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The Tennessee River at Knoxville, with Neyland Stadium at left, the Sunsphere's gold ball and the Henley Street Bridge downstream

Day trip from Knoxville · Manhattan Project National Historical Park

Oak Ridge: the Secret City, 36 min from TYS.

A national historical park, a science museum and the history center at the K-25 site, a short drive west of Knoxville. Plan the day around posted hours, the DOE bus tour and your own pace.

Plan my day

Photo: AppalachianCentrist, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Short answer

Oak Ridge is 23.9 miles (about 33 min) from downtown Knoxville and 25.7 miles from TYS. Start at the Manhattan Project National Historical Park visitor center (free, inside the Children's Museum of Oak Ridge, closed Mondays), the American Museum of Science and Energy (adults $10) and the K-25 History Center (adults $15). The historic DOE sites are seen on the DOE Public Facilities Bus Tour from AMSE ($20, registration required, 2026 season ends Nov 20).

Checked October 19, 2026
23.9road miles from downtown Knoxville to AMSE.
$20per guest for the DOE bus tour, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
$0to enter the NPS visitor center.
11.3miles between AMSE and the K-25 History Center.

Interactive

Plan the day, stop by stop.

Choose a date, a starting point and the stops you want. The planner orders them, adds the real drives, checks each stop against its posted hours for that weekday, and totals admission for your group.

Oak Ridge day-trip plannerPosted hours and prices, Oct 2026
9:00 to 12:30

$50Admission for your group at posted prices

    Hours and prices from AMSE, the K-25 History Center and NPS, checked October 19, 2026. The DOE bus tour season ends November 20, 2026, and its operating days aren't published in a form we could verify, so confirm availability when you register. Drive times are free-flow OSRM estimates.

    The stops

    What you can see, verified.

    NPS visitor centerManhattan Project NHP

    Inside the Children's Museum of Oak Ridge, 461 W. Outer Dr.. Tue to Sat 10 to 4, Sun 1 to 4, closed Monday. No fee for the visitor center.

    Science museumAMSE

    115 E. Main St., Oak Ridge. Mon to Sat 9 to 5, Sun 1 to 5. Adults $10; ages 6 to 17, seniors 65+, students and military $5; under 5 free.

    At the K-25 siteK-25 History Center

    652 Enrichment St., Oak Ridge. Mon to Sat 9 to 5, Sun 1 to 5. Adults $15; ages 6 to 17, military and seniors $10; 5 and under free.

    DOE sitesPublic Facilities Bus Tour

    Departs the AMSE lot at 9 a.m. (arrive by 8:30), back at 12:30. $20, registration required, US citizens 10 and up with photo ID. Stops include the Y-12 New Hope Center, ORNL and the K-25 site.

    Closed to the publicX-10 Graphite Reactor

    NPS lists it as currently closed to the public; regular 2026 bus tours skip it.

    Y-12Y-12 History Center

    Inside the New Hope Center at Y-12, normally Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., per Y-12. Public access details weren't confirmed, so it is reached here via the bus tour.

    Downtown Knoxville in warm late-day light, with the glass First Horizon Plaza tower at left and the Sunsphere in the distance

    Make it a trip

    Knoxville, Oak Ridge and the Smokies.

    Oak Ridge is west of Knoxville and the Smokies are southeast, so pair it with a downtown night. From Gatlinburg it is 64.8 miles to AMSE, about 1h 29m.

    48 hours in Knoxville

    Photo: Bohao Zhao, CC BY 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons

    Nearby

    Around it.

    Downtown Knoxville
    33 min driveDowntown KnoxvilleMarket Square and the Sunsphere.
    TYS airport
    33 min driveTYS airport25.1 miles from AMSE.
    The Smokies
    59 min from downtownThe SmokiesGatlinburg and the national park.

    Plan more

    Questions

    How far is Oak Ridge from Knoxville?
    Downtown Knoxville to the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge is 23.9 miles, about 33 min with no traffic. From the Knoxville airport (TYS) it is 25.7 miles, about 36 min (OSRM).
    Can you visit the Manhattan Project sites in Oak Ridge?
    The historic Department of Energy sites are reached on the DOE Public Facilities Bus Tour, which leaves from the AMSE parking lot at 9 a.m. and returns at 12:30 p.m. It costs $20 per guest, requires registration, and is open to US citizens 10 and older with photo ID. The 2026 season ends November 20.
    Is the X-10 Graphite Reactor open to the public?
    NPS says the X-10 Graphite Reactor is currently closed to the public, and regular 2026 bus tours do not visit it. AMSE listed a few special tours in 2026 that included it.
    Where is the Manhattan Project National Historical Park visitor center in Oak Ridge?
    Inside the Children's Museum of Oak Ridge at 461 W. Outer Drive. NPS lists it open Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 4 p.m., closed Monday, with no admission fee for the visitor center.
    How much is the American Museum of Science and Energy?
    Adults $10; youth 6 to 17, seniors 65+, students and active military $5; under 5 free. Open Monday to Saturday 9 to 5 and Sunday 1 to 5 (amse.org, October 2026).
    What are the K-25 History Center hours?
    Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. Adults $15; military, seniors and youth 6 to 17 $10; 5 and under free.

    Sources

    1. NPS Manhattan Project NHP: Directions and transportation, Oak Ridge
    2. NPS Manhattan Project NHP: Hours (updated Jun 19, 2026)
    3. NPS Manhattan Project NHP: Fees
    4. NPS Manhattan Project NHP: Oak Ridge guided tours
    5. NPS Manhattan Project NHP: Things to do in Oak Ridge
    6. AMSE: Plan your visit
    7. AMSE: DOE bus tours
    8. K-25 History Center: Visit
    9. Y-12 National Security Complex: History Center
    10. OSRM driving routes on OpenStreetMap data (free-flow, fetched Oct 19, 2026)