The Ultimate Guide to Knoxville Summer Fun
Looking for the most fun this summer? Have no fear, Knoxville Moms has you covered with The Ultimate Guide To Knoxville Summer Fun!
Knoxville Summer Fun For The Whole Family
- Go on a safari! Briarwood Ranch Safari Park is open in Morristown, and your little ones will absolutely love seeing all of these amazing animals.
- Regal just released their lineup for the Kids Summer Movie Express. All movies are $2 on Tuesday/Wednesday all summer long. Check your local theater to find out the specific time.
- Believe it or not, you can still see movies on the big screen! Parkway Drive-In Theatre in Maryville and LoCo Drive-In in Loudon are both open!
- Let your kids cook you a meal for once, or at the very least, learn to cook yourself a meal at FlourPower Kids Cooking Studios!
- Take a trip up to the observation deck of the Sunsphere.
- Zoo Knoxville has a special exhibit this summer called “Dawn of the Dinos.” Make sure to check it out!
- Where’s Waldo? You tell me after you participate in the Where’s Waldo Scavenger Hunt downtown during the month of July.
- Enjoy a First Friday at least once this summer.
- Spend a day giving back to the wonderful community you live in.
- There are tons of putt-putt options just across the way in Pigeon Forge, but if you want to stay close, play a round at Sir Gooney’s or Putt-Putt Golf & Games.
- Take some beautiful family photos at UT Gardens.
Knoxville Summer Eats
- What would summer be without ice cream? Start the season off right with some of the best in town, whether it’s Cruze Farm Ice Cream, Phoenix Pharmacy & Soda Fountain, or Kilwins. Use our Knoxville Moms guide to pick your perfect ice cream spot!
- Shaved ice, the perfect summertime treat. Find some at Pelican’s Snoballs or SnoBiz in Lenoir City.
- Enjoy dining at one of the amazing food truck events in the Knoxville area! The Chef’s Workshop puts on the events across East Tennessee. Food trucks = plenty of food options for the little ones!
- Start your summer day off right with a donut! For a list of the best donut shops in Knoxville, see our Knoxville Moms guide.
- What kid doesn’t like pizza?? Find your perfect pie with our Knoxville Moms pizza guide!
- It doesn’t get much better than dining al fresco during the summer! Enjoy a meal outside on one of Knoxville’s best restaurant patios.
- It’s iced coffee season! Pick one up at one of these great local coffee shops.
Knoxville Summer Outdoor Adventures
- Rent a pedal boat, SUP, kayak, bike or canoe at Adventure Outdoors.
- Chances are, if you’ve already been tubing, you’ve heard of a little place called the “Wye.” But it’s not just for tubing. Set up a picnic and go swimming.
- After that, you can see the sights of the Smokies with some relatively easy hiking trails.
- Go on a swimming hole scavenger hunt.
- Buy a pair of binoculars and plan a visit to Seven Islands State Birding Park. With over 190 species of birds sighted, your kids can be regular old ornithologists too!
- Don’t forget to explore all of the amazing parks Knoxville has to offer.
- Nature lesson alert! Go pick your own fruit at these pick-your-own farms.
- Admire the scenic gardens at Knoxville Botanical Gardens and Arboretum.
- Have you been to South Knoxville lately? If not, you should pay a visit! SO much good stuff is happening over there, like Suttree Landing Park, Baker Creek Preserve Adventure Play Area and the new Nature Playscape at Ijams Nature Center.
- Check out the great fruit and veggie patches around town or visit a Farmers’ Market with the kids!
- Witness nature in all of its beauty during the synchronous firefly season, even if you didn’t win the lottery.
- Make a kite and fly it at the picture-perfect location: World’s Fair Park.
- Break out the frisbee and play a round of disc golf at Victor Ashe, Admiral Farragut, Plumb Creek and Morningside parks.
- Be one with nature at Ijams Nature Center!
- Spend the day at Knoxville’s “beach.”
- While Knoxville doesn’t have a ton of pool options, there are quite a few options within a 30-minute drive. One of my favorites is Springbrook Pool, but there’s also Karns Pool and the Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool.
- It’s picnic season! Truly you could spend several days picnicking in the best spots around town.
- Go belly up, down the Little River from the comfort of a tube.
- Live the ultimate summer dream. Rent a pontoon boat and celebrate the season in all its glory.
- See the Smoky Mountains like you’ve never seen them before, from a hot air balloon.
- Get on your bike and peddle! Use our Knoxville Moms guide to find a family-friendly bicycle ride!
- Cool off by splashing in one of Knoxville’s splash pads! For a complete list, see our Knoxville Moms guide.
Worth The Drive
- Pitch a tent at a nearby campground, break out the s’mores and then share some spooky ghost stories.
- Go on a family-friendly daytrip.
- Go for a boat ride underground by exploring the Lost Sea.
- If you’re willing to drive a little way, you can ride a llama or alpaca!
- And if llamas or alpacas are too edgy for you, there’s always traditional horseback riding.
- Staying there might cost a pretty penny, but you could always take your kids for a drive to see a real-life castle: the Williamswood Castle, that is.
- Put your toes in the sand! Knoxville Moms has compiled a list of the 20+ beaches near Knoxville.
Fun At Home
- Let your kids set up a lemonade stand (or something else fun) and consider visiting and donating the proceeds to any of Knoxville’s great local nonprofits.
- Buy all the things at the Dollar Tree, and craft until your heart’s content. Or for that matter, let your kids go crazy and give them $10 to spend.
- Visit your nearest KARM and buy some board games or puzzles for a family game night!
- Let Dolly Parton read your kids a bedtime story.
- Have a Retro ’90s Family Movie Night from the comfort of your own home. Or you if you really want to up your game, rent a projector and have an outdoor movie night.
Knoxville Learning Fun
- Admission AND parking are free at McClung Museum, so family fun days are an absolute must.
- Just because the kids are out of school doesn’t mean they can’t still brush up on their history. There are some terrific historic sites a hop, skip and a jump away. Why not start with the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center?
- Take a trip back in time over 200 years to James White Fort.
- Tour the historic Mabry-Hazen house.
- Visit the birthplace of Tennessee, the Blount Mansion.
- Take advantage of free admission to the Knoxville Museum of Art!
- So many great summer camps, so little time!
Knoxville Indoor Fun
- Explore Muse Knoxville or the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge.
- Don’t just see the Circus, be the Circus at Dragonfly Aerial and Arts Studio or Elevation Arts and Fitness.
- Perhaps one of my favorite activities: paint pottery at Liza Moz Pottery or Mighty Mud.
- Shoot some hoops and then take a tour around the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
- Save the hottest day of the year for indoor ice skating or hockey at Cool Sports or the Ice Chalet.
- Even if you don’t like bowling, you’ll still have a great time and a good meal at Maple Hall Bowling Alley, probably one of my favorite spots in town. And even if you don’t like bowling, they’ve got a separate parlor for board games.
- Strengthen those arm muscles at Onsight Rock Gym.
- Let your child’s imagination run rampant with creativity at the Knoxville Arts Center.
