Beside the main security checkpoint, the Gift Shop is the quick last stop for forgotten basics at TYS.
This small Gift Shop in the Main Terminal sits past security, a few minutes’ walk from most gates in McGhee Tyson’s single concourse layout. It’s the spot to grab toothpaste, a phone charger, aspirin, or a snack without walking back toward the ticketing hall. Stock runs standard airport fare: candy bars, chips, gum, bottled drinks, and a rotating rack of Knoxville and Smoky Mountains souvenirs.
Pricing lands in normal airport territory: think $3–$4 for bottled drinks and $2–$4 for candy or chips. Branded mugs, T‑shirts, and caps with Tennessee or UT Knoxville themes usually sit in the $15–$30 range, with smaller magnets and keychains under $10. It won’t be the cheapest shop you’ve ever seen, but nothing here feels like a full-on tourist trap either.
Hours generally track the flight schedule, opening before the first departures around 4:30–5:00 a.m. and closing after the final evening banks wrap up. On lighter Saturday schedules, expect them to shut earlier, sometimes by 7:30–8:00 p.m., so don’t leave your snack run for the last possible minute. If you land late from a delay, assume it may already be shuttered.
Expect the usual mix of travel pillows, earbuds, and charging cables hanging near the register, plus a few regional snack brands mixed in with national labels. If you want something specific, like a certain cable type or size of memory card, ask the staff; inventory hides behind the counter more often than on the front pegs.
Tip: Hit this Gift Shop right after security instead of waiting at the gate; lines flare up here about 20 minutes before each main departure wave.