- Attraction: Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum
- Location: 2743 Wimpole Ave, Knoxville, TN 37914
- Industry: Botanical Garden
- Website: https://www.knoxgarden.org
Some green spaces are just pretty places to walk.
Others carry centuries of stories in their soil. The Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum falls firmly in the latter category, sprawling across 44 acres that once belonged to Tennessee’s longest-running business.
Before Tennessee even became a state in 1796, the Howell family was already farming this land, eventually growing their operation into the legendary Howell Nurseries that sold plants for an astounding 217 years.
Today, this National Register of Historic Places site welcomes you with the same spirit of cultivation that’s thrived here since 1786, now transformed into a community garden where admission costs exactly zero dollars.
What makes this garden truly special isn’t just the historic pedigree—it’s how beautifully the past and present intertwine. Over two miles of hand-stacked stone walls wind through the property, built by Joe Howell in the 1940s when he studied landscape design and fell in love with stonework.
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Keep Exploring →These aren’t your typical garden walls either; they’re architectural works of art that frame 17 unique display gardens, each with its own personality and purpose. The best part? You can explore every inch of it from dawn to dusk, any day of the year.
Gardens That Tell Stories
The Secret Garden: This nearly one-acre wonderland takes inspiration from Frances Hodgson Burnett’s beloved novel—and here’s a fun connection: Burnett herself lived in Knoxville during her teenage years and may have drawn inspiration for her famous book from her time here.
The garden unfolds in a series of rooms that flow down a hillside, complete with a charming book sculpture and wheelchair-accessible pathways that meander through herb gardens bursting with golden yarrow and fragrant lavender.
The wooden door leading in stays perpetually open, inviting you to discover what lies beyond, just like in the story.
Bamboo Forest: Walking into this grove feels like stepping into another world entirely. Towering bamboo stalks reach skyward while filtered sunlight creates an almost ethereal atmosphere.
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Discover MoreYou’ll want to watch your footing on the natural terrain, but that’s part of the adventure. Families love letting kids explore here, and photographers can’t resist the magical quality of light dancing through the dense bamboo.
Paulk Peony Garden: Spring visitors are in for a spectacular show with over 100 peony varieties creating a riot of color.
The garden gets accented with evergreens, coral bells, asters, and cheerful black-eyed Susans that extend the visual interest across multiple seasons.
This spot has become a favorite backdrop for photos—whether you’re capturing family memories or planning that perfect Instagram shot.
Dogwood Trail: The Howell family became famous for developing the Cherokee Chief Dogwood, and this trail pays homage to that legacy.
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Keep Exploring →Launched in 2011, it now showcases an impressive diversity of dogwood trees and shrubs winding through several acres. If you time your visit for spring, you’ll catch these beauties in full bloom—an absolutely stunning sight.
Smoky Mountain Views: One of the garden’s most beloved features isn’t even a planted space. From certain vantage points across the property, you’ll discover unobstructed panoramic views of the Great Smoky Mountains stretching across the horizon.
There are no power lines, no buildings—just pure mountain majesty that makes you feel miles away from civilization, even though downtown Knoxville sits just five minutes away.
More Hidden Treasures
Pollinator Garden: This carefully designed space supports butterflies and other pollinators with native plants and cultivars selected to bloom across nine months. It’s both beautiful to look at and ecologically important, offering nectar and habitat while you learn about these essential relationships in nature.
The Spirits Garden: Here’s something you don’t see at every botanical garden—an entire garden dedicated to plants used in brewing, distilling, and cocktail culture throughout history. It’s a fun and fragrant stop that adds an unexpected twist to your visit.
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Discover MoreHowell Legacy Garden: The newest addition to the property honors the family’s contributions with plants they actually cultivated and sold. Two water features, including one crafted by local artist Gerry Moll from a historic millstone, add both visual and auditory interest.
Native Plant Rescue: The famous Native Plant Rescue Squad brings endangered plants here for preservation, adding another layer of conservation importance to the garden’s mission.
Atmosphere & History
Stone Architecture: Joe Howell’s passion for stonework transformed this property into something extraordinary.
Beyond the miles of walls, you’ll discover four whimsical round stone gatehouses that look like something out of a fairytale.
The stone structures throughout the garden showcase both design capability and a deep respect for the natural landscape.
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Keep Exploring →Historic Buildings: The property includes several buildings that tell the Howell family story. The Howell House, now serving as the visitors center, exemplifies minimal traditional architecture enhanced with high-quality materials.
Built in 1929 for just $3,000, it eventually grew from four rooms to 26 by the mid-1950s. Inside, you’ll find 14 different kinds of wood paneling, three marble bathrooms, and Tennessee stone sourced from local quarries.
Natural Parkland Feel: Unlike meticulously manicured botanical gardens with every blade of grass in place, this space embraces a more naturalistic approach.
The gardens flow organically into meadows and woodland paths, creating a park-like atmosphere that feels less formal and more inviting for exploration.
Some visitors appreciate this relaxed aesthetic, while others prefer more structured gardens—but the tradeoff is a genuine sense of wandering through living history.
Century-Old Trees: Mature Cedars of Lebanon provide cooling shade throughout the property, some over 100 years old. These towering specimens, along with an encyclopedic array of other trees and shrubs, create a true arboretum experience.
Practical Considerations
It’s Completely Free: Perhaps the garden’s most remarkable feature is that admission costs nothing.
This free-to-the-public policy makes it accessible to everyone, funded entirely by memberships, donations, and community support. That’s an incredible value for 44 acres of maintained gardens and trails.
Timing Your Visit: The garden reveals different personalities throughout the seasons. Spring brings explosive blooms from dogwoods, azaleas, and peonies. Summer offers lush greenery and the full glory of the bamboo forest.
Fall showcases changing leaves and seasonal color. Even winter has its own stark beauty. Visit times range from dawn to dusk daily, while the Howell House Visitors Center operates Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM, with weekend hours also available.
Parking Situation: You’ll find ample parking available on-site, making access easy and stress-free. The garden sits in a residential neighborhood in East Knoxville, just two miles from downtown.
Family-Friendly Exploration: Kids thrive here with plenty of open spaces to roam.
The bamboo forest becomes an adventure, the Secret Garden sparks imagination, and the various trails offer just enough variety to keep young explorers engaged.
The Every Child Outdoors (ECO) Garden and preschool Story Thyme program demonstrate the garden’s commitment to engaging the youngest visitors.
Wedding and Event Venue: The garden has become a popular wedding destination, with five different event spaces including the elegant Dogwood Center, Martha H. Ashe Garden with its stone greenhouse, and LeConte Meadow with those stunning mountain views. The stone terraces create particularly romantic backdrops.
Educational Programming: Beyond just pretty plants, the garden offers regular programming including yoga sessions, forest bathing experiences, Ikebana floral design workshops, plant care classes, and educational walks focusing on different aspects of horticulture and ecology.
Check their events calendar before visiting to potentially enhance your experience.
Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum
📍 2743 Wimpole Ave, Knoxville, TN 37914
