Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Knoxville - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Knoxville

Knoxville, Tennessee

The Body Farm

Bring out your dead.

Knoxville, Tennessee

The Sunsphere

Knoxville’s architectural icon was the symbol of the 1982 World’s Fair, even catching the googly eye of Bart Simpson.

Knoxville, Tennessee

S.S. Sultana Memorial

This stone memorial pays tribute to a massive shipwreck which was sadly overshadowed by the death of John Wilkes Booth.

Are we missing something unusual in Knoxville?

Clinton, Tennessee

Whirlwind Mansion

This Tennessee manse was built so opulent that the very utilities doomed it to fail.

15 miles from Knoxville

Clinton, Tennessee

Clinton 12 Statue at Green McAdoo Cultural Center

A bronze sculpture honors the 12 black students who attended the first integrated public high school in the segregated South.

15 miles from Knoxville

Clinton, Tennessee

Asa Jackson’s Perpetual Motion Machine

This improbable contraption was passed down through five generations of industrious Tennesseans.

17 miles from Knoxville

Oak Ridge, Tennessee

The Prophet of Oak Ridge's Grave

John Hendrix predicted the creation of the "Secret City" built as part of the Manhattan Project.

17 miles from Knoxville

Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.

Community Forums / United States / US: South

Top Discussions in the US: South Travel Forum

Post	Replies	Views	Activity
What would you do on a time crunch in DC?	19 December 9, 2019	3057	December 9, 2019
Carolina House with a Natural Cavern underneath	12 April 1, 2020	5478	April 1, 2020
New Orleans suggestions?	15 March 26, 2020	3550	March 26, 2020
Off the beaten path / hidden gems near Nashville?	9 November 20, 2019	2951	November 20, 2019
Nashville Music Shops — seeking recommendations	10 September 12, 2019	939	September 12, 2019

New Post Visit the Forum

Explore Knoxville, Tennessee

Launch Map

Knoxville Leaderboard

Places Added

Join the Ranks!

Add an unusual place to Knoxville.

Places Edited

Places Visited

Recent Knoxville Activity

bbergiel has been to S.S. Sultana Memorial

bbergiel has been to The Sunsphere

BattlesNBooze wants to go to The Body Farm

danboczar wants to go to The Sunsphere

lienau3 has been to The Sunsphere

Stories About Knoxville

Could the colors of leaves indicate something beneath?

Could a Tree Help Find a Decaying Corpse Nearby?

On a “body farm,” researchers are exploring whether the nutrients from human cadavers can change the look of plants, which authorities might use to locate missing persons.

October 12, 2020

The Libation Ceremony began in 2015, but carries on a long local tradition of remembrance.

Local Emancipation Commemorations Bring Black Communities Closer to the Past

Events like Tennessee’s Libation Ceremony offer a chance “to finally start grabbing the pieces that have been scattered and lost.”

by Nicole Rasul

August 14, 2020

Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.