Activities
Knoxville is known for delicious southern food, being a gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains and home to some of the most die-hard sports fans you’ll ever meet. If you are looking for something to do in Knoxville but are also on a budget, check out these 12 budget friendly activities in Knoxville.
World’s Fair Park
Address: 525 Henley St, Knoxville, TN 37902
Knoxville’s World’s Fair Park is a nature lovers oasis right in the middle of the city! From miles of greenery, flowers and streams you can spend an entire day exploring.
Ideas on how to spend your day:
- Splash around in the interactive water play area near the Court of Flags. Operating seasonally from March to October.
- Get lost on one of many paved walking trails.
- Take a few family pictures. There are many beautiful places to snap some Instagram worthy pictures.
- Have a picnic
Admission Cost: Free
Sunsphere
Address: 810 Clinch Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902
The 4th floor observation deck offers stunning 360 views of the city! Get a bird’s-eye view of downtown, World’s Fair Park, University of Tennessee Campus, Tennessee River and the Great Smoky Mountains.
Pro Tip: You have to order your tickets online. There is no ticket booth available. You can buy the tickets here. After ordering, your confirmation email will serve as your ticket.
Admission Cost:
- Adults: $5
- Children 12 and under: Free
Bicycle Arch
Address: 900 Volunteer Landing Ln, Knoxville, TN 37915
The bicycle arch is an entrance to a pedestrian bridge on the corner of Volunteer Landing Lane and E. Hill Street. Although not as vibrant as it once was in 2012, when it was constructed, it’s still an excellent place to snap a few pictures!
Admission Cost: Free
Weaving Rainbow Mountain
Address: 1050 Cumberland Ave, Knoxville, TN 37916
This set of 43, vibrantly colored, stairs allow pedestrians to easily pivot between the World’s Fair Park and UT campus. It was commissioned by a Baltimore based duo, Jessie and Katey in 2017. It’s a great photo opt location!
Admission Cost: Free
James White’s Fort
Address: 205 E Hill Ave, Knoxville, TN 37915
Tour a recreation of Knoxville’s founder, James White’s home dating back to 1786. Although the entire structure is a recreation, there are still many original parts such as stairs, rafters and flooring along with many historical artifacts found in the original home of James White. The original structure was taken apart and moved to its now resting place to avoid being demolished.
There are other original 18th and 19th century buildings within James White’s Fort that are original structures taken form other locations and placed here to give an actual representation as to what James White’s homestead looked like.
During your tour, you will use a self guided audio to take you through different areas such as the courtyard, main house, kitchen, the dog trot, outhouse, weaving house, blacksmith shop, and guest house.
Admission Cost:
- Adults: $10
- Children 5-17: $5
Ijams Nature Center
Address: 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920
It does not matter if you are six or 66, Ijams Nature Center has something for everyone! With the motto of “Learning is lifelong” there are endless amounts of adventure at Ijams Nature Center! Weather you are looking to hike, bike, climb, paddle or swim, Ijams is the place to be! Ijams Nature Center is a must visit while in Knoxville.
Admission Cost: Free
Activity Cost:
- Hike: Free
- Climb: Free
- Bike:
- Use your own bike: Free
- 2 hour rental: $15
- 4 hour rental: $35
- Full-day rental: $50
- Paddle:
- Boats: $14/hour
- Tubes: $5/hour
Pro Tip: The use of private boats, canoes and kayaks are not permitted. If you are interested in climbing, you must sign a waiver prior to your climb. You can access that here.
Mural Walk
Learn about what makes Knoxville the fun and vibrant city that it is today through visual storytelling! Knoxville is home to many murals created by local and visiting artists!
You can find a detailed list of all murals and locations here.
Admission Cost: Free
Woman’s Basketball Hall of Fame
Address: 700 S Hall of Fame Dr, Knoxville, TN 37915
“Honor the past, celebrate the present and promote the future.”
Take a walk through the history of Woman’s basketball at all levels. Get a glimpse into the strong women who have contributed to making woman’s basketball what it is today. In addition to the interactive museum, enjoy testing out your own basketball skills on one of the three courts. You can enjoy shooting around, testing your dribbling skills on the timed dribbling course or taking photos in one of the many photo opt setups.
Admission Cost:
- Adults: $7.95
- Seniors (62+): $5.95
- Children: $5.95
- Children under 5: Free
Mead’s Quarry Lake
Address: 3518 Island Home Pike, Knoxville, TN 37920
Escape that Tennessee Summer heat with a dip in Mead’s Quarry. At 80-100 feet deep, surrounded by rock cliffs and only five minutes from downtown, this is truly one of Knoxville’s hidden gems!
Pack a lunch and enjoy all this hidden gem has to offer.
Enjoy a delicious brew from the small concession stand near the entrance that sells beer from Bearden Beer Market.
Pro Tip: Taking your own canoe, kayak or tube is not allowed due to insurance reasons. You can rent one from River Sports boat rentals near the entrance of the quarry. Everyone under the age of 18 must have a waiver filled out by a parent or guardian before participating in a boat/tube rental. You can find the waiver here.
You can find River Sports rental schedule on their facebook page, @RiverSportsOutfitters.
Admission Cost: Free
Activity Cost:
- Boats: $14/hour
- Tubes: $5/hour
Knoxville Botanical Gardens
Address: 2743 Wimpole Ave B, Knoxville, TN 37914
Knoxville Botanical Gardens features 47 acres of lush gardens displays, walking trails and beautiful stone walls with numerous historic horticulture displays to enjoy during any season in Tennessee! Bring a picnic and enjoy your day exploring and taking in the beautiful scenery!
Admission Cost: Free
Marble Springs State Historic Site
Address: 1220 W Governor John Sevier Hwy, Knoxville, TN 37920
Take a walk through history as you enjoy a tour of John Sevier’s family farm, the first governor of Tennessee. This old planation style farm home dates back to approximately the 1800s’ and the main cabin of the Sevier home can still be seen at its original location. Although the original cabin has undergone restoration, you still have the opportunity to sneak a peek into what life may have looked like well into the late 18th century to the early 19th century.
Enjoy historical structures, nature trails and picnicking on this beautiful 350 acre farm!
Admission Cost: Free
Cruze Farm Ice Cream
Address: 445 S Gay St#3, Knoxville, TN 37902
A trip to downtown Knoxville is never complete without a stop at Cruze’s Farm Ice Cream shop!
The moment you step foot into Cruze’s Ice Cream shop, you are immediately taken by the retro/modern decor and vibe.
Cruze’s takes farm fresh milk straight from their own farms to deliver fresh soft serve to everyone who walks in their doors! Not only are they serving up some of the best ice cream in town, but they have fresh milk, cheese and other goodies that you can purchase to enjoy at home.
Public Transportation
Once you have arrived in Knoxville, consider parking your car and using one of the public transportation options to bounce around from location to location for a stress free and relaxing day!
- Free Trolley
- KAT(Knoxville Area Transit)