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    McClung Museum

    4.1 (7 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated 1 week ago

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    Egyptian exhibit
    Madonna D.

    This is a small but lovely museum that has prehistoric, ancient, decorative arts, human evolution, and local history exhibits. Displays are quite beautifully curated and designed. Excellent descriptions and explanations and good flow and lighting throughout. There are several videos throughout the museum. Highly recommend the downstairs human evolution exhibit, which is beautifully presented and informative. Staff is friendly and helpful. There is a small gift shop at the entrance/exit. Free admission and free parking. Great place for kids.

    On the University campus.

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    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
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    3 years ago

    Helpful 6
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    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
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    9 years ago

    Helpful 2
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    11 years ago

    Helpful 3
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    11 years ago

    Helpful 2
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    10 years ago

    Pretty good for a free museum. No alot to see but gave me something to do for about 45 mins.

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    Knoxville Museum of Art - Student art exhibit '25.

    Knoxville Museum of Art

    4.4(55 reviews)
    0.7 mi

    Such a fun visit while in Knoxville…read more The staff at the front desk was welcoming and informative. We particularly enjoyed seeing the model rooms and learning about the architecture. I want to go visit those houses now! Free museum. It's not too big but you can spend 1-2 hours here.

    This museum is great for Knoxville. It's not very big, but you'll spend 1-2 hours there…read more Story time: It was weird. When we arrived, the lady up front for our check-in asked how we had heard of them. I'm like... "Uh... It's art. We go where art is. We love art." I couldn't think of any other answer that fit the boxes she was checking. I love art, and that's where you can find me. It didn't fit any of her checkboxes, she waited a moment like she was waiting for me to say something else before saying, "Oh, that's a new reason we're going to have to add" or something like that. One of the usher girls understood what I was saying. No shame on the lady... it was just odd. I don't just hear about museums. I see if a city has one and I go. In my world, that's a 100,000 percent normal thing. I still laugh about it. You'll have fun here. If you've visited major art museums in Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Philly, Chicago, NY, or SF, you'll still have fun here, but it won't be the famous paintings you're looking for. If you're in Knoxville and have time to spare, I'd visit, but it's not an absolute must-do thing.

    Photos
    Knoxville Museum of Art - Sample of the art.

    Sample of the art.

    Knoxville Museum of Art - One of my favorites by Lilly Deal, as part of the 20th annual East Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibit.

    One of my favorites by Lilly Deal, as part of the 20th annual East Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibit.

    Knoxville Museum of Art - "Does this look like a toy to you"   This one speaks volumes all on its own.

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    "Does this look like a toy to you" This one speaks volumes all on its own.

    Museum of Appalachia - Inside a cabin

    Museum of Appalachia

    4.5(52 reviews)
    17.7 mi

    It's $20 to walk through and check out the historical buildings.She told me that it was about .7…read moremiles but I tracked it and it was 1.43miles... so you'll definitely get your steps in. They have a cute little shop, bathrooms and limited food. But a good place to check out if you like history.

    It's apparently a Smithsonian affiliate, but you'd never look around and wonder whether you were on…read morethe National Mall, which is kind of the point. The array of historic cabins and exhibit-filled barns at the base of a rolling hill conveys the appropriate atmosphere. The level of detail in the artifacts and their presentation is high. Owing to my disposition I found extensive information on health and medicine, but there were plenty of other topics to explore. The live farm aspects of the museum held a large number of peacocks for some reason (but only one peahen that I could see, which the peacocks did not appear to be happy about), as well as various pigs and goats. There was a significant admission charge (lower with AAA), and I wondered if it would be worth it, but having given myself two hours, I ended up using most of that and giving up towards the end more for lack of energy than lack of exhibits. Younger children will appreciate the animals, while older adults will read into some of the exhibits more, but anyone visiting in good faith is likely to find something of interest.

