Knoxville Attractions
Knoxville, seat of the University of Tennessee (founded 1794), lies in the east of the state and is a good base from which to explore the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was the first capital of the state, as is evidenced in the Governor William Blount Mansion of 1792; today its emblem is the Sunshine Tower. Other features of interest are General James White's Fort (1786), the Knoxville Museum of Art and the Confederate Memorial Hall, which recalls the siege of the city during the Civil War.
Armstrong-Lockett House and WP Toms Memorial Garden
The Armstrong-Lockett House in Knoxville is known as Crescent Bend and was built in 1834. It is furnished with the Toms Collection of 18th-century furniture and features decorative art and a collection of English silver from 1640 to 1820. Terraced gardens descend from the house to the Tennessee River.
Confederate Memorial Hall
The Confederate Memorial Hall in Knoxville was originally an 1858 Victorian mansion named Bleak House. Bleak House was the headquarters for Confederate General James Longstreet during the siege of Knoxville in 1863. The house is furnished with museum pieces, and a collection of pictures and paintings of historical interest are on display.
East Tennessee Discovery Center (Akima Planetarium)
The East Tennessee Discovery Center in Knoxville features interactive exhibits and activities include life, physical and earth sciences. Displays include a human kaleidoscope, a shadow box, and collections of living and non-living animals.
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 10:00 | Closed |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Always closed on:
New Year's Day (January 1)
American Independance Day (July 4)
Labor Day - USA (1st Monday, September)
Columbus Day - USA (2nd Monday, October )
Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November )
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
American Independance Day (July 4)
Labor Day - USA (1st Monday, September)
Columbus Day - USA (2nd Monday, October )
Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November )
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
East Tennessee Historical Society Museum
The East Tennessee Historical Society Museum in Knoxville presents the region's history and culture through artifacts, documents, and sounds.
Emporium Center for Arts & Culture
The Emporium Center for Arts & Culture opened in 2004, housed in a building that was completed in 1898 and served as the original home of a prestigious furniture company, the Emporium.
The Emporium Center features the Emporium Center Gallery, Three Flights Up Gallery, the administrative offices of the Arts & Culture Alliance, and nine other arts and cultural organizations as well as gallery space.
The Emporium Center features the Emporium Center Gallery, Three Flights Up Gallery, the administrative offices of the Arts & Culture Alliance, and nine other arts and cultural organizations as well as gallery space.
Emporium Center for Arts & Culture
100 South Gay Street, Box 2506
Knoxville, TN 37901
United States
100 South Gay Street, Box 2506
Knoxville, TN 37901
United States
Phone 1 (865) 523-7543
Fax 1 (865) 523-7312
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | Closed | Closed |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Frank H McClung Museum
The Frank H McClung Museum is located on the campus of the University of Tennessee. It features exhibits of archeology, the native peoples of Tennessee, ancient Egypt, decorative arts from cultures around the world, and geology and fossils from the Tennessee River Valley.
Frank H McClung Museum
1327 Circle Park Drive
Knoxville, TN 37996-3200
United States
1327 Circle Park Drive
Knoxville, TN 37996-3200
United States
Phone 1 (865) 974-2144
Fax 1 (865) 974-3827
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 13:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Always closed on:
New Year's Day (January 1)
Memorial Day - USA (last Monday, May )
American Independance Day (July 4)
Labor Day - USA (1st Monday, September)
Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November )
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
Easter - Christian (Apr 08)
Memorial Day - USA (last Monday, May )
American Independance Day (July 4)
Labor Day - USA (1st Monday, September)
Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November )
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
Easter - Christian (Apr 08)
Parking
Free
Disabled
Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
Facilities
Gift shop
Gateway Regional Visitor Center
The Gateway Regional Visitor Center in Knoxville has a range of exhibits in three galleries with themes that include the natural environment, the region's cultural diversity and history, and high tech and scientific research resources.
Hours
Always closed on:
New Year's Day (January 1)
Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November )
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November )
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Governor William Blount Mansion
The Governor William Blount Mansion in Knoxville was built in 1792; Mary Blount described the Mansion as a "proper wooden house" in a community of log cabins and log houses. William Blount was appointed by President George Washington to be Governor of the Territory of the United States South of the River Ohio.
James White's Fort
James White's Fort in Knoxville features several cabins and the stockade of the original settlement of Knoxville. James White founded Knoxville in 1786.
