What is Knoxville Slides?

Knoxville Slides is an initiative that promotes everyday play by taking advantage of East Tennessee’s hilly terrain at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains by building embankment slides into the
landscape of hills. Though hills are typically inhibitors for playground construction, they are ideal for these new slides.

The concept is to incorporate the slides into existing City of Knoxville infrastructure, preferably adjacent to existing stairs or ramps to encourage continuance of play.

In March 2017, the City opened its pilot project for ‘Knoxville Slides’ at the Civic Auditorium and Coliseum parking garage, adjacent to Knoxville’s largest trolley stop. Now, visitors to the Coliseum as well as those waiting for the trolley, can enjoy some play and exercise along their way.


What are the necessary components for a Knoxville Slide?

- Must be public property OR private property owner consent (will need to be established via legal documentation)
- The slope must be 30 degrees or graded to 30 degrees
- Minimum clearance around all sides of slide is 6-8 feet
- If slide feeds toward the street, there will need to be a minimum 20-foot clearance
- ‘Knoxville Slides’ follow the branded yellow, plastic slide with teal, metal poles/platform.


What are the estimated costs for a Knoxville Slide?

- Depending on the slide length, cost for slide materials range from $5,000-$25,000
- The cost for installation of the slide is typically 25-33% of the cost of materials


More information

Interested in sponsoring a Knoxville Slide or want to learn more?  Please contact Aaron Browning at [email protected].