Top 7 Things to Do in Knoxville (Day Trip from the Smokies)

Downtown Knoxville's central square is named for the old Market House where regional farmers sold their goods, and the tradition still runs: from May through October, more than 140 local vendors set up on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. A water play fountain beside Krutch Park keeps kids busy, and the square hosts Concerts on the Square and festivals through the year.

Opened in 1928 and restored in 2003-2005, the Official State Theatre of Tennessee is a Spanish-Moorish movie palace on Gay Street and home to the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and Knoxville Opera. Its Mighty Wurlitzer is one of the few theater organs still in its original location. Catch a Broadway tour or a concert, or the free monthly Mighty Musical Monday.

This 81-acre East Knoxville park has drawn families since the 1880s and hosted the Appalachian Expositions of 1910 and 1911. It is home to the Tennessee Valley Fair, a 3-acre lake and a 1910-era bandstand. For kids, the draw is Muse Knoxville, a hands-on science museum with the city's only public-access planetarium, right next to Zoo Knoxville.

This fantasy-themed village on Sevierville Pike in South Knoxville is built for wandering: whimsical gardens, wooded trails, a self-guided audio tour and the Unity Medallion Quest. Costumed characters lead story tours, and ages 10 and up can try axe throwing and archery. Day passes come in tiers, from activities only up to an Ultimate pass with lunch, and there is a Sunday brunch.

Down Gay Street from the Tennessee Theatre, the Bijou opened in 1909 as an addition to the 1817 Lamar House hotel and was nearly demolished in 1974 before locals saved it. With about 750 seats, it is a close-up room for touring musicians and comedians, and a good choice when the group wants a night show without an arena crowd.

Knoxville's Topgolf sits in Farragut on the west side of town, and it suits a mixed group because nobody has to be a good golfer to have fun. Each bay holds up to six players and is priced per bay by the hour, clubs are free to borrow, and the venue can take groups of 25 or more across several bays.

Bunt and Helen King opened this Chapman Highway steakhouse in South Knoxville in 1968, and their three children still run it. Expect hand-cut porterhouse, prime rib and sirloin strip, steak-and-seafood combinations, and desserts made in-house, including chocolate cake and peanut butter pie. It is the classic sit-down dinner to end a Knoxville day.