Things To See Around Knoxville Tennessee

An Overview of Knoxville

Situated in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Knoxville is a major transportation hub with interactive art exhibits, Civil War artifacts, excellent shops and numerous restaurants. Prior to its existance, the valley where Knoxville was founded was hunting ground for Cherokee Tribes. Eventually, a fort was established by James White to help settle the Southwest Territory. With unique art, wide rivers, a bustling urban sphere and nearby mountains, there are many things to see around Knoxville Tennessee.

Things To See Around Knoxville Tennessee

Knoxville Market Square

Serving as Knoxville’s historic and pedestrian mall district, this wide road is home to numerous venues and hole-in-the-wall entertainment, shopping and dining options in downtown Knoxville.

The Body Farm

For visitors wishing to see a more morbid and scientific side of the city, Knoxville’s body farm is a strange location where human cadavers are placed on the ground on a 2.5 acres field in various conditions to test ratios of decomposition and other environmental factors.

Scrabble Wall at Maple Hall Bowling Alley

While bowling is the first event to enjoy at Maple Hall, the entertainment building has another game available. Guest are able to play Scrabble with other players on a huge, magnetic wall.

Ijams Nature Center

Found just outside the city on the banks of the Tennessee River, this is a wetlands-and-rock-formations park with numerous hiking trails, canoe rentals, biking paths, scenic views and wooded groves.

War Dog Memorial Statue

The memorial found near the The University of Tennessee Veterinary Teaching Hospital is a statue honoring the canines that fought alongside marines in WWII.

Nostalgia

This is an open market area filled with retro goods.

Maker’s Doughnuts

Maker’s Doughnuts is known as a local artisanal doughnut shop, which creates seasonal specialties using local ingredients 

The Sun sphere

The Sun Sphere is likely the most recognizable icon in the city, a glimmering golden tower ball created during the 1982 world fair.

Volunteer Landing Park

This is a quaint, small park with several sculptures including an arch made from mutilated bicycles.

The World’s Largest Rubik’s Cube Sculpture

Found in the lobby of the Knoxville Convention Center, this is a motorized, giant Rubiks cube which serves as an interesting relic from the 1982 Knoxville World’s Fair. The cube is 10 feet tall and weighs 1,200 pounds.

Hypnotic Stairs at Weaving Rainbow Mountain

Inspired by patterns found in Appalachian weaving techniques, this is a vividly bright staircase of hypnotic hues found leading into Knoxville’s World’s Fair Park.

Oak Ridge

Oak Ridge once stood as a famous institution for the Manhattan Nuclear Project.  Originally, this was a secretly constructed city for the families and individuals involved in the project. Oak Ridge was constructed in 1942 to create an enclosed, locked-information community and it was kept secret for the duration of WWII.

Cummins Falls State Park

This is a large state park known for its 75-foot-tall waterfall, found along the Blackburn Fork State Scenic River.

Cedars of Lebanon State Park

This is a unique ecological zone, notable for its odd stone slabs which look almost like a parking lot. The area is filled with thin layers of lichen and other locally unique plants, such as Lime Stonecrop, Eastern Red Cedar and Nashville Glade-Crest.

Read more about things to see around Knoxville and seeing the world by visiting Leftfade Trails Blog.

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