that the purpose of travelling was To Get There, and all else was vain delusion.

Farm reports on the AM radio, stale sandwiches from a hamper and Kool-aid from a thermos jug for dinner, 4/70 air conditioning (4 windows, 70 miles per hour)…those were the days.

I saw it as a child but when I tried to see it again. Ir was being repaired.

Sorry zippy, I thought my dad was the cheapest SOB around but he got off the wallet for that, but then again I was probably free due to my age. I may road trip myself over there 40 years later.

I went there with Don Featherstone and friends in the early '90s. He was entranced by the SAE figures and the gloriously pro-Confederate bias of the commentary. The whole place was clearly run down, and the model dusty and in need of serious repair.

Alas, when refurbished, they'd replaced all references to 'bluebellies' in the voiceover.

From ACW Gamer Issue 8:

"I am sure that I am not the only miniature wargamer who has always had a soft spot for battle dioramas. As a boy, the roadside attraction, Confederama (now know as the The Battles for Chattanooga Museum) caught my attention with its bold colorful advertising. Its display of hundreds of model Confederate and Union troops battling it out was enough to set my imagination afire."

Rock City was all the rage with the grandmothers in 1968. I don't know what percentage of original SAE figures survived into this century from alloy rot. Nor do I remember the total count of numbers in the original display. When ever the Baroness and I vacation to Ft Meyer, we drive thru Chattanooga. This year we drove thru the day after the murders. Depressing and enfuriating at the same time……

Many of those casting can now be replaced with Spencer smith ACW models