    Photos
    Museum of Appalachia
    Museum of Appalachia - Daniel Boons cabin

    Daniel Boons cabin

    Museum of Appalachia - Interesting exhibit on death, this hearse as well as caskets with viewing windows

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    Interesting exhibit on death, this hearse as well as caskets with viewing windows

    American Museum of Science & Energy

    American Museum of Science & Energy

    4.1(45 reviews)
    18.7 mi

    Part history museum, science museum, and children's museum. There's a little something for everyone…read moreat the American Museum of Science & Energy. The museum tells the story of Oak Ridge's role in World War II and the top secret Manhattan Project. The way the museum is laid out tells the story in a chronological way where you'll begin by learning about how Oak Ridge came to be, its role in the war, and its role in nuclear research in the years since the hydrogen bomb was first dropped over Japan. Plan to spend about 2 hours here depending on how hands on you want to be. As you progress through the musuem it becomes more hands on and reminiscent of a children's museum where you can get hands on with science theories. The space has multiple exhibits, an introduction video, and gift shop. On certain days/times a bus tour is offered to the plant sites that will also include admission to the museum but I was not visiting on one of those days but would like to check it out if Im ever in the area on the right day.

    Located in Main Street in Oak Ridge at the end of the shopping strip. Much larger inside than…read moreanticipated and many interactive exhibits, movies, and teaching sessions. An affordable option ($10 per adult and $5 per child) in comparison to other local museums, too. I would say the best ages for this spot would be 8 and up. There is quite a bit of reading and many of the hands-on displays are complex. It is great for adults, too, and I learned so much about our city and nation's history...and science tidbits I had forgotten in the (longgg) time since high school. There is quite a bit of information on the Manhattan Project and the formation of Oak Ridge as a whole, including videos in the auditorium and in that specific section of the museum. We loved learning more! Did you know that when FDR died, his VP had no clue that M. Project was even underway? Or that Oak Ridge had over 75,000 people but did not show on a map? We loved the staff interaction, including the sessions that they lead throughout the afternoon in the auditorium. The one about static electricity was really cool and informative. My squirmy 10 yo was captivated! There were so many STEM exhibits and one of the lab rooms was open with many stations to build circuits, look into microscopes, etc. My kiddo enjoyed what he referred to as "practice for the claw machine," as well. Side notes: The gift shop had some really neat items (typical gift shop pricing) and the water fountains had the bottle filling spout. There are benches everywhere you look and it is all one level, making this a highly-accessible spot to visit. You will likely spend at least 1.5-2 hours here. Definitely worth the money!

    Photos
    American Museum of Science & Energy
    American Museum of Science & Energy
    American Museum of Science & Energy

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    Sunsphere - Enter here

    Sunsphere

    4.1(76 reviews)
    0.7 mi

    The Sunsphere is an amazing architectural wonder and remnant from the 1982 World's Fair in…read moreKnoxville. My visit to the Sunsphere made my day. The 342' steel structure was designed by Don Shell and completed in 1982. The glass on the 75' sphere is coated with gold dust. During the World's Fair, a small restaurant operated at the top and visitors could visit the observation deck for $2. We were passing through Knoxville and my daughter wanted to visit. Today, visitors can pay to go up to the observation deck of the giant structure. ($10 for adults). You can buy tickets on line or at the Sunsphere. When we arrived, the Sphere was closed until 1:30, so we did not go up in it. But we enjoyed walking around and taking photos. There is parking a block south and the walk through the park is lovely. There is a drop off circle near the Sunshpere as well. Let's are not allowed in the structure.

    This was a great break from the bar crawl yesterday. It is $10, very accessible, not crowded at…read moreall on a Thursday morning. Accessible bathrooms at the top. It is a short trip around the sphere but they have lots of interesting information, fun facts, and we followed a UT student tour so we got all the scoop on the school and fun activities around town. I would recommend adding this your city tour plans. Also good for kids.

