Knoxville, Tennessee

Tucked along the Tennessee River at the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains, Knoxville, Tennessee hums with energy. Its walkable downtown blends riverfront views, a deep-rooted sports culture, and bold Southern flavors. Creative and grounded, this is the kind of city that pulls you in and keeps you curious.

Marbles, and makers, and mountains, oh my!

Knoxville has always carved its own path among Southern cities. Founded on the American frontier in 1786 along the Tennessee River, it quickly grew into a vital crossroads for pioneers, traders, and ideas moving west. This location and great access to the Smoky Mountains gave way to the city becoming first capital when Tennessee became the 16^th U.S. state in 1796.

In the early 1900s, Knoxville rose to prominence as a major distributor of Tennessee marble. This material was prized nationwide for courthouses, monuments, and public buildings. The industry earned Knoxville its enduring nickname, “The Marble City,” leaving a lasting mark on both its architecture and economy. Yet even as business boomed, the city never lost its connection to the outdoors. Surrounded by rivers, ridgelines, and some of the most biodiverse landscapes in the country, that blend came fully into focus during the 1982 World’s Fair, a defining moment that placed Knoxville on the world stage. Built for the event, the Sunsphere rose as a symbol of optimism and reinvention, with its 24-karat gold–plated windows forever changing the skyline. Long after the fairgrounds cleared, the momentum remained, fueling a city that continues to invest in makers, artists, education, and innovation.

Today, Knoxville’s reputation as a nature-loving, adventure-seeking, artsy kind of town isn’t a marketing slogan — it’s the throughline of its history. From marble quarries to maker studios, river paths to mountain trails, Knoxville has always been a place where discovery follows the landscape and progress is rooted in the land.

Signature Stops

• Curious Dog– Known for its playful menu and serious flavor, try more than 30 creative hot dogs and sandwiches alongside made-from-scratch sauces and sides. Pair it all with a craft beer market featuring over 200 rotating singles, packaged brews, and draft options.
• Knoxville Smokies (Minor League Baseball): Catch America’s pastime with a Smoky Mountain backdrop. Each game delivers classic ballpark energy and an easygoing way to spend an evening cheering alongside the community.
• Maple Hall- Built beneath a site once home to East Tennessee’s first baseball field is a sleek, underground bowling alley with craft cocktails, chef-driven bites, and a lively downtown vibe.
• Market Square: The city’s “social center.” From outdoor concerts and seasonal events to local dining and people-watching, the square has been a gathering place since the mid-1800s. At first, the land was donated for a public market where farmers sold produce. Over the decades it evolved from a bustling marketplace framed by shops and City Hall, into a lively pedestrian plaza surrounded by restaurants, boutiques, festivals, and a year-round market.
• Meads Quarry- A former marble quarry turned urban oasis, Meads Quarry offers crystal-clear water for swimming, kayaking, and paddleboarding just minutes from downtown. It’s one of the most unique ways to experience Knoxville’s outdoor spirit without leaving the city.
• Nativat Knoxville: Treetop Zipline Adventure– Perched on a wooded bluff overlooking the Tennessee River, Navitat delivers an aerial adventure through the treetops while protecting the trees with sustainable practices. With zip lines, swinging bridges, nets, and climbs, it’s equal parts adrenaline and scenic escape.​
• Phoenix Pharmacy & Fountain: Step back in time at this restored soda fountain, where old-fashioned milkshakes, floats, and comfort classics meet downtown charm. This is nostalgia done right!
• Pretentious Glass Co.– A working glassblowing studio and brewery rolled into one, Pretentious Glass creates handcrafted glassware designed specifically for beer, wine, cocktails, and whiskey. With new beer releases each week and recognition as one of USA Today’s Top 10 Breweries, it’s a must-visit for craft lovers.
• World’s Fair Park / Sunsphere: Built for the 1982 World’s Fair, this iconic park remains one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks. Walk the grounds, enjoy skyline views, or head inside the Sunsphere for a reminder of the moment Knoxville stepped onto the global stage.
• Tennessee Theatre: A stunning, restored movie palace that hosts concerts, Broadway tours, classic films, and live performances. The 1920s Tennessee Theatre is as much a visual experience as it is an entertainment destination, with a vintage Spanish-Moorish design.
• Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame– The only facility in the world dedicated exclusively to women’s basketball, this museum celebrates the legends, stories, and impact of the sport, both on and off the court.

