The tracks have been removed and the first public art installation revealed as momentum builds on the SoKno Rail Trail and Art Walk, the much anticipated multi-use, rail-to-trail project in south Knoxville, Legacy Parks Foundation announced today.
Through a collaboration among Gulf & Ohio Railways, the City of Knoxville and Legacy Parks Foundation, the 3.8-mile rail corridor stretching from Chapman Highway to Ijams Nature Center will be transformed into a soft-surface multi-use trail that includes a 1.5-mile Art Walk, blending outdoor recreation with public art.
“The SoKno Rail Trail will offer an experience that is both urban and natural,” Carol Evans, Executive Director of Legacy Parks Foundation explained. “Running alongside the restaurants and breweries of Sevier Avenue and continuing through wooded areas to Ijams Nature Center, it will provide a unique cultural, recreational and transportation corridor that connects neighborhoods, provides safe routes for walking and biking, and celebrates Knoxville’s creativity through public art.”
Legacy Parks Foundation has been collaborating with Gulf & Ohio Railways since 2015, to create a rail-with-trail along south Knoxville’s waterfront – a trail in the right-of-way alongside the rail line. In December 2025, Gulf & Ohio made the decision to close the rail line, creating the opportunity to remove the tracks and convert the rail line into a public trail.
The City of Knoxville’s Public Works Department is expected to begin construction within the next three months on a soft-surface, accessible trail, including the first 1.5-mile segment from Chapman Highway to Island Home Avenue designated as the Art Walk.
Legacy Parks will create the Art Walk, beginning with an initial $1 million gift from the Lawson Family Foundation. The Art Walk that will feature unique, diverse, and engaging works by local, regional and nationally-renowned artists, transforming the trail into a cultural destination for residents and visitors alike. Art along the trail will include murals, sculptures, functional installations, landscape architecture, and youth-created works.
“It is so appropriate that the first art installation celebrates the rail heritage of the trail with artwork by world-famous muralist Emannuel Jarus on a caboose with Knoxville ties as it was originally owned by B. Ray Thompson’s Shamrock Coal Company, said Pete Claussen, Gulf & Ohio Railways chairman.”
The SoKno Rail Trail and Art Walk is made possible through a broad collaboration of community and design partners. MHM is serving as project architect, Lose Design leading landscape architecture, and LARC are contributing specialized design elements, including lighting design for the tunnel. Dogwood Arts is managing artist selection, coordination, and art installations of a majority of the art along the corridor. Johnson Architecture, Kern’s Bakery, Visit Knoxville and the Old Sevier District are key community partners, helping enhance the trail and make key connections within South Knoxville’s vibrant cultural and business district.
“Dogwood Arts is honored and excited to support Legacy Parks and the City of Knoxville in the creation of the SoKno Rail Trail and Art Walk, Knoxville’s newest cultural destination, said Sherry Jenkins, Executive Director of Dogwood Arts. “We look forward to bringing large scale murals and sculptures to create points of interest along the trail as part of our existing Art in Public Places program. When finished, we know this new throughway will be heavily used by local residents who enjoy living in the thriving South Knoxville community while also serving as a new point of interest that will draw visitors from outside the area.”
Mayor Indya Kincannon echoed her enthusiasm. “We are so excited this project is moving forward. Now that the rails are coming up, we can’t wait to begin work on creating this trail that will become part of Knoxville’s greenway system. This project is another fun and creative way we are increasing connectivity in South Knoxville and all across the city.”
The SoKno Art Walk is anticipated to open in Fall 2026.
