The Sunsphere and World's Fair Park
The gold-glass sphere that crowned the 1982 World's Fair is still Knoxville's skyline signature, with a small observation deck, a festival lawn and a park that hosts the city's biggest outdoor events.
Tennessee
Knoxville
Knoxville is the gateway city to the Smokies that turned out to be a destination in its own right: a golden Sunsphere left over from the 1982 World's Fair, a brick-and-patio Market Square, a Tennessee River waterfront, and a university town energy that peaks every autumn Saturday when more than a hundred thousand people pour into Neyland Stadium.
Beyond the downtown core sit the South Knoxville Urban Wilderness and Ijams Nature Center, the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, a serious art museum, and day trips to Oak Ridge's Manhattan Project sites and the Museum of Appalachia. This guide pairs the city's best sights with guided options, trims the planning, and matches you to the right hotel, from the boutique Oliver on Market Square to easy suburban stays.
Don't miss
The Sunsphere and World's Fair Park
The gold-glass sphere that crowned the 1982 World's Fair is still Knoxville's skyline signature, with a small observation deck, a festival lawn and a park that hosts the city's biggest outdoor events.
Market Square
Knoxville's pedestrian living room: a brick plaza ringed by independent restaurants, bars, shops and a boutique hotel, with farmers markets, buskers, concerts and outdoor tables from spring to fall.
Ijams Nature Center
A riverside nature preserve minutes from downtown, with quarry lakes, forest trails, a visitor center and paddling access to the Tennessee River.
Neyland Stadium and the University of Tennessee Campus
Home of the Tennessee Volunteers: a stadium that holds more than a hundred thousand fans on the Tennessee River, set on a hilltop campus with a lively strip of bars and cafes on Cumberland Avenue.
Things to do in Knoxville
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
FreeMarket Square
Knoxville's pedestrian living room: a brick plaza ringed by independent restaurants, bars, shops and a boutique hotel, with farmers markets, buskers, concerts and outdoor tables from spring to fall.
1 to 3 hoursDetails →
FreeIjams Nature Center
A riverside nature preserve minutes from downtown, with quarry lakes, forest trails, a visitor center and paddling access to the Tennessee River.
1 to 4 hoursDetails →
Neyland Stadium and the University of Tennessee Campus
Home of the Tennessee Volunteers: a stadium that holds more than a hundred thousand fans on the Tennessee River, set on a hilltop campus with a lively strip of bars and cafes on Cumberland Avenue.
FreeKnoxville Museum of Art
A free museum beside World's Fair Park devoted to the art of East Tennessee and beyond, anchored by a glass sculpture and a rotating series of contemporary shows.
1 to 2 hoursDetails →
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
The only hall of fame devoted to women's basketball, set in a downtown building crowned with a giant basketball and packed with Final Four memorabilia, Olympic history and the legacy of Pat Summitt.
Volunteer Princess Tennessee River Cruise
A relaxed riverboat cruise from Volunteer Landing that shows off the Knoxville skyline, the university shoreline and Neyland Stadium from the water.
Knoxville After Dark Ghost Tours
A lantern-lit evening walk through downtown Knoxville's oldest streets, trading in Civil War shadows, theater hauntings, jail tales and the ghosts said to haunt the buildings around Market Square.
Knoxville Zoo
A family favorite on the east side of town, known for its elephants, red pandas, giraffe feeding and a long record of conservation work, set among shaded hills.
East Tennessee History Center
A downtown museum in a restored historic building that tells the region's story from the Cherokee and early settlers through the Civil War to the Manhattan Project era.
Blount Mansion
The 1792 frame house where Governor William Blount governed the Southwest Territory and helped found Knoxville, preserved as a National Historic Landmark in the heart of downtown.
The Tennessee Theatre and Gay Street
A lavishly restored 1928 movie palace on Gay Street, with a glowing marquee, a Mighty Wurlitzer organ and a calendar of concerts, films and comedy.
Where to stay
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
The Oliver Hotel
Market Square
A small boutique hotel in a historic building on Market Square, with a legendary basement bar and every downtown sight within a few minutes' walk.
Check rates →Hilton Knoxville
Downtown
A full-service downtown tower near World's Fair Park and the convention center, popular with business travelers, football weekends and families who want facilities.
Check rates →Cumberland House Knoxville Tapestry Collection by Hilton
University of Tennessee Area
A design-minded hotel beside the University of Tennessee campus, ideal for game days, campus visits and walks to Cumberland Avenue.
Check rates →Crowne Plaza Knoxville Downtown University
Downtown
A full-service hotel on the downtown edge between the university and the city center, with easy access to the campus, the stadium and Gay Street.
Check rates →Holiday Inn Express Knoxville Downtown
Downtown
A practical downtown option with a free breakfast, comfortable rooms and a central location for walking to the main sights.
Check rates →Hilton Garden Inn Knoxville Papermill Drive
West Knoxville
A comfortable west-side hotel with on-site dining and easy parking, convenient for shopping, business parks and drives to the Smokies.
Check rates →Holiday Inn Knoxville West Cedar Bluff
West Knoxville
A budget-friendly west-side Holiday Inn near Cedar Bluff Road, with easy parking and quick access to the interstate for Smokies and Oak Ridge day trips.
Check rates →Hilton Knoxville Airport
Alcoa Highway and Airport Corridor
A Hilton on the Alcoa Highway corridor that links the city with McGhee Tyson Airport, handy for early flights, late arrivals and Smokies-bound drivers.
Check rates →Home2 Suites by Hilton Knoxville West
West Knoxville
An all-suite West Knoxville hotel with kitchens and free breakfast, designed for families and longer stays.
Check rates →Tour + stay
Ready-made pairings: a top sight and a hotel that suits it. Add both to your trip and book each when you are ready.
Do
The Sunsphere and World's Fair ParkStay
Hilton KnoxvilleDowntown
Do
Market SquareStay
The Oliver HotelMarket Square
Do
Ijams Nature CenterStay
Cumberland House Knoxville Tapestry Collection by HiltonUniversity of Tennessee Area
While you are there
What’s on in Knoxville
150+ concerts, shows and games are on sale in the coming months, from stadium nights to small rooms. Our sister site Purveyor lists them with dates, venues and seats.
Knoxville guides
Knoxville for First-Timers: What to See, Where to Eat and How the City Fits Together
A practical first-visit guide to Knoxville: how downtown, the river, the university and the Urban Wilderness fit together, what to book and when to go.
Knoxville in Three Days: A Balanced Itinerary for Downtown, Outdoors and Day Trips
A three-day Knoxville itinerary covering the Sunsphere, Market Square, history, the river, the Urban Wilderness and one day trip, with pacing and booking tips.
Where to Stay in Knoxville: Downtown, the University Area and West Knoxville Compared
A neighborhood-by-neighborhood guide to Knoxville hotels: Market Square and downtown, the University of Tennessee area, West Knoxville and the airport corridor.
Eating and Drinking in Knoxville: Market Square, the Old City and Local Flavors
A guide to eating and drinking in Knoxville: where to browse, what to try, how to use food tours and how to plan around the farmers market and the nightlife.
Knoxville on Game Day: A Visitor Guide to Neyland Stadium, Tailgates and the Vol Navy
How to plan a Tennessee Volunteers home game weekend in Knoxville: hotels, getting to Neyland Stadium, traditions, food and what to do around the game.
Day Trips from Knoxville: Oak Ridge, Norris, the Smokies Gateway and Beyond
The best day trips from Knoxville: Oak Ridge and the Manhattan Project, the Museum of Appalachia, Norris Dam, the Smokies and nearby cities, with timing and tips.
