The Future of Ijams Nature Center features new campus master plan
January 31, 2024, 2:25 p.m.

KNOXVILLE – What was once a small, quiet nature center with approximately 100,000 visitors a year is now one of the Southeast’s premier destinations for nature lovers, engaging 620,000 visitors annually from East Tennessee and around the world.

Ijams Nature Center is proud to be one of the most spectacular jewels in Knoxville’s recreational crown and one of Knoxville’s top tourist destinations. “Today, Ijams is a bustling, beloved institution,” Ijams President and CEO Amber Parker said. “We offer the wonder of a wildlife sanctuary in the heart of Knoxville, world-class nature education programs for all ages, and a huge array of recreational activities. Our staff members are also sought-after nationwide for their expertise and environmental best practices.”

To serve the greater Knoxville area’s growing population and its needs, Ijams has developed a Master Plan to modernize existing facilities, improve access and safety for all people, and create new facilities to support increased usage – all while working within existing developed footprints to limit impact on natural areas.

“Ijams is a nonprofit nature center,” Ijams Board President Andy Oakes said. “While we have a wonderful and close working relationship with our City and County Parks, only 9% of our annual operating budget comes from government funds. Ijams relies on community support, memberships, donations, and grants to hire staff and maintain our programs, facilities, and trails.”

To accomplish all it envisions, Ijams invites everyone to become a member and strengthen their connection to nature. “Our memberships are valuable and fun, with tangible benefits,” Oakes said. “We want more East Tennesseans to cultivate a relationship with Ijams and become part of the community that makes Ijams great.” New membership levels include access to free monthly programs, and free parking when a daily $5.00 fee is implemented on Feb. 19. Annual passes will be available for $50. The nature center will offer free parking days during the year.

Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon said, “I’m a proud member of Ijams Nature Center and spend many happy hours hiking and biking its trails. Ijams’ new Master Plan is exciting and smartly done. These improvements will provide increased access for everyone, and parking fees will sustainably support the future facilities and program growth our citizens need.”

“Knox County values its partnership with Ijams Nature Center,” Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs said. “I’ve seen this nonprofit’s commitment to our citizens and am proud of its efforts to provide so much to our community and visitors. I’m particularly pleased that visitors from outside Knox County and East Tennessee will help protect and maintain this special resource.”

Work is already underway to improve parking lots, and improvements to the section of Island Home Avenue that runs through the nature center’s footprint will start this summer. The Master Plan also includes a new Homesite Pavilion for events; significant Visitor Center renovations; a new, accessible canopy walkway allowing all visitors to move through treetops and over bluffs; infrastructure improvements; and new buildings at Mead’s Quarry.

Developing a connection to nature is directly related to the desire to protect and conserve our natural heritage and to lead an environmentally friendly lifestyle. Our health and the health of the environment depend upon having a community whose members have a positive and caring relationship with nature.

Ijams Nature Center is working to strengthen the bonds between people and nature by creating better access to nature for all. Ijams seeks to connect our diverse community with nature, create access to experiences that can become part of everyone’s regular rhythm of daily life, and empower our community members to make that happen.

As a core part of the Knoxville Urban Wilderness, a beloved outdoor resource, and the region’s only nature center, Ijams is an integral part of the community. As Knox County and Knoxville work to advance infrastructure and resources to meet the needs of a quickly growing population as well as a large tourism market, it is time for Ijams Nature Center to improve its existing facilities and create new ones to accommodate population growth and an increased interest in outdoor recreation and authentic experiences in both residents and visitors.

To support the increased use of Ijams Nature Center and to create more access to nature for all, Ijams has developed a comprehensive Master Plan. The Master Plan outlines the project vision and goals, including:

• Improving access for people of all abilities to more areas of Ijams Nature Center, including the Visitor Center and bluff system, entryway and road crossings, Miller Building, Homesite gardens, and Mead’s Quarry.
• Improving facilities and infrastructure to meet the demands of increased visitation and use. Creating additional outdoor classroom and event spaces using existing footprints.
• Improving parking and safety.
• Renovating the existing Visitor Center to modernize the visitor experience, add classroom space, and improve the efficiency of building use and systems.
• Elevating the experience at Mead’s Quarry through better infrastructure, permanent multi-use buildings, and better access to Mead’s Quarry Lake.