    Photos
    Sunsphere - Sunsphere, 200 ft plus to the observation level. Event space and a few offices up top

    Sunsphere, 200 ft plus to the observation level. Event space and a few offices up top

    Sunsphere - Rainbow bridge

    Rainbow bridge

    Sunsphere

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    Children's Museum of Oak Ridge

    Children's Museum of Oak Ridge

    4.4(20 reviews)
    19.9 mi

    I will be first to say this place when we pulled in I doubted we would enjoy it. I saw a lot of…read morelittle kids and we had a 2nd grader with us. I guess I am spoiled with a hometown children's museum of play.. I am so glad we went in to give it a chance, the employees here are wonderful. Very welcoming. The exhibits are diverse and many hands on touch this or that ability. There were some dated videos of the Appalachian culture but honestly it gave it an appeal and definitely a time gone by. The exhibits and explanation of the Manhattan project were very interesting. All of us walked away learning a lot about oak ridge and that era around world war 2. We spent a good two hours in the museum and didn't read it all, we happened to be walking in right before a school group of 30 little kids and parents. Initially it was loud but there was enough space that we didn't have to be around all the chaos real little kids bring. Some of the exhibits were geared for smaller kids but our 2nd grader had no problem enjoying the experience. I mean who doesn't love a "doll house" that has two levels, For the price and exhibits I would suggest it to anyone especially if you have a history buff in your family.

    Pulling in, it's an old school and it doesn't look very big. You walk inside and are greeted by an…read moreattendant and a big bear off to the left. They have a small gift shop with stuffed animals, patches and small things. If your disabled, don't worry about steps..they have ya covered with ramps throughout the museum. As you walk through it's very well put together. The farm room where the children can grab a basket and grab the plastic apples out of the tree on the wall and make their own dinner plate out if magnetized pictures of foods. They have a pretty big life-sized doll house, which was very cool along with old relics of dolls etc from different eras. They have a water room where the kids can send floating boats down a make believe lock at the dam. At the end, they have a train room that is pretty cool with towns all lit up and a train going throughout them.. very cool place. Very neat place. $8.00 for adults $7.00 for seniors aged 62+ and children under 3 are free.

    Photos
    Children's Museum of Oak Ridge
    Children's Museum of Oak Ridge
    Children's Museum of Oak Ridge - Award

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    Award

    Alcatraz East - Alcatraz east front entrance

    Alcatraz East

    4.0(323 reviews)
    22.5 mi

    I am beyond a true crime enthusiast. I pretty much only read and watch true crime oriented media…read more This was my second trip to the museum. I was worried that there wouldn't be any new exhibits but I was surprised and happy to find the opposite to be true. They have definitely expanded and updated since my last visit. If you enjoy true crime and/or history this is a great spot to visit. On the crime side of things they have a wide range of crimes-not just serial killers or murder. (They do have a Ted Bundy VW beetle and 2 John Wayne Gacy clown costumes on display). They also have areas for financial crimes, etc. History wise they start off in medieval era, then the Wild West, mafia to present day. Nice exhibit on 911. Interactive exhibits too, like DUI and autopsy. Well worth the price of admission to me. Easily a couple hours of stuff to do. Especially nice on a rainy day!

    If you have itty bitties, think before going!!…read more This is a great museum with lots of exhibits with detailed insight at them all. So there is LOTS of reading. So this becomes a 1.5-2 hour engagement. It can be dark in areas, so if you're the owner of old eyes. Break out the iPhone flashlight. The rooms are designed to be progressive thru the years (the Middle Ages were messed up!!!). So the pacing is well thought. We went in the off season and it wasn't crowded. I could see during the season, it could be a challenge. Lots of middle aged women that listen to "those podcasts". So husbands be wary when wives start nodding at one another. A great place to go on a "weather" day. As a side note, the staff made a point of stating that all but four display items were authentic and not recreations.

    Photos
    Alcatraz East
    Alcatraz East - The toilets are very cold!

    The toilets are very cold!

    Alcatraz East

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    McClung Museum - museums - Updated May 2026

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