As part of our Tennessee roadtrip, we stopped off in Knoxville for two days. We showed up with no itinerary, no to-do list, and nowhere to be. On the spectrum of over planning to winging it, we usually land somewhere in the middle. This destination was different, and we think it was for the best. We loved exploring Knoxville, it’s very easy to walk around, and so many places were dog friendly. Exploring Knoxville can easily be done on foot; however, they also have public scooters and trolleys you can use. There are two main areas to explore: Downtown, and The Old City. Below we have highlighted our favourite places and where you can find them.

DOWNTOWN

Gay Street

The main street in downtown Knoxville is called Gay street. Along this street, you’ll find the visitor center, hotels, cafes, the theatre, the Tennessee History Museum, markets and enough flashing lights you’d think you were in Vegas.

The Visitor’s Centre

Here you can get a map of the city, wifi, and some free parking permits. They are also dog-friendly! We explored downtown Knoxville on a Sunday, the day after a big game. The streets were pretty quiet, and parking was really easy to find. It’s also free all day on Sundays! If you are exploring on a day other than Sunday, you can get one free 2-hour parking pass per day at the Visitors Centre located downtown on Gay Street. They can also give you directions to a free parking lot in the Old City, or a $1/ hour parkade nearby. Street parking is also available for $1.50/hr

Tennessee History Museum

On Sundays, they are by donation only. They usually have two exhibits; one on the history of Tennessee, and the other is a light hearted quirky museum. The history of Tennessee took us just over 1 hour to go through, and it covered both the history to Tennessee and the city Knoxville, as well as the people and culture. The second museum was on the history of Mountain Dew, it was smaller, more lighthearted and took about 20 minutes to go through.

Market Place

In need of something really specific that you can’t find anywhere? It’s probably here. This indoor market covers 2 floors and sells everything from clothing to kitchen utensils. They are also pet friendly.

Kilwins

If you love ice cream then you HAVE to go here. Their in-house made ice cream and waffle cones are to die for. We recommend Sea Salt Caramel. Also, their servings are massive so getting a single scoop is more than enough. They also have other treats such as fudge, chocolates, and pretzels, if ice cream isn’t quite your thing.

Volunteer Landing

If you walk down to the end of Gay Street, you will reach Volunteer Landing. Here, you can walk along the Tennessee river, and learn a little about the history of Knoxville along the way. There is also a river boat and a restaurant.

Market Square

Adjacent to Gay street is the Market Square. Here you can find a bustling atmosphere with live music, cafes and restaurants with patios, and across the street is a small park with unique sculptures and a waterfall. We went in December, so there was a big ice rink set up in the centre of the square, and the trees were decorated with lights. If you are looking for a delicious burger, check out Stock and Barrel located in the Market Square. It’s fairly cozy inside, and the burgers were delicious. Also if you like dessert, we recommend getting a milkshake after.

The Sunsphere

We didn’t actually go here, but thought it was still worth mentioning. After exploring Gay Street, head down Clinche Avenue you can get to the Sunsphere. Here, you can go to the top and, on a clear day, get a nice view of the city all the way to the Smokies.

THE OLD CITY

Heading north from the Visitors centre, you can get to The Old City. Here, you’ll find old traditional architectural buildings, refurbished warehouses, and a few hidden gems in between. We found The Old City a great area to get some amazing eats and drinks.

Pour

Interested in trying a few local beers? We highly recommend checking out this place.

It’s a self pouring tap house where you get a bracelet and pre load it up to 27oz (the maximum they can legally serve you at one time).

Once you load up your bracelet you are then free to try anything you’d like until you reach your 27oz limit. You just use your bracelet to activate the tap, then let your inner bartender shine. They have lots to choose from including local brews, stouts, sour beer, cider, mead, wine and a few cocktails. You can sit inside, or enjoy the outdoor patio.Our favourite part: they are pet friendly! So Finnley got to join us while we got our Pour on.

MOB (Merchants of Beer)

Another cool spot we stumbled upon. This diner looking spacepod was a really fun place to hang out. It’s pet friendly, has 50 beers on tap, a large selection of board games and arcade games, a large outdoor patio with tables, a food truck and table tennis!

There was a real chill vibe at this place, looking for a place to bunk up and use wifi? Or play a board game? Or have a few drinks? All while you’re furry friend is hanging out with you? Then this is your place.

Kitty corner to here, you can also find a small downtown dogpark if your pupper needs to get rid of a little energy before hanging out inside.

Sweet Pea’s BBQ

If you’re looking for some tasty, budget friendly BBQ, make sure you give this place a visit. While the interior isn’t pet friendly, the rooftop patio is. It has a separate entrance which is to the side of the building. We got the Sampler Platter to share, and it was delicious! It came with ribs, pulled pork, chicken, cornbread and three sides. We got mac and cheese and two servings of banana pudding for our sides. It was $24 and we couldn’t finish it. Lucky Finnley got some leftovers.