Looking for a great way to cool off and have some fun this summer with the kiddos? Here is a complete list of every splash pad in Knoxville, TN to make your summer time a splash!
Although you don’t swim at a splash pad, they are a great place to start becoming comfortable with beginning swimming skills like getting your face wet. If they don’t like getting water on their face, you can check out our bath time article to help them actually enjoy getting splashed in the face! And while you are at it, check out our swim lessons. We provide swim lessons so that your kids will be ready for the splash pad and the big pool!
What is a Splash Pad?
To put it simply, a splash pad is a place for kids that has water features that spray water. The kids can splash around and sometimes even aim the water features! Splash pads are not a place to go swimming, though some splash pads do also have swimming pools at the same facility! If you are looking for a place to swim too, check out our list of swimming pools in Knoxville, TN. Splash pads are great for younger kids to enjoy their summer.
You can technically have splash pads indoors, but this list only includes outdoor splash pads in Knoxville, TN (most people think of splash pads as outdoors in the South anyways).
Comment at the bottom with your favorite splash pad and maybe even a fun memory their!
Safety First
We are dedicated to fulfilling our vision of “A Drowning-Free Knoxville”. So, here are some important things to remember, even at the splash pad. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a child can drown in less than two inches of water. Never leave your children unsupervised around water!
Free Splash Pads in Knoxville TN
Carl Cowan Park
Farragut, run by Knox County
Right on the river, this park is super neat. It is connected to a larger park area. There are lots of spraying towers to run and splash under! The fountains are creatively designed to get kids imagination going wild!
Krutch Park
Downtown, run by City of Knoxville
I wouldn’t exactly describe this as a splash pad, but it comes up on all the lists! The park is right by Market Square. There is a small man-made waterfall that flows into a man-made creek. There are lots of benches and trees for shade. I’ve never seen anyone get into the water, but kids could throw leaves in! You can also look at the very interesting sculptures along the path.
Market Square
Downtown, run by City of Knoxville
These fountains are near the middle of Market Square by the path with giant trees. This simple fountain sprays up from the ground and sprays to about 3 feet high. This is great for really young children who won’t be intimidated by larger fountains.
McFee Park
Farragut, run by Town of Farragut
This splash pad is no joke! Being one of the larger ones in Knoxville, it boasts tons of fountains. There are some really tall ones and many shorts ones. You can run through some of them. Every kid could find at least a part of this splash pad to have some summer fun!
New Harvest Park
East Knoxville, run by Knox County
This splash pad is themed like a boat, filled with lots of different kids of fountains that shoot at various heights. Some of them are even timed to get smaller and bigger. There are also a couple sprayers you can point, which is fun. This park also has a playground. Kids of many ages would enjoy this park and splash pad.
Powell Station
Powell, run by Knox County
The park itself has other amenities besides the splash pad, including a disc golf course and a skate park. The fountains are not very extensive, but there are a few basic fountains that spray pretty high.
Volunteer Landing
Downtown, run by City of Knoxville
Deep history can be found here! If you are a Vols fan, you already know about this place. The splash pad isn’t extensive, but still fun for those kiddos. These fountains are in-between the size of the Market Square fountains and World’s Fair Park fountains. Great view of the river to enjoy a summer day in Knoxville.
World’s Fair Park
Downtown, run by City of Knoxville
These fountains, as a child might say, are HUUUUUGE. There are a bunch of fountains all spraying from the ground that shoot up somewhere around 20 feet. That don’t all shoot up that high, but most of them shoot up quite far into the summer sky! Most kids would enjoy this, but the water pressure might be a bit strong for the little ones. Just keep an eye on them ;). One thing to note, traffic can be crazy if there are events on the World’s Fair lawn. You may want to check for events before you go!
Paid Splash Pads in Knoxville TN
Karns Pool
Karns, run by Karns Lions Club
This doesn’t quite fit the description of a splash pad, but it’s close! There are some water features that spray on the ground, but most of the features are in a 1 ft baby pool. The area is enclosed by a fence, making it easy to play with young kids without worrying about them running away.
Pilot YMCA
West Knoxville, run by YMCA
Though it isn’t truly a splash pad, it does make the list because they have a mushroom feature in their outdoor baby pool! Little kids love the mushroom features! The water runs down from the top to form a wall of water.
Zoo Knoxville
East Knoxville
Fountains, Sprayers, and Bears, oh my! This splash pad is deep in the Knoxville Zoo. You do have to pay to get in, but you can stay all day! There are, of course, all the animals. Thankfully, none of them are in the splash pad. With tons of animal themed sprayers, kids of all ages can enjoy playing in the water.