Bragging Rights

Knoxville was the 1^st capital of Tennessee and the Territory South of the Ohio River.

With 300+ eateries, Knoxville is known for having more restaurants per capita than many large U.S. cities.

Knoxville, TN Is America’s Most Romantic City according to Amazon.com.

Knoxville is situated next to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in America.

Knoxville holds the largest Rubiks Cube in the world! It lives in the Knoxville Convention Center.

Located in the downtown, Tennessee Theatre is known as “the South’s Most Beautiful Theatre” and “Official State Theatre of Tennessee.”

Knoxville Symphony Orchestra hosts the oldest symphony in Southeastern USA.

Every Season Has a Reason

Spring breathes life back into Knoxville as dogwoods bloom and the riverbanks turn green. Trails reopen, patios fill, and the Smoky Mountain foothills invite hikers, bikers, and paddlers back outdoors after winter’s quiet pause.

Summer leans into the water. The Tennessee River becomes the city’s playground as kayaks, paddleboards, and boats glide through downtown, while evenings stretch long with baseball games, festivals, and live music echoing through Market Square and World’s Fair Park.

Autumn settles in with cooler air and a golden glow. The surrounding hills catch fire with fall color, football Saturdays energize the city, and Knoxville feels perfectly balanced between crisp outdoor adventure and cozy nights downtown..

Winter slows the rhythm. Snow dusts the mountains, historic theaters and intimate music venues draw people indoors, and locals gather over warm meals and craft drinks, revealing a quieter side of the city that’s just as inviting.

Mark Your Calendars

• Dogwood Arts Festival (April): Consistently ranked among USA Today’s Top 10 Best Art Festivals, this spring favorite fills downtown with fine art exhibitions, live music, local crafts, and family-friendly fun beneath Knoxville’s blooming dogwoods.
• Rossini Festival (April): A free, high-energy celebration of the performing arts that brings opera, jazz, ballet, and contemporary dance into the streets alongside food vendors and local art, creating a lively fusion of sound and movement.
• Knoxville Shakespeare (Summer): The Tennessee Stage Company brings free, professional productions of Shakespeare’s plays to outdoor parks and public spaces. These open-air performances blend classic theater with relaxed, picnic-style evenings, making timeless stories accessible to all.
• Knox Asian Festival (August): A vibrant showcase of Asian cultures, this festival highlights traditions from across southeast Asia through live performances, authentic cuisine, music, and art representing countries like Japan, China, Vietnam, India, Korea, and beyond.
• Big Kahuna Wing Festival (September): Serving up thousands of pounds of wings featuring flavors from around the world, along with cooking competitions, live music, kids’ activities, and a full pyro-musical fireworks show; this is one of the region’s most anticipated food and fireworks events. Founded to give back, the festival donates 100% of its proceeds to local charities and has raised over $685,000 since its start.
• HoLa Festival (September): Hosted by HoLa Hora Latina, this community-driven festival celebrates Latino culture through art, music, food, and dance, while building meaningful cultural and communication bridges between Knoxville’s Latino communities and the city.

Meet the Locals

Knoxvillians are as varied as the landscape that surrounds them. This is a city shaped by many paths crossing: students and artists, makers and musicians, lifelong residents and new arrivals. That diversity gives Knoxville its energy, but pride is what ties it together. You’ll find people gathering in Market Square, escaping to the river or trails, or rallying behind their teams on game day. Life here is walkable, social, and well-fed, with restaurants lining the streets and conversations spilling onto sidewalks. Here, people take care of their own and invite others to join in.

The Last Word

Knoxville is the definition of inviting. Built by pioneers, shaped by industry, and carried forward by artists, makers, and dreamers, it’s a city where history and momentum move side by side. After feeling the infectious buzz of downtown paired with the quiet stillness among the trees, it’s hard to imagine leaving. Look out over the city from the golden glow of the Sunsphere, and you’ll understand how easy it is to get LOST IN Knoxville, Tennessee