# Things to do with toddlers and little kids in Knoxville: the parent guide

> Knoxville is a great small city for little kids, with a big zoo and a hands-on science museum side by side in Chilhowee Park, a nature center with toddler programs and splash pads downtown.

- Last checked: 2026-10-18
- 14 places for ages 0–6, with admission and menu prices from each place’s own site
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/knoxville/guide/
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/knoxville/index.md
- Visiting guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/knoxville/visiting/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/knoxville/llms.txt

## Kid-friendly restaurants

### The Tomato Head (Market Square and Kingston Pike)

- A Market Square favorite for pizza and sandwiches, with a cheap kids’ menu of pasta bowls, cheese toast and the Simon Plate.
- Price level: $$
- Menu prices: kids’ meals $4.50–$6.25, 9-inch pizzas ~$19.50–$26
- Hours: Sat 11am–10pm (brunch until 3pm); closed Mon
- Good for: Cheap kids’ plates at $4.50–$6.25 on Market Square.
- Skip if: it’s Monday, when it’s closed, or you need a quiet table at Saturday brunch.
- Price source: https://www.thetomatohead.com/tomato-head-menu-pizza-salad-sandwiches/kids-menu/ (checked 2026-10-17)
- Website: https://www.thetomatohead.com/

### Tupelo Honey (Market Square)

- Southern brunch, lunch and dinner at the base of the Oliver Hotel, with patio seating on the square.
- Price level: $$
- Hours: Daily 8am–9pm
- Good for: Patio brunch on the square from 8am.
- Skip if: you want somewhere quiet; it sits on busy Market Square.
- Website: https://tupelohoneycafe.com/restaurant/knoxville/

### Harvest (Bearden, 5200 Kingston Pike)

- A seasonal Kingston Pike restaurant serving lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, with its own kids’ menu.
- Price level: $$
- Hours: Sat 10am–10pm; Sun 10am–9pm
- Good for: A nicer weekend brunch with its own kids’ menu.
- Skip if: you only have weekday mornings; brunch is weekends only.
- Website: https://harvestknox.com/

### Billie Rae’s BBQ (East Knoxville, 1920 E. Magnolia Ave.)

- Window-service barbecue on Magnolia Avenue. Kids’ plates include a chili dog, two ribs or three wings, each with a side.
- Price level: $
- Menu prices: kids’ meals $7.50–$10.49
- Hours: Sat–Sun 12:30–5:30pm; Wed–Fri 12:30–6:30pm; closed Mon
- Good for: Window-service barbecue with kids’ plates at $7.50–$10.49.
- Skip if: you need a weekday lunch before 12:30, or it’s Monday.
- Price source: https://www.billieraesbbq.com/online-ordering (checked 2026-10-17)
- Website: https://www.billieraesbbq.com/

## Indoor play and rainy days

### Muse Knoxville (Chilhowee Park)

- A hands-on science museum for young kids, with free family nights on the fourth Friday of each month.
- Price level: $
- Tickets: General admission $12; Under 1 free. Admission paid onsite
- Hours: Tue–Fri 10am–4pm; Sat–Sun 9am–4pm
- Good for: Weekend or afternoon visits with young kids; under 1 is free and there’s a nursing nook.
- Skip if: you go on a weekday morning, when school groups fill it.
- Price source: https://themuseknoxville.org/plan-your-visit/ (checked 2026-10-17)
- Website: https://themuseknoxville.org/

### McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture (UT campus)

- A natural history and culture museum on the University of Tennessee campus. Admission and parking are free.
- Price level: Free
- Tickets: Free parking in front, first come, first served
- Hours: Tue–Sat 9am–6pm; Sun 10am–5pm
- Good for: A free museum hour with free parking out front.
- Skip if: it’s Monday, when it’s closed, or your toddler wants hands-on play more than exhibits.
- Price source: https://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/visit/ (checked 2026-10-18)
- Website: https://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/

### Museum of East Tennessee History (Downtown)

- Regional history on the first floor of the East Tennessee History Center.
- Price level: Free
- Tickets: Free admission June 1, 2026 – February 14, 2027
- Hours: Mon–Fri 9am–4pm; Sat 10am–4pm; Sun 1–5pm
- Good for: A free downtown add-on for curious preschoolers through Feb 14, 2027.
- Skip if: you want hands-on play; it’s a history museum.
- Price source: https://www.easttnhistory.org/ (checked 2026-10-18)
- Website: https://www.easttnhistory.org/

