Knoxville is the hub of East Tennessee. Half a million people in the metro, a real downtown, the University of Tennessee, and the Smoky Mountains 45 minutes away. I've worked this market for years. Here's where locals actually go.
I'm David Millard with Real Estate Concepts. I work these towns every day. Here's what's worth your weekend in Knoxville.
The heart of downtown. Restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and a farmers market on Saturdays. Street performers and outdoor concerts all summer. If someone visits Knoxville for one evening, this is where I send them.
Leftover from the 1982 World's Fair and still the best free stop in town. The Sunsphere towers over it. Fountains the kids can run through, big open lawns, and concerts at the Tennessee Amphitheater.
Free admission, right next to World's Fair Park. Strong collection of contemporary Appalachian art. You can do it in an hour and it won't cost you a dime.
One of the best mid-size zoos anywhere. Red pandas, elephants, the reptile house. The splash pad in summer is a lifesaver with little kids. Buy tickets online to skip the line.
Three hundred acres of woods, trails, and the Tennessee River, ten minutes from downtown. Hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, and the quarry swim area in summer. This is Knoxville's backyard.
The Tennessee Theatre is a 1928 movie palace hosting concerts, Broadway tours, and the Knoxville Symphony. Gay Street around it has the best restaurant row downtown.
About 40 minutes northwest near Oliver Springs — 73,000 acres with 300-plus miles of off-road trails, the largest park of its kind in the country. ATVs, side-by-sides, mountain biking, and hiking. Worth the drive.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is about 45 minutes away. Dollywood is an hour. Norris Lake is 30 minutes north for boating and swimming.
About an hour west in Petros — the historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, a maximum-security prison from 1896 to 2009, once home to James Earl Ray. Today it's one of Tennessee's most unique day trips: self-guided tours through the cell blocks, concerts in the Yard, The Warden's Table restaurant, and the Brushy Mountain Distillery pouring End of the Line Moonshine.
About 40 minutes southeast — Townsend, the peaceful side of the Smokies. Cades Cove is minutes away, the Little River is made for tubing, and there's none of the Gatlinburg traffic. See my full Townsend guide.
The University of Tennessee, the 1982 World's Fair, a strong downtown scene, and being the gateway to the Smoky Mountains.
Yes. It's the center of downtown social life — food, live music, and the Saturday farmers market.
Ijams Nature Center, the Urban Wilderness trail system, kayaking on the Tennessee River, and the Smokies 45 minutes away.
About 45 minutes to the park entrances at Townsend or Gatlinburg.
World's Fair Park and the Knoxville Museum of Art — both free, right next to each other downtown.
Thinking about making Knoxville home? See live Knoxville market data, or call or text (865) 951-9578.