Knoxville Walking Tours

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Knoxville Walking Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Knoxville Walking Tours

Guided Knoxville walking tours let you live the stories of pioneers, soldiers, outlaws, and even fictional characters who walked these streets before you.

Take a stroll through history in beautiful downtown Knoxville while listening to true tales of the heroes, heels, and hardened criminals that are part of the hidden lore of this unique East Tennessee town.

Let us tell you a story. . .

Available Tours

knoxville walking tour

UT Campus Historic Walking Tour

knoxville walking tour

KHP’s Walking and Driving Tours provide opportunities to discover and appreciate the many historical gems found throughout Knoxville that you can see on foot, from a car, or from the comfort of your armchair. We hope that you may stop for a visit anywhere along the routes and explore or return at a later date.

Simply click on the link below to download the PDF   to a tablet or print off and follow along a route:

UT Campus Walking Tour

The Hill/Cumberland Avenue/Volunteer Boulevard/Stadiums/Ag Campus 

This historic tour starts on the Hill, taking in Ayres Hall and other impressive buildings (highlighting notable architects and developments over of the years), including the oldest existing building, South College, as well Alumni Hall with its fascinating history of performers. From the relatively new architecture of the Min Kao Engineering Building at the foot of Cumberland Avenue, the campus tour takes in a series of remarkable buildings in quick succession, including Hoskins Library, the old Cowan Gardener’s Cottage, and the remnants of Sophronia Strong Hall. Volunteer Boulevard also teems with a rich medley of structures, highlighting the modern “Ziggurat” that is Hodges Library alongside the Victorian Tyson House, and a series of classic statues, including “Europa and the Bull” at McClung Tower, and the ever-present “Volunteer” at Circle Park.  A roundup of sports and entertainment stadiums, includes Neyland Stadium, Thompson Boling Arena, and the Pat Head Summitt memorial statue to name just a few. An optional leg takes in the soccer and softball stadiums off Neyland Drive before culminating (after a short drive or bike ride), over on the Agricultural campus with grand Morgan Hall, the enigmatic UT Indian Mound, and charming UT Gardens.

This walking tour has been funded by a contribution of 202 Funds

by City of Knoxville Councilmember,  Lynne Fugate

and supported in part by federal award number 21.027 awarded to the City of Knoxville

by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Arts & Culture Alliance,

an American Rescue Plan Renewal grant from the U.S. Department of the Treasury,

knoxville walking tour

Curious to find more historical landmarks in Knoxville?

Check out khp’s other walking and driving tours here . .

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5 ways new paths and parks will 'Reconnect Knoxville' from the stadium to the river

knoxville walking tour

A new city project will reimagine the way people get around Knoxville on bike and foot, and the name couldn't be more fitting: Reconnecting Knoxville.

That's because − for the first time in a long time − East Knoxville residents cut off from downtown through the demolition of mostly Black neighborhoods in the 1960s and '70s will be able to move more easily throughout the city to take advantage of new amenities, new infrastructure and new job opportunities.

But amending the generational pains of urban removal, touted as urban renewal at the time, is just a sliver of the expansive overhaul that will add walkways to highways, replace parking lots with parks and bring Knoxville's complicated African American history to the forefront of a city trying to navigate the crossroads of progress while remembering − and learning from − past mistakes.

Knox News was first to report the city was awarded $42.6 million in federal funds for this seven-phase project, which includes "nearly 10 miles of connectivity improvements" that will bridge South Knoxville, East Knoxville and downtown.

We break down the project in a way that's easy to understand, piece by piece.

South Knoxville: James White Parkway walking and biking path

James White Parkway is one of the most notable barriers built through urban removal, which also led to the construction of the Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum at the expense of flattening entire blocks of mostly Black homes, churches and businesses.

Reconnecting Knoxville aims to make meaningful changes, including to James White Parkway:

  • The James White Parkway bridge crossing the Tennessee River will be connected to Morningside Park via a path that could accommodate bikers and pedestrians.
  • The bridge will be retrofitted with dedicated, barricaded bike lanes and pedestrian paths.
  • The James White Parkway bridge path branches off at Anita Drive to Sevier Avenue, where restaurants, breweries and retail shops provide neighborhood amenities and job opportunities.
  • The bridge's primary path will end at Urban Wilderness Gateway Park, providing access to South Knoxville's natural beauty and amenities.
  • All four lanes of vehicle traffic on the bridge will remain.

