Kids' activities in Knoxville: playgrounds, story times, rainy days

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Facts come from the City of Knoxville’s Playgrounds and Water Play Fountains pages, the Knox County Public Library and the venues linked below. Hours change on holidays and UT home game days; check before you go.

Knoxville has a lot for children that costs nothing: city playgrounds in every part of town, free splash fountains downtown from May, library story times at branches across the county and two free museums. For a paid day out, there are Muse Knoxville and Zoo Knoxville in East Knoxville.

At a glance

• Free and outdoors: city playgrounds, Storybook Trails, Ijams grounds, splash fountains (May to mid-October)
• Free and indoors: Knoxville Museum of Art; McClung Museum on the UT campus
• Paid: Muse Knoxville, Zoo Knoxville
• City parks questions: Knoxville 311, 865-215-4311

Playgrounds

The city runs playgrounds in dozens of parks, listed by area on its playgrounds page. A few to know:

• Fort Kid, downtown.
• Ashley Nicole Dream Playground at Caswell Park, East Knoxville.
• Baker Creek Play Forest at Baker Creek Preserve, South Knoxville.
• Fountain City Park, North Knoxville.
• Deane Hill Park, West Knoxville.

Splash fountains

Free, from about May to mid-October, with the city aiming to run them daily 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.: Market Square, World’s Fair Park (1060 World’s Fair Park Drive) and the Krutch Park Extension near Gay Street. The Volunteer Landing fountain is closed with no reopening date. For pools and summer camps, see our summer camps and pools page. City of Knoxville

Story times and Storybook Trails

• Library story times: Knox County Public Library branches hold Toddler Storytime, Preschool Storytime and Ready, Set, K storytimes for children getting ready for kindergarten. Days and branches are on the storytime calendar.
• Storybook Trails: permanent story panels along accessible paths, readable during all park hours, rain or shine, at West View Park, Collier Preserve and Beverly Park. Library page
• Read City Explorer Pass: adults with a library card can reserve free or reduced admission to partner museums and cultural sites, including for children 14 and under. Explorer Pass

Indoor and rainy-day picks

Muse Knoxville is a children’s museum focused on STEAM, with Toddler Tuesday sessions at 8:30 a.m. and member mornings on Wednesdays. McClung Museum closes during UT home football games.

Outdoors

• Zoo Knoxville, 3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive. Tickets and hours
• Ijams Nature Center: free grounds open every day from 8 a.m. until dusk, the River Boardwalk and Navitat’s treetop adventure trails. Ijams
• Sunsphere observation deck, World’s Fair Park: free views from the fourth level. Hours
• Greenways: see our walking and biking trails guide.

By season

• Spring break and camps: spring break and summer camps and pools
• Halloween: trick-or-treat hours and Halloween events
• Christmas: holiday lights and Christmas events

Related: free things to do, parks and trails and schools.

Frequently asked questions

What can I do with kids in Knoxville on a rainy day?

Muse Knoxville, the children’s science museum at 516 N. Beaman St., is open Tuesday to Sunday. The Knoxville Museum of Art and UT’s McClung Museum are free, and the Ijams Nature Center visitor center has indoor animal exhibits.

Where are the splash pads in Knoxville?

The city’s free play fountains are on Market Square, at World’s Fair Park and in the Krutch Park Extension, typically from May to mid-October, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Does the Knox County library have story times?

Yes. Branches run Toddler Storytime, Preschool Storytime and Ready, Set, K storytimes; the schedule is on the library’s storytime calendar.

What is the Read City Explorer Pass?

Adult Knox County Public Library cardholders can book free or reduced admission to area museums and cultural sites through the library’s Read City Explorer Pass.

Where is the playground downtown?

Fort Kid is the city’s downtown playground. The city lists dozens more by area of town on its playgrounds page.