Your Ultimate Downtown Knoxville Mural Guide
Downtown Knoxville is a vibrant canvas where art and community converge, with its stunning array of murals breathing new life into the city. From whimsical street art to thought-provoking visual narratives, these murals offer an ever-evolving gallery for locals and visitors alike. Explore Knoxville’s mural scene in this comprehensive guide.
#LoveDowntownKnox
1. Postcard from Knoxville
Filled with iconic images of the region, this mural is dedicated to the artists, musicians and visionaries that continue to make Knoxville a great place to work, live, play and visit. (Bobbie Crews, Ken Britton, Walt Fieldsa, Curtis Glover & Randall Starnes, 2013) Look on left side of the Knoxville Visitors Center building.
Located at 301 S. Gay Street.
2. It’s Great to be a Tennessee Vol!
Paris Woodhull and Kristin Luna, alumnae of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, joined forces to design and coordinate the creation of an “It’s Great to Be a Tennessee Vol” mural.
Located at 500 State Street (on one side of the State Street Garage).
3. Strong Alley
Affectionately known as "Graffiti Alley", Strong Alley is filled with murals ranging from bold and colorful to weird and unique. This art project, an ongoing collaboration between agreeing business owners and willing artists, was the brainstorm of the artist collective Artist Alley Revamp.
Located at 32 Market Square (in the alley between Union Ave. and Wall Ave.)
4. Old Soul Young Heart
This beautiful red rose mural by artist Megan Lingerfelt has quickly become a local favorite. This tucked away art piece brings some hidden romance to the alley by the Oliver Hotel.
Located in the Oliver Royale/Peter Kern Library alley.
5. Miller's Building Mural
This large-scale work of art is an example of trompe l’oeil, a style of painting which depicts objects in photographically realistic detail.
Head to the courtyard next to Tomato Head on Market Square to view the mural.
6. Current Past
Excerpts from an old photograph of Gay Street are playfully layered with colorful shapes, lines, brushstrokes and abstracted radio waves, representing elements of Knoxville’s past and current culture.
Located at 100 S Gay Street.
7. London Streetscape
Take a trip to jolly old England by way of the Old City. The outdoor courtyard at Kaizen features a 60 foot mural of a 19th century London streetscape by artist Frederick Gardner.
Located at 123 S. Central Street.
8. Historic Train Mural
The railroad arrived in Knoxville in the 1850s and led to a boom in population and commercial activity. The mural by Walt Fieldsa was commissioned by Keep Knoxville Beautiful & recently restored in 2017.
Located at 100 N. Central Street.
9. River Shores and Skies
One of Megan Lingerfelt's larger pieces, River Shores and Skies layers river maps, a jet boat scene, and foreground dock cleat with a rope to invoke the sense of casting off and exploring our waterways.
Located at 500 Clinch Avenue (mural faces Locust Street).
10. Weaving Rainbow Mountain
The 43, 10ft-wide steps which are heavily used by pedestrians to segue between UT Campus and the Worlds Fair Park was transformed by the efforts of the Baltimore based team of Jessie Unterhalter and Katey Truhn.
Located at 1050 Cumberland Avenue.
11. STORIES
From writers to celebrities, activists to space explorers, STORIES showcases dozens of Knoxville icons and images. As you climb the stairs, immerse yourself in the history and culture of our special city, while taking part in a scavenger hunt.
Located at 203 W. Jackson Avenue.
12. Windows to the Smokies
Located on the prominent corner of Gay Street and Wall Avenue, the mural brings architectural elements from windows found all over the city (including St. John’s Cathedral, The Oliver Hotel, and several other historic buildings) to eye level, inviting the public to experience the blue haze of the Great Smoky Mountains reflected in them
Located at 403 S. Gay Street.
13. Knoxville Music History
Portraying a wide range of Knoxville’s musical past, this mural features a number of easily recognized artists, such as Dolly Parton, the Everly Brothers, R.B. Morris and Brownie McGhee.
Located at 200 E. Jackson Ave.
14. Molly Knox
Beckoning partygoers to shots of Irish whiskey inside Jig & Reel, the mural of burlesque dancer Molly Knox was created by Curtis Glover.
Located at 101 S. Central Street.
15. Cassiopeia
One of Knoxville's largest murals, the colorful "Cassiopeia" is located on the east side of Market Square Garage (in the alley facing the Square). Stretching along the entire alley are the faces of six East Tennesseans that artist Addison Karl picked to be part of the mural. In between each portrait are brightly painted blocks, which provided a rainbow backdrop for your creative photos.
Located at 402 Walnut Street.
16. Imperial Alley Mural
Mother and daughter artists, Ilana Lilienthal and Orel Brodt, created a mural as a homage to the Imperial Hotel which once sat roughly where the Hyatt Place sits today. The mural on plaster features scenes from the exterior and interior of the hotel.
Located 530 S. Gay Street.
17. COVID-19 Memorial Mural
Nationally acclaimed artist Kelsey Montague and her team painted the mural on one of the Clinch Avenue viaduct underpasses at World's Fair Park. Her memorial mural in Knoxville features a motif of brightly-colored flying birds soaring into a brilliant blue archway near the base of the Sunsphere.
Located at 810 Clinch Avenue (under the Sunsphere bridge at World's Fair Park).
18. Tennessee River Buddies
Commissioned by the City of Knoxville’s Public Arts Committee, the 11-panel mural celebrates the nearby Tennessee River and its many diverse species of aquatic life. The mural is located on Volunteer Landing Lane and was completed in April 2017 by West Palm Beach, Florida artist, Eduardo Mendieta.
Located at 916 Volunteer Landing Lane.
19. Firefly Mural
This unique mural wraps alongside the columns and pedestrian walkway heading over Henley Street on Clinch Avenue Downtown. Fireflies playfully surround a quote by Knoxville writer Cormac McCarthy and painted by Robert Felker.
Located at 600 Henley Street.
20. Sky Life
The sky’s the limit with this beautiful mural at the Embassy Suites in downtown Knoxville. This piece entitled “Sky Life” can only be seen from the top of the hotel, inside the Radius Rooftop Lounge. Have a glass of bubbly while enjoying local art and the iconic Knoxville skyline. Cheers!
Located at 507 S. Gay St (Radius Rooftop Lounge).
21. Old City Alley
Nestled in the alley by Old City Java, this hidden collection of murals features by a multitude of stunning artwork by local Knoxville artists.
Located at 109 S. Central Street.
22. Maker Exchange
Artists Megan Lingerfelt and Curtis Glover filled in over 5000+ square feet of mural work over the span of two and half months. This stunning display is viewable on the exterior of the Maker Exchange at the Marriott Knoxville Downtown.
Located at 710 Clinch Avenue.
23. Smokies Daydream Quilt
This 80 foot piece by Megan Lingerfelt features rural roads lined with barn quilts and views. There’s an added ‘stitched’ line overlay that evokes a trail map across the hills, bringing the smokies downtown. Find this mural on the back entrance of Mast General Store.
Located at 402 S. Gay Street (Behind Mast General Store).
Tag us on Instagram!
We just scratched the surface on the amount of Instagram-worthy spots in Downtown Knoxville. We guarantee you'll have loads of fun exploring them. Tag us and use #LoveDowntownKnox or upload your epic photos here.