### Lawson McGhee Library (Downtown)

- The main branch of the Knox County library, with free children’s programs on the calendar.
- Price level: Free
- Good for: Free children’s programs at the main county library.
- Skip if: you need to run; World’s Fair Park is the better bet.
- Website: https://www.knoxcountylibrary.org/about/hours-and-locations/lawson-mcghee-library

## Parks and outdoor play

### Ijams Nature Center (South Knoxville)

- A nonprofit nature center with trails, storytimes and toddler programs.
- Price level: Free
- Tickets: $5 daily parking per car
- Good for: Toddler programs and easy trails; entry is free and parking is $5.
- Skip if: you want a paved-only stroller day.
- Price source: https://www.ijams.org/ (checked 2026-10-18)
- Website: https://www.ijams.org/

### World’s Fair Park (Downtown)

- The Festival Lawn, splash pads in summer, and the Sunsphere overhead.
- Price level: Free
- Good for: Free lawn time under the Sunsphere, plus summer splash pads.
- Skip if: it’s cold and you came for the splash pads.
- Website: https://www.worldsfairpark.org/

### Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum (East Knoxville)

- 44 acres of display gardens, stone walls and walking trails, with old stone roundhouses to find.
- Price level: Free
- Tickets: Open every day, dawn to dusk
- Hours: Grounds open daily dawn to dusk; visitors center daily 9am–5pm
- Good for: A free walk hunting for stone roundhouses, open daily.
- Skip if: you need slides and swings; it’s gardens and trails.
- Price source: https://www.knoxgarden.org/ (checked 2026-10-18)
- Website: https://www.knoxgarden.org/

## Museums, zoos and big outings

### Zoo Knoxville (East Knoxville)

- Home to more than 1,500 animals, with interactive spots for kids.
- Price level: $$
- Tickets: kids 3–12 $21.95; adults $26.95; Age 2 and under free
- Good for: A full morning at opening; 2 and under are free.
- Skip if: you’re arriving mid-afternoon; it’s best at opening.
- Price source: https://www.zooknoxville.org/plan-your-visit/admission-parking/ (checked 2026-10-17)
- Website: https://www.zooknoxville.org/

## Staycations and overnight trips

### The Oliver Hotel (Market Square)

- A boutique hotel right on Market Square, steps from Tupelo Honey and the Tomato Head.
- Price level: $$$
- Good for: Staying right on Market Square.
- Skip if: you want a big hotel pool; it’s a small boutique.
- Website: https://theoliverhotel.com/

### Norris Dam State Park (Norris (about 35 minutes))

- 4,018 acres on Norris Lake with cabins, a campground, a playground, CCC history and an old grist mill.
- Price level: $
- Good for: Cabins, a playground and a grist mill about 35 minutes away.
- Skip if: you want to stay near Market Square.
- Website: https://tnstateparks.com/parks/norris-dam

## Free things to do

- McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture
- Museum of East Tennessee History
- Lawson McGhee Library
- Ijams Nature Center
- World’s Fair Park
- Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum

## Best for under 3s

- **Muse Knoxville**: Built for young kids, with a Nursing Nook.
- **Lawson McGhee Library**: Free children’s programs for little ones.

## With a baby or a 1-year-old

### Baby and lap-sit storytimes

- **Baby Bookworms** (Knox County Public Library): Fridays at 10:30am · Bearden Branch Library. Babies and toddlers https://www.knoxcountylibrary.org/events/upcoming
- **Baby Bookworms** (Knox County Public Library): Tuesdays at 10:30am and 11:15am · Cedar Bluff Branch Library. Babies and toddlers https://www.knoxcountylibrary.org/events/upcoming
- **Baby Bookworms** (Knox County Public Library): Wednesdays at 10:30am · Farragut Branch Library. Babies and toddlers https://www.knoxcountylibrary.org/events/upcoming
- **Baby Bookworms** (Knox County Public Library): Fridays at 11am · Fountain City Branch Library. Babies and toddlers https://www.knoxcountylibrary.org/events/upcoming
- **Baby Bookworms** (Knox County Public Library): Fridays at 10:30am · Halls Branch Library. Babies and toddlers https://www.knoxcountylibrary.org/events/upcoming
- **Baby Bookworms** (Knox County Public Library): Thursdays at 10:30am · Lawson McGhee Library. Babies and toddlers https://www.knoxcountylibrary.org/events/upcoming

### Babies get in free

- **Muse Knoxville**: Under 1 free. https://themuseknoxville.org/plan-your-visit/
- **Zoo Knoxville**: Age 2 and under free. https://www.zooknoxville.org/plan-your-visit/admission-parking/

### Changing tables and nursing rooms

- **Muse Knoxville**: There’s a private Nursing Nook, and staff can give you breastmilk bags and cooler packs if you ask.
- **McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture**: Changing tables are in both the men’s and women’s restrooms.

