So, you missed summer camp signups. Or maybe just could not brave the Hunger Games-style sign-up competition that comes with sitting anxiously at the computer waiting on your time slot for a chance at getting your child into their favorite themed summer camp, as if it’s Savannah Bananas or Taylor Swift tickets! It’s exhausting! I have good news for you, summer isn’t ruined yet.
Here’s a breakdown of lots (but certainly not all) of the free and low-cost activities around town and some short road trips that are worth the drive!
This is another one-stop shop you’ll want to bookmark and come back to for things to do this summer. I even found a few new-to-me events and locations!
Free and Low Cost
Mead’s Quarry at Ijams Nature Center
One of the cleanest freshwater systems in Knoxville (no there are not bodies at the bottom), Mead’s Quarry has a designated swimming area with a floating dock and miles of surrounding trails. Swimming is free, though there is now a $5 parking fee for nonmembers. No lifeguards are on duty, so bring life jackets for little ones and plan to arrive early on hot days as the lots fill quickly. Dogs are welcome but must be leashed unless swimming. River Sports offers rentals if you want to paddleboard, canoe, etc. More info.
Augusta Quarry at Fort Dickerson Park
Augusta Quarry just completed an $11 million renovation and is better than ever. New floating swim platforms, bathrooms, changing rooms, and a smooth accessible walkway down to the water are all in place. No outside inflatables allowed, only Type III life jackets, paddleboards and kayaks. No lifeguards on duty. Free! More info.
Seven Islands State Birding Park
About 19 miles east of Knoxville near Kodak, Seven Islands is 416 acres along the French Broad River with over 8 miles of hiking trails, including a paved accessible greenway with a bridge and canoe and kayak launches. More than 190 bird species have been recorded here. Kids can participate in Junior Ranger programs, butterfly programs, nature story time, and kayaking 101 on various dates throughout the summer. Free! More info.
Safety City
Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Safety City is a child-sized miniature version of Knoxville where kids up to 4th grade learn bicycle, pedestrian and fire safety in a hands-on setting. The working car wash sprinkler is a summer favorite. Open Tuesdays through Thursdays this summer, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Helmets required for riding. Check ahead to see if the snowcone truck will be there! More info.
Knox County Library Summer Library Challenge
This year’s theme is “Stomp, Roar, Dinosaur” as part of the Read City USA initiative. Kids earn prize boxes every five activities completed, with a bonus prize at 25. Free with a library card. The library also joins Kid A’Riffic Fun in the Park on Wednesdays in June and July with crafts and activities. Check out Leslie’s look at 10 things you didn’t know you could do at the library! More info.
Knox County Library Read City Explorer Pass
This is one of the most underused perks in Knoxville. Library cardholders in good standing can reserve free or reduced admission to Zoo Knoxville, The Muse, Clarence Brown Theatre, Knoxville Children’s Theatre, Knoxville Opera, the Sunsphere, Museum of Appalachia, and more, up to six weeks in advance. If you do not have a library card, get one. It is free and it pays for itself quickly. More info.
Free Sunsphere Days for Knox County Residents
Knox County residents with a valid driver’s license get free admission to the Sunsphere observation deck on the first Friday of each month from May through October, except July. Space is limited and first come, first serve. Regular hours extend to 6pm on these days. More info.
The Muse Free Family Nights
The Muse holds free admission nights on the fourth Friday of every month from 5 to 7pm at their Chilhowee Park location, with free planetarium shows included. A genuinely great option for families who want the museum experience without the ticket price. More info.
Market Square Farmers Market
Every Saturday and Wednesday all summer long in the heart of downtown. Locally grown produce, handmade goods, and a great reason to get the kids outside on a weekend morning. More info.
First Friday ArtWalk
The first Friday of every month through downtown Knoxville. Galleries, open houses, street activity and all ages welcome. A nice way to introduce kids to the arts in a low-pressure setting. More info.