Hours
April 1 to November 30
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 | Closed |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
December 1 to March 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | Closed | Closed |
| Close | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 |
Knoxville Museum of Art
The Knoxville Museum of Art was designed by noted museum architect Edward Larrabee Barnes. The three-story pink marble and glass building has five galleries, gardens, an Exploratory Gallery and the Great Hall. Exhibits include contemporary American art.
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 13:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 20:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Always closed on:
New Year's Day (January 1)
American Independance Day (July 4)
Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November )
New Year's Eve (December 31)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
American Independance Day (July 4)
Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November )
New Year's Eve (December 31)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
Disabled
Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
Facilities
Gift shop
Knoxville Zoological Gardens
The Knoxville Zoo has more than 900 animals with most housed in natural habitats. Gorilla Valley, Chimp Ridge, Penguin Rock, and Birds of Central America Aviary are special exhibits.
All values are in United States Dollars
Knoxville Zoological Gardens
3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive, Box 6040
Knoxville, TN 37914-0040
United States
3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive, Box 6040
Knoxville, TN 37914-0040
United States
Phone 1 (865) 637-5331
Fax 1 (865) 637-1943
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 16:30 | 16:30 | 16:30 | 16:30 | 16:30 | 16:30 | 16:30 |
Always closed on:
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
| Adult | $ 19.95 |
| Senior | $ 15.95 |
| Child 12 & under | $ 15.95 |
| Child 1 & under | FREE |
Parking
Pay
Facilities
Gift shop
Restaurant or food service
Wheelchair loan or rental
Restaurant or food service
Wheelchair loan or rental
Mabry-Hazen House
The Mabry-Hazen House in Knoxville was built in 1858. The museum includes the 4-acre Civil War "Bethel Cemetery," which contains the remains of approximately 1,670 Civil War soldiers. The home has collections of china, silver, crystal, and antique furnishings on display.
Hours
March 1 to December 20
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 10:00 | Closed |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 15:00 |
Always closed on:
New Year's Day (January 1)
Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November )
Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November )
Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Market Square
Nestled in the heart of downtown, Market Square is Knoxville's favorite gathering place. Since 1854, Market Square has been the center of activity in the city. Today, it is home to the Market Square Farmer's Market from April- November, and hosts numerous events and festivals throughout the year. It also features some of the most unique shopping and dining available in the region.
Ramsey House
The Ramsey House in Knoxville was built in 1795-1797 by Colonel Francis Alexander Ramsey, an early pioneer. The home is now a museum which has been restored to the time when Ramsey occupied it.
Ramsey House
2614 Thorngrove Pike
Knoxville, TN 37914-9704
United States
2614 Thorngrove Pike
Knoxville, TN 37914-9704
United States
Phone 1 (865) 546-0745
Fax 1 (865) 546-1851
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 12:00 |
| Close | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 |
Facilities
Gift shop
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville is a tribute to women around the world who play basketball. A historical timeline recounts 100 years of women's basketball. Items on display include photographs and achievements of inductees.
All values are in United States Dollars
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
700 Hall of Fame Drive
Knoxville, TN 37915-3240
United States
700 Hall of Fame Drive
Knoxville, TN 37915-3240
United States
Phone 1 (865) 633-9000
Fax 1 (865) 633-9294
Hours
May 1 to September 4
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | Closed |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
September 5 to April 30
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 10:00 | Closed |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Always closed on:
New Year's Day (January 1)
Memorial Day - USA (last Monday, May )
Labor Day - USA (1st Monday, September)
Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November )
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Day after Christmas, St Stephen's Day, Boxing Day (December 26)
New Year's Eve (December 31)
Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
Easter - Christian (Apr 08)
Memorial Day - USA (last Monday, May )
Labor Day - USA (1st Monday, September)
Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November )
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Day after Christmas, St Stephen's Day, Boxing Day (December 26)
New Year's Eve (December 31)
Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
Easter - Christian (Apr 08)
| Adult | $ 7.95 |
| Child 15 & under | $ 5.95 |
| Senior over 62 | $ 5.95 |
| Child 5 & under | FREE |
Disabled
Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
Zuma Fun Center
The Zuma Fun Center in Knoxville features many activities for children including go-karts, a video arcade, batting cages, bumper boats and miniature golf.