Island Home Corridor

Ijams Nature Center’s four main entrances are located along a one-half-mile section of Island Home Avenue and are considered the Island Home Corridor. This corridor is where visitors get their first impression of the nature center. Currently, pedestrian and vehicular traffic are at slight odds, requiring visitors to cross Island Home Avenue on foot in several locations. Improvements to the Island Home Corridor will better align entrances, slow traffic, improve pedestrian safety, and give a sense of arrival to the hundreds of thousands of visitors who come to Ijams.

Operations Center

Ijams Nature Center has active Natural Resource Management and General Operations programs. These two departments operate out of six substandard locations, making efficiency difficult. A new Operations Center will allow these programs to work out of a centralized location that securely contains all equipment and tools necessary for daily operations. The Operations Center also will consolidate spaces in more public areas into a space no longer directly accessible by visitors. This new facility will significantly increase efficiency and security, and provide dedicated work areas for maintenance and repairs.

Visitor Center Renovation

Built in 1997, the Visitor Center is a 14,000-square-foot hub of activity at Ijams Nature Center. It houses classrooms, administrative offices, animal exhibits, a gift shop, operations equipment storage, an ample meeting space, a back patio, and Navitat offices. Hundreds of visitors, students, and program participants enter its doors daily for general orientation, classes, meetings, and events. This space has served the community well, but requires an update to modernize facilities, create additional classroom space, improve access, provide additional services, and make flexible spaces that will allow future growth for programs and staff.

Canopy Walkway

The Ijams Nature Center experience is easy for those with good mobility, but more limited for people with disabilities. This is due mainly to the topography of the land, which makes most trails too challenging to navigate for some visitors. The Canopy Walkway, which will form a loop from the back patio of the Visitor Center, will offer a completely accessible experience of the Ijams bluffs. It will allow all visitors to move through the treetops and over the bluffs to enjoy and appreciate the area's ecology and provide educational opportunities for canopy ecology, birdwatching, and other programs that will be accessible to all.

Visitor Center Renovation

Built in 1997, the Visitor Center is a 14,000-square-foot hub of activity at Ijams Nature Center. It houses classrooms, administrative offices, animal exhibits, a gift shop, operations equipment storage, an ample meeting space, a back patio, and Navitat offices. Hundreds of visitors, students, and program participants enter its doors daily for general orientation, classes, meetings, and events. This space has served the community well, but requires an update to modernize facilities, create additional classroom space, improve access, provide additional services, and make flexible spaces that will allow future growth for programs and staff.

Canopy Walkway

The Ijams Nature Center experience is easy for those with good mobility, but more limited for people with disabilities. This is due mainly to the topography of the land, which makes most trails too challenging to navigate for some visitors. The Canopy Walkway, which will form a loop from the back patio of the Visitor Center, will offer a completely accessible experience of the Ijams bluffs. It will allow all visitors to move through the treetops and over the bluffs to enjoy and appreciate the area's ecology and provide educational opportunities for canopy ecology, birdwatching, and other programs that will be accessible to all.

Homesite and Events Pavilion

The Ijams Homesite is the location of the original Ijams family house and extensive gardens. HP and Alice Ijams raised their four girls and grandchildren in this idyllic location, now the center of the Ijams Nature Preschool operations and many events, weddings, and other rentals. Improvements to the Homesite will create more parking and trail accessibility, and modernize the Miller Building lighting. The addition of an Events Pavillion in the current location of the tent pad will address ongoing plumbing and drainage issues, and create a new and improved space for educational programs, events, weddings, and rentals. This new space will be critical to the growth of Ijams educational programs and increasing revenue from rentals.

Mead’s Quarry

Mead’s Quarry is a popular hub of activity at Ijams. Current rentals and concessions operate out of a trailer, and repurposed shipping containers, and access to the water need to be ADA-compliant. The Master Plan outlines new multipurpose buildings that will house concessions and rentals, and feature indoor and outdoor seating and outdoor classroom space. Other elements include a new ADA-compliant trail to the water and improved parking and common areas.

Ijams Nature Center is a 318-acre nonprofit educational center in the heart of Knoxville and serves visitors of all ages, stages, and abilities. Its mission is to encourage stewardship of the natural world by providing an urban greenspace for people to learn about and enjoy the outdoors through engaging experiences. Ijams features 14 miles of hiking and mixed-use trails, a public access river dock, swimming, boating, biking, and so much more. Hundreds of world-class educational programs and events are coordinated and offered annually. Ijams’ grounds and trails are open every day from 8:00 AM until dusk. For more information, visit Ijams.org or call 865-577-4717.