Knoxville Museum of Art
Free admission year-round. Even if the summer camps are full, it is a free destination worth a visit any day of the week. Being indoors to roam around is always a good thing in the humid East TN summertime. Don’t forget the Summer Sunday Art Activity on June 14, 1-4 and check out their book club for grown ups. It meets 3x a year and is free and open to the public. More info.
Cherokee Caverns
A scant 25 minute drive from my house is clearly Knoxville’s best kept secret (from me, at least!) The 300-million-year-old cave right here in town hosts movie nights and special events about four to six times per year. The cave stays 58 degrees year-round, making it a another perfect escape on a hot summer day. Check their website for summer event dates and plan ahead because these events tend to sell out.
Concerts on the Square
Free concerts in Market Square run all summer, with Jazz Tuesdays and Variety Thursdays on the third Thursday of each month. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair, grab dinner from one of the restaurants on the square and new this month, your adult beverage, and let the kids run around. It does not get more Knoxville than this.
Regal Summer Movie Express
Regal Cinemas has a series of great family movies returning to the big screen. Each week from June 1 to August 13 get $1 Summer Movie Express tickets starting at 11AM Monday through Thursday. Each person gets $3 off a Snack Pack, which includes a junior-sized drink, popcorn, and fruit gummies, and/or a cup of Dippin’ Dots ice cream. More info.
Kids Bowl Free-ish
Kids Bowl Free goes through August 30 with two free games a week. You still have to pay to rent shoes, hence the -ish part of the free designation. It’s still a great program and fits the low-cost category. Local locations are: Fountain Lanes , Strike & Spare, Main Event-Knoxville, Strike & Spare Family Bowl, and Strike & Spare Western Avenue. More info.
Summer Movie Magic at The Tennessee Theatre
Camps with Openings (at the time of writing)
Availability changes by the day, so verify directly with each program before making plans. That said, the following camps had openings or rolling registration at the time this was written and are worth a look.
City of Knoxville Parks and Rec Summer Camps
Nine community centers across the city offer summer camp for ages 6 through 12, with a teen camp at Cal Johnson Community Center for ages 12 through 15. The KORE program spans seven weeks with field trips to pools and local attractions. Scholarships are available for qualifying families who live inside city limits. One of the most affordable options in town. More info.
Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum
A 44-acre historic garden just minutes from downtown, free and open to the public year-round from dawn to dusk. The garden has over two miles of walking paths lined with historic horticulture, whimsical stone structures, seasonal plantings, a Secret Garden inspired by the classic novel, and a Pollinator Garden. Family-friendly tree walks led by arborists and guided native plant walks are offered throughout the summer, with something for every age. Free to visit any day. Programming like Story Thyme and Flora Friends happen weekly for prek through age 7. Registration is suggested. And if it’s “me time” you are after, check out their guided walks and workshops for adults! More info.
YMCA Summer Day Camp
For children who have completed kindergarten through rising sixth graders, the Y runs summer day camp May 26 through July 24 from 7am to 6pm Monday through Friday. More info.
UT Gardens Summer Camp
For ages 6 through 12, weeklong sessions run 8:30am to 3:30pm Monday through Friday with themes around gardening, food systems and nature. Registration for 2026 is still open with spaces available for several that I looked into. More info.
KMA Summer Art Academy
The Knoxville Museum of Art’s Summer Art Academy runs June 1 through July 24 with weeklong classes in drawing, painting, sculpture and more. Each week ends with a small art show where kids display their work for family. Open availability. More info.
Camp Muse at The Muse
Hands-on STEAM weeklong camps for Pre-K through rising third graders. Topics include coding, engineering, space science, forensics and energy exploration. A Storybook STEM option for ages 4 through 6 blends fairy tales with engineering challenges. Must be fully potty trained to attend. Limited availability. More info.
Ijams Nature Center Camps
Ijams offers four distinct camp programs running all summer in five-day sessions Monday through Friday, 9am to 3pm, with aftercare available. Preschool Camp is for ages 3 to 5, Nature Discovery for ages 6 to 9, Nature Adventure for ages 8 to 12, and Wilderness Camp for older kids runs four weeks in June. Weekly themes cover birds, bugs, plants, water and wildlife. One of the best outdoor education programs in the area. And one of the Ryerson girls will be there this year! Limited availability. More info.