Downtown Knoxville: New amenities around baseball stadium

The $114 million baseball stadium project just east of the Old City was approved in 2021 after developers cleared hurdles of skepticism from community members concerned the project would not benefit Black residents to the east.

Stakeholders made promises to incorporate Knoxville's Black history into the project and to work with diverse businesses to help build and staff the facility. Here's how Reconnecting Knoxville will play a role.

  • A path for bikers and pedestrians will wrap around the baseball stadium site, connecting to more paths being planned.
  • Those new paths include connections to First Creek at Austin, an affordable housing community, and then to the planned East Knox Greenway (more on that in the next section).
  • A parking lot beneath James White Parkway in the Old City, just next door to the stadium, will be transformed into a new Jackson Avenue Park.
  • The stadium area will include nods to Knoxville's Black History as part of the cultural corridor (more on that, below).

East Knoxville: Bridging the botanical garden and Vine Middle

The proposed pathways for bikers and pedestrians that will connect the city start as far east as the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum before moving westward into East Knoxville and the Old City.

The paths don't just bridge the major anchors of the Urban Wilderness in South Knoxville, the baseball stadium in the Old City and the botanical gardens in East Knoxville. The East Knox Greenway will intersect with the following parks and schools along the way (from east to west):

  • Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum
  • Williams Creek Urban Forest
  • Paul Hogue Park
  • Dr. Walter Hardy Park
  • Harriet Tubman Park
  • Vine Middle Magnet School.

Downtown to East Knoxville: Linking the city at Morningside Park

In a way, Morningside Park is the glue holding this project together. It's the most centralized of any of the major stopping points along the proposed paths and already has established paths of its own.

Here's how Morningside Park will be a major component of Reconnecting Knoxville.

  • Just west of Morningside Park, the project's main crossroad forms at the intersection of East Hill Avenue and East Summit Hill Drive.
  • This crossroad also is within a few steps of four affordable housing sites: First Creek at Austin, The Vista at Summit Hill, The 1100 Studio Apartments and Pinnacle Park Apartments.
  • This intersection will include new sidewalks and crossings to increase safety and access for elementary and middle school students.
  • Dandridge Avenue, which runs alongside Morningside Park, will get new sidewalks and a safe crossing to the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, a museum and research center focused on Knoxville's African American history.
  • Parks will be added along the pathways to help more residents experience the advantages of greenspace.
  • The proposed $100 million Knoxville science museum is just across the street from Morningside Park and also will be connected with a bike and pedestrian paths.

Downtown and East Knoxville: Establishing a cultural corridor

With the project aimed at righting the wrongs of urban removal, the city and its partners have identified ways to bring Knoxville's African American history to the forefront of this project.

It will happen through a "cultural corridor." Here's what that means.

  • The Beck Cultural Corridor is described as an "interactive excursion" that helps locals and visitors learn about Knoxville's African American history and, in some cases, experience it.
  • Project planners have identified 10 historically significant markers that will be found along the corridor, including the ancestral home of artists Beauford and Joseph Delaney, as well as a planned monument at the stadium site for the Knoxville Giants, a former Negro Southern League baseball team in the 1920s and '30s.
  • The city is planning plazas along the project's pathways, budgeting $75,000 for each, including one at the intersection of East Summit Hill Drive and Nelson Avenue near Green Magnet Academy that would create "a physical space to visit, sit, and reflect."
  • Stories of African American history will be told along the cultural corridor through QR codes linking to webpages and relying on Beck's expansive collection of historical documents.
  • "The markers, paired with digital assets such as virtual images, holograms, voices and sound, will allow visitors to 'Take a walk around  the Bottom'  or experience the former East Vine Street, bustling with patrons frequenting dozens of African American businesses," according to a project plan. 
  • When it comes to creating the digital assets, preference will be given to students in the  University of Tennessee at Knoxville's Project Excellence program  and graduates of  Austin-East Magnet High School,  which is within the project's footprint.

