A List of the Most Iconic Things To Do in Knoxville, According to a Local

For as long as I’ve lived in East Tennessee – more than three decades – Knoxville has been the forgotten middle child of Tennessee municipalities. Knoxville lacks the amenities common in larger cities like Nashville and Memphis. And it trails Chattanooga in charm. People go for getaways in Nashville, Chattanooga or Memphis. If you’re in Knoxville on vacation, it’s probably because you stopped to get gas on your way to Gatlinburg.

How deep does the inferiority complex run? In my high school and college days, the premier local band was Smokin’ Dave and the Premo Dopes, a funny, late 80s indie-style band whose signature song is probably “You Must Be From Nashville,” a song that deflates the country celebrity culture of the Music City but also acknowledges Knoxville’s little brother attitudes.

“Forgive me, excuse me, I’m just from Knoxville,” they sing.

But allow me, if you will, to sing the praises of Tennessee’s fourth most popular city. Knoxville, in a lot of ways, is a cookie-cutter community of the South. It’s a great place to find a good Applebee’s. But it’s also a lot more to Knoxville than its somewhat generic surface. It’s a great sports town with thriving pockets of foodie culture and an interesting, if small, arts scene. It’s also a great hub from which you can explore a wider swath of the mountains than just what you’d find in Sevier County.

Should you spend all of your East Tennessee vacation time in Knox Vegas? Nah, get up into the mountains, for sure. But, if you’ve got a week in East Tennessee, you could do a lot worse than spending a day or two in Knoxville. With this in mind, here are the best things to do in Knoxville, TN.

1. Go to Market Square and the Old City

Located in the heart of Downtown Knoxville, Market Square offers a wide range of interesting restaurants, shops and more. In the warmer months, there is often arts and music on display and the square hosts multiple weekend festivals. Quick recommendations include Soccer Taco or Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen and Bar. Follow this with a beer or two at the Preservation Pub.

The historic Old City offers a very similar vibe. It is only a few blocks away from Market Square. However, there’s a pretty good hill so I wouldn’t try to walk it though some people do. Like Market Square, the Old City offers a variety of bars, restaurants and art shops. It’s the kind of place that back in the day you’d go to see Smokin’ Dave and the Premo Dopes.

2. See a show at the Tennessee Theatre

Located an easy walk from Market Square, the historic and beautiful Tennessee Theatre brings touring Broadway shows, comedians and music acts to Knoxville. The Theatre will also host classic movies – especially around the holidays. Do you want a great day in Knoxville? Head to Market Square for a late lunch or early supper and a beer, then walk a block over to the Tennessee Theatre for a show.

3. Catch a game

The University of Tennessee thrives in a variety of sports. So it’s a great time to catch a game in Knoxville if you can find a ticket. If you’ve never spent a fall Saturday watching the Vols in Neyland with 100,000 of your closest friends, it is a bucket-list type experience for a sports fan. Even better if you’ve got a hook-up that will allow you to tailgate with the Vol Navy on the Tennessee River.

But great sports in Knoxville aren’t limited to the fall. The men’s basketball team has been on a historic run while the Lady Vols are returning to form. The baseball team is defending National Champs, and the Lady Vols softball team is always excellent.

In addition, the former Tennessee Smokies (Knoxville Smokies) are returning to Knoxville this summer to play in a newly constructed baseball palace. The AA Cubs affiliate will have one of the nicest minor league stadiums in the country. Knoxville even has professional hockey and soccer teams. The Ice Bears play in the SPHL while One Knoxville SC plays in the USL League One. Neither club is especially high on their sports’ respective minor league totem poles. But you can still have a good time.

4. Celebrate women’s basketball history

The greatest basketball coach in the history of the game plied her craft in Knoxville. Pat Head Summitt was a basketball giant, whose impact on the entire game will never be forgotten. I believe that no one has made a greater impact on the women’s game than the late Coach Summitt. One of the reasons women’s sports programs in East Tennessee are so strong is because of Summitt. Her influence forced all of us collectively to step up and take them seriously.

When I briefly left East Tennessee for a sports editor job in South Alabama, I was dumbfounded to find high school girls’ teams playing slow-pitch softball. It was like going back in time. Women’s sports are a key part of our regional culture in East Tennessee. Certainly, much of that can be traced directly back to Pat.

If you’d like to pay tribute to the G.O.A.T., there’s a great statue on the University of Tennessee campus near Thompson Boling Arena. It’s great for a photo op with the young athlete – male or female – in your life. Chiefly because of Pat, Knoxville is also host to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, celebrating the game’s greats including more than a couple of former Lady Vols.

5. Go up in the Sunsphere

In 1982, Knoxville hosted the World’s Fair, which was still kind of a big deal at the time. As part of that celebration, civic leaders built the Sunsphere, which looks like a giant golden golf ball sitting on a tee.

Why have you heard of the Sunsphere? In season 7 of “The Simpsons” Bart and friends find a brochure for the fair. Not realizing the brochure is old, they rent a car and road trip to Knoxville only to find the Sunsphere has been abandoned and is now used as a wig storage facility. The bully Nelson “Ha Ha” knocks the Sunsphere over with a rock, crushing the rental and leaving them stranded in Knoxville. Sadly, they did not use the extra time to go to Market Square.

In reality, the Sunsphere still stands and you can even go up in it for stunning views of Downtown Knoxville and the Smoky Mountains in the distance. You can also get a pretty good look at I-40 but that is somewhat less stunning.

6. Visit Zoo Knoxville

I had a co-worker move down to the area from a large northern city who took a weekend trip to Zoo Knoxville and was less than impressed. As an East Tennessean with a real fondness for the Zoo, I was offended but polite. I was not surprised, however, when her tenure at the office ended rather quickly. If you’re too good for Zoo Knoxville, you’re probably too big time for East Tennessee.

Zoo Knoxville isn’t the biggest zoo you’ll run across but it has had many improvements in the last couple of decades chiefly thanks to the Clayton family and some other big-money investors like the Boyds. The tiger area is neat and the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Campus is first-rate. The biggest attraction, however, is probably the Red Panda exhibit. Red Pandas are the cutest animals on God’s Earth and Zoo Knoxville is one of the leading facilities globally that’s responsible for breeding the endangered species.

7. Star of Knoxville Riverboat

The Star of Knoxville is a riverboat that offers a variety of cruises on the Historic Tennessee River. You know the paddleboat attraction that Disney is getting rid of in the Magic Kingdom that has a bunch of people up in arms? This is the real-life version of that. You can take a lunch, dinner or sightseeing cruise on the beautiful boat, but I recommend the Blues Cruise. Enjoy music approved by the Smoky Mountain Blues Society with a full bar and some limited food options available.

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