Free Fun For Families At This Engaging Art Museum in Knoxville
The Knoxville Museum of Art, known locally as “KMA”, is just one of the many reasons we love living in Knoxville.
Housing permanent exhibits as well as rotating travel exhibits, it encourages visitors to just “pop in” when you are in the downtown area to see what’s new or to simply get your art fix for the day.
With several exhibits like the Thorne Miniature Rooms, a Scavenger Hunt activity, and a Kids Creative Corner, a visit to KMA is a perfect activity for kids on a rainy day in Knoxville.
And its FREE admission makes it easy to do just that.
We hadn’t been there in a while, so we recently checked it out again with the kids in tow. It was terrific. This small but perfectly delightful art museum is a great place to spend an hour or so.
Looking for more things to do downtown? See our Downtown Knoxville webpage.
Located At World’s Fair Park
Located on the grounds of the World’s Fair Park, it’s a perfect destination for a Sunday afternoon stroll after enjoying brunch downtown or for taking an AC break after playing on the playground in the World’s Fair Park or in the new Fort Kid just across the street,
What You’ll See At KMA
The building itself is made of Knoxville’s signature pink marble, and the interior is airy, light, and welcoming. With three levels of art galleries showcasing the art and artists of East Tennessee, you’ll see collections of paintings, beautiful works of glass, sculptures, and mixed media in an open setting with plenty of viewing area.
Cycle of Life Exhibit
The Cycle of Life, Richard Jolley’s glass and steel masterpiece, adorns the wall of the light-filled lower level. Weighing in at 11 tons and spanning over 100 feet, this is one of the largest glass and steel installations in the world. And it’s here. In Knoxville.
The work, which was five years in the making, represents six successive phases of life: Primordial, Emergence, Desire, Tree of Life, Contemplation, and Sky.
To get the most out of this impressive piece, first realize that it covers the wall on both sides of the staircase and be sure to read the brochure about it.
Thorne Miniature Rooms
The Thorne Miniature Rooms on the lower level are also a big hit. The tiny rooms and everything in them are on a one inch to one foot scale similar to what you would see inside a doll house. So anything that would be one foot in real life is just one inch tall. Takes the concept of “Not Actual Size” to a whole new level.
100 of these miniature rooms were created in the 1930s, and most of the others can be found at the Art Institute of Chicago as well as the Phoenix Art Museum. Not bad company for our little museum!
The kids appreciate the tiny scale, and the museum has made it easy for even the shortest of kids to peek inside each room by providing a room length bench they can stand on.
Higher Ground Exhibit
This is the large permanent exhibit that showcases East Tennessee artists from the 1860s onwards and ties into the development of Knoxville and the surrounding areas over that time.
A relatively new highlight in Higher Ground exhibit is the focus on Beauford and Joseph Delaney. These two brothers who are some of the most well known artists outside of Knoxville, Beauford in particular whose paintings are on view in the MoMA in NYC.
Also relatively new is the section on Bessie Harvey, a woman from Alcoa who made amazing sculptures and figurines illustrating perseverance through hardship from found materials like bits of wood, gnarled sticks, and cloth. Some of her figurines are on exhibit in the Smithsonian American Art Museum in D.C.
Try The Scavenger Hunt
Make sure to stop by the front desk to pick up a Scavenger Hunt brochure which leads the kids to 10 different art pieces scattered throughout the galleries of the museum. Makes it super fun for the kids and you get to experience the museum in a fun yet structured manner.
The Kids Creative Corner
The Creative Corner Art Room on the main level is always a big draw for our kids. It keeps them busy with scratch pads, drawing easels, and the ever popular wall-size “lite brite”.
Tip: Tour the museum first because you will have to pry the glow sticks from their hands and drag them away from all the fun.
On the 2nd Sunday of every month from 1-4 pm, KMA offers families a drop-in art activity project for them to make and take home. Geared towards ages 3-13. And again, it’s free!
Lite Bright Wall 
Creative Corner Room
Knoxville Museum of Art Parking
Free parking is available in the large lot on the north side of the Knoxville Museum of Art. Take the first right once on World’s Fair Park Drive. Metered parking is also available along World’s Fair Park Drive in front of the museum.
We usually park in one of the downtown garages which are free on weekends (State Street Garage, Locust Street Garage, or Market Square Garage) and walk there (less than a 1/2 mile) because we like to eat or shop along the way. For added fun, we often visit the Sunsphere Observation Platform as well.
See our blogs The Lowdow n on Downtown Knoxville Parking and Things To Do In Downtown Knoxville for even more fun!
Tip: You can also take the free Orange Line Trolley from downtown or from UT’s campus. Runs every 15 minutes Mon- Fri (7am- 8pm, 10 pm Fri) and Sat (9am- 10pm). No service Sunday.
Knoxville Museum of Art Hours & Info
- Closed Mondays
- Open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm
- Open Sunday from 1pm-5pm
Website: https://www.knoxart.org/– Be sure to check their website for upcoming events
Cost of Admission To KMA— Free!
Estimated Touring Time To See KMA Exhibits– 1 hour but perhaps longer if the kids are enjoying the Creative Corner
Happy Trails! The Knoxville Museum of Art is truly one of Knoxville’s gems. If you have been or haven’t visited lately, pack up the kids for a fun and free activity in Knoxville that the entire family will enjoy. – Amy
