Downtown Knoxville rewards unhurried exploration. The core is compact enough to walk, with Market Square, Gay Street, and World's Fair Park forming a triangle that takes in most of what matters. The Sunsphere presides over it all from the park, and the Tennessee River curves around the south edge of downtown, accessible via Volunteer Landing.
Beyond downtown, the University of Tennessee campus brings its own energy and institutions, including the Frank H. McClung Museum. The Old City neighbourhood, just east of Gay Street, has the city's best concentration of live music venues and bars in lovingly preserved warehouse buildings.