UT Kids U
Weeklong sessions at the University of Tennessee for rising grades 3 through 12, running in June and July. Topics include 3D game design, robotics, Minecraft modding, coding, American Sign Language, cooking and more. Half-day morning or afternoon sessions. More info.
Free Summer Events Around Knoxville
Kid A’Riffic Fun in the Park
The City of Knoxville’s free summer program runs on Wednesdays through July at rotating parks around the city, with hands-on crafts and activities for ages 2 through 12. The June 24 stop is especially good, with a special 250th celebration stop that includes free museum tours at Blount Mansion, James White’s Fort and the East Tennessee History Center. More info.
Festival on the 4th
July 4 at World’s Fair Park, 5 to 10pm. Live music, miniature golf, paddle boats, and a Knoxville Symphony Orchestra finale before fireworks at 9:35pm. A great family evening. Free. More info.
Kuumba Festival
July 31 through August 1. A beloved Knoxville tradition celebrating African American arts and culture. More info.
East Tennessee History Fair
August 15 at the East Tennessee History Center. Living history demonstrations, live music, crafts, film screenings and children’s activities — more info. Another thing worth checking out is their Little History Lessons series for kids in June and July. More info.
Ijams Big Fun Tuesdays
The first Tuesday of every month at Mead’s Quarry. Live music, food trucks and mountain biking. A fun reason to head to South Knoxville on a summer night. More info.
Staycations and Short Road Trips
Sometimes the best summer memories happen within an hour of home. Here are some options that are close enough to do on a weekday but feel like a real adventure.
Parkway Drive-In Theatre, Maryville
About 30 minutes from Knoxville, the Parkway Drive-In is one of those places that makes you feel like summer is supposed to feel. Double features of current and second-run films, audio through your car’s FM radio, and a large grassy area for kids to play before dark. Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings at 7pm. Bring cash for the concession stand, which serves burgers, hot dogs, popcorn, fries and ice cream. Credit cards are not accepted. More info.
Townsend
About an hour from Knoxville, Townsend is one of the most underrated family day trips in East Tennessee. Smoky Mountain River Rat tubing on the Little River offers two routes. After you dry off, Tuckaleechee Caverns is just down the road, a five-star AAA-rated cave system with the largest cavern room open to the public in the eastern United States and the tallest underground waterfall in the country at 210 feet. Pack your swimsuit and a picnic lunch and go tubing in the morning, see the caverns in the afternoon, then head home for dinner. Or stick around and check out the food scene in Townsend. Peaceful Side, Company Distilling, and The Abbey are always great stops with great food. And you never know when you will luck out with some live music by the river.
The Lost Sea, Sweetwater
America’s largest underground lake is about an hour from Knoxville and makes for an easy half-day trip with Sweetwater Valley Farms and Mayfield Dairy close by for treats. How about The Lost Sea in the morning, Sweetwater Valley Farm for lunch and cheese shopping, Mayfield Dairy for a tour and ice cream? Great for families with younger kids, especially.
Chattanooga
Having lived outside of Chattanooga for 20+ years and getting engaged right in front of the aquarium (then taking my first horse and carriage ride!), Chattanooga has my heart. Rock City, Ruby Falls, the Tennessee Aquarium, the Pinball museum, where you can actually play with the machines, and the Incline Railway are fun ticketed locations. Coolidge Park, Chattanooga Choo Choo, Riverfront playground, waterway around the aquarium, cardboard sledding, Sculpture Garden, library events and more are all free! You can easily fill a day or a weekend with family-friendly activities that don’t have to break the bank. And don’t get me started on the restaurants and the Sunday Chattanooga Market at the First TN Pavilion. If you need any tips, I’m your girl! More info.
Summer does not have to be expensive or complicated to be memorable. Knoxville and the surrounding area offer enough to fill three summers over, and a good chunk of it is free. Get out and explore! I’ll see you there!
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