### Stroller notes

- **Zoo Knoxville**: Single strollers are $14 and doubles are $16, plus tax, at the rental stand near the entrance.
- **Muse Knoxville**: Strollers are allowed, and there’s marked stroller parking on the main exhibit floor.

## Library storytimes

- **Knox County Public Library**: Weekly at 15 locations; Monday–Friday, mostly mornings. Free storytimes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers at Lawson McGhee and branches across the county. https://www.knoxcountylibrary.org/


## Happening this week

- **BOO! at the Zoo Knoxville** (5:30–9pm) at Zoo Knoxville. $15 online, $20 at the gate (ages 3+); under 3 free. https://littlesweekly.com/knoxville/#e-boo_at_the_zoo_knoxville
- **Saturday Stories & Songs: KSO Musical Storytime (Cedar Bluff)** (Sat 11am–12pm) at Knox County Public Library – Cedar Bluff. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/knoxville/#e-saturday_stories_songs_kso_musical_story
- **Trick or Treat at the Library (Cedar Bluff)** (Sat 2–4pm) at Knox County Public Library – Cedar Bluff. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/knoxville/#e-trick_or_treat_at_the_library_cedar_bluf
- **Ijams Enchanted Forest** (Sat 3–8pm (timed entry every 30 minutes)) at Ijams Nature Center – Mead’s Quarry. $10 per person (+$0.25 fee), group of 4 $30; under 2 free. https://littlesweekly.com/knoxville/#e-ijams_enchanted_forest
- **Farragut Harvest Fest** (Sun 1–5pm) at Village Green Shopping Center. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/knoxville/#e-farragut_harvest_fest

Full list with every outing: https://littlesweekly.com/knoxville/index.md

## Holiday pages

- [Santa in Knoxville: breakfast with Santa, photos and Santa trains (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/knoxville/santa/index.md)
- [Christmas lights in Knoxville for little kids (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/knoxville/christmas-lights/index.md)

## About this list
- Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city.
- How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com).
- Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list.
- How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote.

## FAQ

### Is Muse Knoxville good for toddlers?
Yes. It’s built for young kids, babies under 1 are free, and there’s a Nursing Nook.

### What’s free to do with little kids in Knoxville?
World’s Fair Park, the McClung Museum, the Botanical Garden, Ijams and library programs are free, and the Museum of East Tennessee History is free through February 14, 2027. Muse also has free family nights on the fourth Friday of each month.

### What can we do in Knoxville with a toddler when it rains?
Muse Knoxville, the McClung Museum and the Museum of East Tennessee History are all indoors.

### What’s good for babies and kids under 3 in Knoxville?
Muse Knoxville: Built for young kids, with a Nursing Nook. Lawson McGhee Library: Free children’s programs for little ones. Free for the littlest: Zoo Knoxville (Age 2 and under free). See [best for under 3s](https://littlesweekly.com/knoxville/guide/#under3).

### Where are the free storytimes in Knoxville?
Knox County Public Library: Weekly at 15 locations; Monday–Friday, mostly mornings. Library storytimes don’t need a ticket, but times change by branch, so check the calendar first. See [library storytimes](https://littlesweekly.com/knoxville/guide/#storytimes), and this week’s dated sessions are on the [Knoxville weekly list](https://littlesweekly.com/knoxville/).

### How do you choose the places in the Knoxville guide?
Every one of the 14 places is somewhere we’d take a baby, toddler or preschooler, with a note on who it suits and when to skip it. Prices, hours and menus come from each place’s own site, and 8 of them have checked admission or menu prices. The guide was last checked Oct 18, 2026. [How we choose and check](https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/).

### How much is the Zoo Knoxville for a toddler, and who gets in free?
Age 2 and under free; kids 3–12: $21.95; adults: $26.95. We checked this on [its official site](https://www.zooknoxville.org/plan-your-visit/admission-parking/) on Oct 17, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.