How the Reconnecting Knoxville project came to fruition

The $42.6 million awarded to the city through Knoxville's Community Development Corporation will cover nearly half of the estimated project costs. The other half is covered by money the city has set aside.

The news broke March 13 as part of the Biden-Harris Administration's announcement of $3.3 billion in grants awarded across the country through the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Knoxville applied for this grant one year ago but wasn't successful until this go-round, despite the city expanding the project and asking for more money.

Knoxville received exponentially more federal money than its Tennessee counterparts in Chattanooga and Memphis, which each received between $2 million and $3 million as part of this latest round of federal transportation grants.

Rebekah Jane Justice, the city's chief of urban design and development, told Knox News the city has not decided how much − if any − of the federal grant will be considered in the city's pledge to make meaningful amends to urban removal through $100 million over seven years.

When  this urban removal resolution passed  in December 2020, the city said the $100 million would be paid largely through grants.

Ryan Wilusz is a downtown growth and development reporter. Phone  865-317-5138.  Email  [email protected].  Instagram  @knoxscruff.  

Support strong local journalism by subscribing at  knoxnews.com/subscribe .

IMAGES

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  5. Follow these 10 expert designed self-guided walking tours in Knoxville

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  6. Guided & Self-Guided Tours in Knoxville, TN

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COMMENTS

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  2. Historic Downtown Knoxville Walking Tour

    Presented by Knox Heritage. A self-guided walking tour featuring 70 historic buildings throughout downtown Knoxville. Check out the tour below or stop in at the Knoxville Visitors Center to pick up a brochure. DearFlip: Loading PDF 100% ...

  3. Guided & Self-Guided Tours in Knoxville, TN

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  4. Historic Downtown Knoxville Walking Tour

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    Embark on a captivating walking tour through the heart of Knoxville, where history, culture, and modern charm converge to create a delightful urban experience. As you stroll through downtown Knoxville, you'll find yourself immersed in a tapestry of architectural marvels, vibrant street life, and the echoes of the city's rich past.

  7. Knoxville Walking Tours

    Guided Knoxville walking tours Storyteller Laura Still helps you live the stories of pioneers, soldiers, outlaws, and even fictional characters who walked these streets before you. Knoxville has a rich history full of colorful characters and famous, and infamous, figures whose lives have been the inspiration for books, movies, and works of art.

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    About. Guided Knoxville walking tours let you live the stories of pioneers, soldiers, outlaws, and even fictional characters who walked these streets before you. Take a stroll through history in beautiful downtown Knoxville while listening to true tales of the heroes, heels, and hardened criminals that are part of the hidden lore of this unique ...

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    This free, downtown self-guided walking tour explains Knoxville's ties to Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Howard Armstrong, Dolly Parton, the Everly Brothers, Roy Acuff, and others. It also highlights the stories of some of the artists featured in Ken Burns 2019 documentary Country Music as well as some of the stops on the Ken Burns' Country ...

  11. Downtown Knoxville Walking Tour (Self Guided), Knoxville

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  14. Knoxville Downtown Mural Walking Tour

    Knoxville is home to many murals that help tell the story of the city in a visual, artistic way. From alleys to stairwells, our talented local and visiting artists use a variety of canvases to enhance the natural landscape of Knoxville. To see and learn more, stop by the downtown Visitors Center at 301 S. Gay Street, home of the mural you see ...

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  17. UT Campus Historic Walking Tour

    This walking tour has been funded by a contribution of 202 Funds. by City of Knoxville Councilmember, Lynne Fugate. and supported in part by federal award number 21.027 awarded to the City of Knoxville . by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Arts & Culture Alliance, an American Rescue Plan Renewal grant from the U.S. Department of the ...

  18. Knoxville Walking Tours

    Storyteller Laura Still helps you live the stories of pioneers, soldiers, outlaws, and even fictional characters who walked these streets before you. Knoxville has a rich history full of colorful characters and famous, and infamous, figures whose lives have been the inspiration for books, movies, and works of art. Take a stroll through history in beautiful downtown Knoxville while listening to ...

  19. Shadow Side Ghost Tour

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