Knoxville served as the first capital of Tennessee in 1796. By 1930, it had become the largest cotton-underwear manufacturer in the United States and earned the nickname Underwear Capital of the World. The city was also a major center for marble quarrying, with its signature pink Tennessee marble used in landmark buildings such as the New York Public Library and Grand Central Terminal. In 1940, brothers Barney and Ally Hartman created the popular soft drink Mountain Dew in Knoxville.
In 2021, we visited Knoxville while driving from Gatlinburg to Nashville. With limited time, we explored only the area in and around World’s Fair Park.
World’s Fair Park – is a public park in downtown Knoxville, located on the grounds of 1982 World’s fair. It features the iconic Sunsphere, a golden, 266-foot tower, and the Tennessee Amphitheater, both remaining structures from the exposition. The park is a popular venue for community events, festivals, and concerts, and offers green spaces, fountains, and scenic views for visitors.
World’s Fair Park, Sunsphere – is a 266-foot tall hexagonal steel truss structure topped with the 75-foot gold-colored glass sphere that served as the symbol of the 1982 World’s Fair.
The tower’s window glass panels are layered in 24-karat gold dust and cut to seven different shapes.
World’s Fair Park, Tennessee Amphitheater – Located directly across from Sunsphere, the Amphitheater was built for the 1982 World’s Fair. There is a man-made pond with fountain in front of the Amphitheater. It was renovated in 2007, and has been used for concerts by Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, Knoxville Opera and the Tennessee Children’s Dance Ensemble.
World’s Fair Park, East Tennessee Veterans Memorial – located in the northern portion of the park, the memorial features over 6,300 names engraved on steel or granite panels, honoring fallen soldiers from World War I to the present day who made the ultimate sacrifice for the United States.
