Visit Knoxville Visitor’s Center
Your destination for all things Knoxville, featuring detailed maps, locally-sourced products, and live entertainment. The Blue Plate Special is a live performance radio special held here at noon several days a week.
McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture
The McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture on University of Tennessee’s campus features collections of art throughout history and from cultures around the world, geology and fossils, and a display of the incredible diversity of Tennessee Freshwater Pearl Mussels. They also feature special exhibitions that showcase art or artifacts from other institutions and collections.
Knoxville Museum of Art
The Knoxville Museum of Art celebrates East Tennessee’s rich, diverse visual culture and its connections to the wider currents of world art. It features a permanent exhibition of art from the mid-nineteenth to the late-twentieth century highlighting the artistic legacy of the Knoxville area, as well as more recent art from emerging and established current artists. Another permanent installation are the Thorne Rooms, a series of miniature interiors created in the 1930s with incredible tiny details. They also feature lively temporary exhibits that explore both regional culture and its relation to the larger world of artistic development.
Market Square
Market Square is the center of Knoxville’s downtown area featuring a small park and some wonderful local restaurants and shopping.
Ijams Nature Center
Although January weather is chilly, this urban wilderness is worth a visit. This nonprofit environmental education center features over 14 miles of hiking trails, a lake formed from a decommissioned quarry, a rock climbing area, nature playscapes, and the Ijams Primal Playground (featuring rock and wood elements for a unique outdoors exercise experience – lift boulders, clamber over logs, and strengthen your body with the environment around you).
Photo by Drew Beamer on Unsplash
The Sunsphere Tower
Built for the 1982 World’s Fair Exhibition, this tower stands 266ft high and 26 stories tall, making it a eye-catching and iconic landmark for the city. Each pane of glass on the outside of the sphere is made of 24-carat gold. The Observation Deck can be visited for a small admission charge, offering a 360-degree view of the city and the beautiful backdrop of the Smoky Mountains.
East Tennessee Historical Society
This museum’s mission is to preserve, interpret, and promote the history of Tennessee, focusing on East Tennessee, to educate and connect the region, its people, history, culture, and heritage.
Mabry-Hazen House Museum
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places; a family home built in 1858 that has been converted into a museum covering 130 years of Knoxville history with over 2,000 original artifacts on display (one of the largest original family collections in America).
Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame
This museum honors those who have contributed to the sport of women’s basketball. Atop the building stands the world’s largest basketball, measuring 30 feet tall and weighing 10 tons.
The Southern Market
An eclectic collection of local merchants and artists featuring home décor, gifts, fashion, and art.
