If you are vacationing near Knoxville, Tennessee in one of the many popular vacations destinations like the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, or even if you are just passing through, you will find a host of kid friendly things to do in Knoxville.
Knoxville is a wonderful, family-friendly city, just full of southern hospitality. It is a great city to visit with kids of all ages with is larger range of activities that are both educational and fun, indoor and outdoor.
Be certain to check out even more great Kid Friendly Things To Do in The United States!!
Kid Friendly Things to Do In Knoxville, Tennessee
1. The Knoxville Zoo is offers a day full of educational fun for the entire family. Open every day of the year except Christmas Day, the Knoxville Zoo offers a host of experiences from animal encounters to behind the scenes tours.
2. The Muse is a science an art discovery center located just down the street from the Knoxville Zoo. It’s a place to play, learn, and discover with activities for kids of varying ages. The Muse also offers a wonderful planetarium, which has a variety of shows playing throughout the day on their dome projection system.
3. James White’s Fort is an American pioneer fort reconstructed as a museum in downtown Knoxville. The reconstructed fort is a display center for its rich history as capital of the Southwest Territory in 1790.
4. Blount Mansion, known as the “birthplace of Tennessee” housed Tennessee governors and prominent families, and is now a museum dedicated to the preservation of Tennessee History. Blount Mansion offers free tours to children ages 6 through 17 accompanied by an adult the first Tuesday of each month (ages 5 and under are always free).
5. Max Air Trampoline Park is the perfect place to take kids who need to burn off some extra energy, especially when it is raining outside. The “Flight Controllers” will even provide supervision for kids while parents wait.
6. The Sunsphere and Worlds Fair Park is a must see stop for any visit to Knoxville. Visiting is one of the free things to do in Knoxville TN. The Sunsphere was constructed for the 1982 World’s Fair and served as the symbol of Knoxville since that time. It is also home to a full-service restaurant and the observation deck. The deck offers a 360-degree view of World’s Fair Park, downtown, the Tennessee River, the University of Tennessee, and the Smoky Mountains. Visiting the Observation Deck is FREE.
7. Knoxville Museum of Art celebrates the art and artists of East Tennessee, presents new art and new ideas, educates and serves a diverse community. Hosting new exhibits quarterly, the museum is open to the public from 10-5 daily.
8. If gettting outdoors in nature is what you love most, then a visit to Ijams Nature Center is perfect for you! Ijams features 10-miles of trails, rock formations, lakes and stunning overlooks and is a much-loved sanctuary away from the city by the locals and visitors.
9. Sports fans will not want to miss a visit to the Womens Basket Ball Hall of Fame. Located in downtown Knoxville, the Hall of Fame opened in June 1999. It is the only facility of its kind dedicated to all levels of women’s basketball.
10. Three Rivers Rambler or, the 3RR, is a tourist train operation located in the heart of Knoxville. The 3RR provides memorable train rides from downtown Knoxville to the start of the Tennessee River every day for thousands of passengers of all ages. Christmas is a favorite time to ride the Rambler and enjoy the annual Christmas Lantern Express.
11. The Ice Chalet is a recreational ice skating for Knoxville and surrounding communities. They offer public sessions daily on their competition sized rink. In addition to ice skating, they also offer session of curling and hockey.
12. A visit to Historic Market Square is one of the best things in Knoxville. It’s essentially the heart, or the hub of downtown. Market Square is the place to be for cafes, restaurants and live music at night. Market Square also hosts a seasonal farmers market on the weekends.
13. A walk along the Knoxville Riverfront is the perfect outdoor outing for families who want to spend a leisurely afternoon. Along the way there are views of Neyland Stadium at the University of Tennessee, and watercraft including the Knoxville Riverboat.
Melissa Langford is a wife and homeschooling mom of six children living in Knoxville, Tennessee. She blogs at Blessed Simplicity. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest as well.
Mother of 3
Sunday 24th of June 2018
This sounds like such a fun list of things to do! Pinned.