It's too late for Safety City, but there's plenty for Knoxville kids to do on winter break

Liz Kellar, Knoxville News Sentinel
·4 min read

Christmas is over, but your kids are still out of school for the next week, with students set to return to classes in the Knox County Schools district Jan. 4.

In case the thrill of their new toys has worn off and boredom has set in, Knox News has compiled a list of activities − from the tried and true to some you might not have thought of − to keep your little ones entertained through the end of winter break.

Sadly, Safety City Christmas is over, with Dec. 14 being the last date the popular child-size version of Knoxville was open for the season. You'll have to wait until June to visit as a member of the public, because the safety center is only open to school field trips through May.

But there's still plenty for kids and their parents to do in the Scruffy City.

Downtown fun continues into New Year

  • Holidays on Ice: The city’s open-air ice-skating rink in Market Square is open daily and nightly, seven days a week, for children and adults through Jan. 2. Find online tickets, waivers and more information at knoxvilleholidaysonice.com.

  • Thorne Rooms Holiday Decorations at Knoxville Museum of Art: Knoxville is punching far above its weight when it comes to the quality of its museum, and the rotating exhibits ensure that repeat visits will always find something new. One permanent exhibit, the Thorne Rooms' incredibly detailed miniature dioramas, gets a holiday glow-up for Christmas that will remain in place until Jan. 7.

  • Women's Basketball Hall of Fame: If your little ones enjoy sports, check out the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, the only facility of its kind dedicated to all levels of women’s basketball. Not only is it home to the world’s largest basketball (30 feet tall!), kids can test their ball-handling skills on three different courts, a dribbling course and a passing skills area.

  • Sunsphere: You can see it from almost everywhere in downtown Knoxville − but when's the last time you actually went inside? The Knoxville icon was constructed for the 1982 World's Fair and was just repainted in its original blue.

  • Fort Kid Park: Don't discount the pleasures of a well-designed playground. The new Fort Kid Park opened on March 6, and features a fort tower and slide, climbing and balancing poles, fully accessible merry-go-round and a toddler play area.

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These kid-friendly Knoxville spots are always worth a return visit

  • Ijams Nature Center: Kids can hike and bike the trails at Ijams Nature Center in South Knoxville, home to 318 acres that include forests, meadows, walking trails and a quarry. They can also check out the Primal Playground, Jo's Grove and Nature Playscape. Inside the nature center is Navitat's Treetop Zipline Adventure Park, with six adventure trails featuring zip lines, bridges, swings, nets, climbs and more.

  • Zoo Knoxville: Knoxville's zoo offers plenty to do for children of all ages. Zoo Knoxville has some amazing habitats for animals you might not see elsewhere, like rhinos and red pandas. But there are lots of activities to keep the little ones entertained, including a carousel and a small train, a "zipline," a petting zoo of domestic animals and a safari-themed water play area.

  • Muse Knoxville: Muse Knoxville is a children's Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math museum offering hands-on exhibits and activities including a sound garden, a "make space" and an illumination station, plus play spaces and a planetarium.

New Year's Eve can be child-friendly

  • New Year's Eve at the Sunsphere: This family-friendly event is alcohol-free. Bring in 2024 at World's Fair Park with food trucks, free activities including a silent disco at 9 p.m., DJ music with Knox Vegas DJs on the main stage starting at 9 p.m., live music with WIMZ Garage Band starting at 10 p.m. with the ball drop from the Sunsphere at midnight.

  • Cheer in the New Year at Muse Knoxville: Enjoy all the fun of bringing in the New Year without staying up past bedtime. Starting at 9:30 a.m., Muse will be celebrating a countdown to noon with catered breakfast, activity stations, sparkling juice toast, New Years' swag bags, and a ball drop! Tickets are $30 each for members and $35 for non-members.

  • New Year's Eve Late Skate at Skatetown: Your kids can roller skate their way into the new year at the Broadway skating rink, from 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. with drawings throughout the night. Admission is $30.

Liz Kellar is a Tennessee Connect reporter. Email liz.kellar@knoxnews.com.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Too late for Safety City but Knoxville still has winter break fun