The Sunsphere is an amazing architectural wonder and remnant from the 1982 World's Fair in…read moreKnoxville. My visit to the Sunsphere made my day. The 342' steel structure was designed by Don Shell and completed in 1982. The glass on the 75' sphere is coated with gold dust. During the World's Fair, a small restaurant operated at the top and visitors could visit the observation deck for $2. We were passing through Knoxville and my daughter wanted to visit. Today, visitors can pay to go up to the observation deck of the giant structure. ($10 for adults). You can buy tickets on line or at the Sunsphere. When we arrived, the Sphere was closed until 1:30, so we did not go up in it. But we enjoyed walking around and taking photos. There is parking a block south and the walk through the park is lovely. There is a drop off circle near the Sunshpere as well. Let's are not allowed in the structure.

Knoxville wanted to do something truly special for the 1982 World's Fair. The result was the…read moreSunsphere. The theme for the fair was "Energy turns the world" and Knoxville showcased solar energy by creating a replica of the Sun. I was fortunate enough to visit the Sunsphere during their "free local days" and all you need to show is your license to prove you're local to Knoxville. More free local days will be announced throughout the coming year, so stay tuned. Definitely recommend elevating your view of our little city by visiting the Sunsphere. Know Before You Go: ~ $10 tickets per adult and also annual passes can be bought in person. $40 for an individual annual pass or $120 for a family pass. Both passes are good for a calendar year. ~24 kt. gold panels are actually glass layered with gold dust. ~The Sunsphere observation deck was re-opened on February 22, 2022. The floor offers a 360-degree view of the Great Smoky Mountains, World's Fair Park, the Tennessee River, and the UT Campus. ~There is a small gift shop offering everything from Sunsphere Christmas ornaments, tee shirts, Sunsphere coffee tumblers, stickers, postcards, and more.

I'm always all in when it comes to historic bridges especially when I can experience them first…read morehand and if I can walk across them then that's gets it to a entirely different level. I actually found this foot bridge by happenstance, I was driving down the highway and saw it connecting the two sides of the river, which is the intended purpose. Getting to this little gems is quite tricky and as you approach it on the residential side of the river you may be a little hesitant to pull into the narrow lane that sits between two homes but trust me the neighbors know what they have on the backside of their riverfront property - one friendly owner was outside and invited me in to check it out. These bridges are so cool but they were simply constructed to provide a solution which was "to get to the other side" I'm sure there is some correlation to "why did the chicken cross the road" but I'm not certain. The water below was running at a good pace and is very shallow you definitely wouldn't want to jump from or fall from this bridge the rocks would break you fall immediately after the splash. You could probably see everything you want to see here in about 10 minutes I stayed about 20 minutes - besides the bridge being super cool and the fact that it is historic there is more to it, the "love lock" phenomenon which symbolizes "unbreakable love" has attached itself to the structure. The love padlock phenomenon is like a weird alien growth that just won't die so think about this before placing your lock...

A little awkward to find but so beautiful!! It's lovely and well worth the hunt. Lots of fun. We…read morealso saw turtles near the creek below

Cute spot to watch waterfalls and drink a beer, for non beer people, there's sodas and some snacks…read more Very cheap to do.

A true gem off the side of the road in Wears Valley. If a beer garden and a waterfall had a baby,…read moreyou'd find yourself gem mining at Friendly Falls. They're under new ownership, beers are cold and cheap, and you can relax at picnic tables, play in the waterfall, or play disc golf or darts while the rushing sounds of the waterfalls soothe you into a relaxing state. You'll know you're in the right spot if the Christmas lights are twinkling and the chain rope is open. Can't recommend this little spot enough

Bet you didn't know that Tennessee was once a major producer of freshwater pearls. And much of that…read morerich history lies right here in the city of Clinton right off the Clinch river. Take a second to look up the deets about southern Appalachian rivers and tributaries that brought Joseph Gossett, pearling, and eventually: the Norris Dam. Cool stuff. If you are visiting Clinton, come to this historical marker (and do something else besides antiquing). Have a picnic, take a stroll, hang out a bit. Appreciate. If you are looking for another reason to check out this place just ask the local Hoskins store. Because this spot is also the Hoskins-Lane Market Place Park. Owned by the Hoskins and given to the City. Yep, your little kiddos are playing hide and seek and going to the summer festival atop another layer of cool history. Well to learn more about all that, you'll have to get a milkshake at the still buzzing 85+ year old Hoskins drug store just down on Main street.

A very busy part of the Market Square area, this pedestrian bridge runs from Locust Street and…read moreacross Henley Street alongside the convention center. It brings together the Market Square retail and restaurant area with the World's Fair park and the Sunsphere. The bridge is wide enough for a golf-cart and definitely wide enough for four people to walk abreast. At Locust Street, the bridge is at street level. At the other side near the Sunsphere, there is a set of stairs and an elevator. There's also a nice view of the World's Fair park. If you're not interested in crossing Henley Street at street level, which I completely understand as it is a very busy road, this bridge will help. [Review 12898 overall, 214 of 2020.]

This is a neat bridge that takes you from one part of Knoxville to another part of Knoxville it's…read morenot a very long bridge but it has some cool sites all on the way and it's nice how it's covered and it takes you right over to the stratosphere sons here in the Knoxville world fair so that's cool to see but this is a nice little bridge that wasn't expecting to come upon while we were there so it's definitely cool walk across instead of walking across the street's

May 24, 2026 The…read morepavilion was a lovely place for a wedding. We were out of there and cleaned up by 7:45 as told! We had no liquor and never had plans to. We set up took down to have a wedding and we put everything back as it was. The lady park ranger was a jerk. It's unfortunate to have employees who have a power trip and cannot speak nice to the people who paid to use the facility. I would be embarrassed to have an employee like this gal.

We went from Atlanta. However it is not wheelchair or walker accessible as advertised…read more You can see some things in the visitor center. There is a rough paved path to the entrance but then a steep grassy hill down to the buildings. Very disappointed.

A beautiful day to take a brisk walk in the sunshine at this park. Plenty of adorable furry friends…read moreenjoy this park too. It is clean and it's full of history. What a nice place to explore.

This friendship bell was gifted to Oak Ridge from Japan as a sign of remembrance and peace between…read moreour two countries after the events of WWII and the Manhattan Project. Even those our connection has a dark history, the bell is meant to signify a brighter future. The bell itself is huge and very heavy, suspended in air with the ability for visitors to "ring" it. It is under a pavilion in the midst of Bissell Park, which has a great walking trail and a park/playground a short distance away behind the library. Worth a stop, in combination with the Children's Museum of OR, and the American Museum of Science and Energy, which both cover more history of the Manhattan Project and the creation of our small town.

First week of June 2024 I love stopping here EVERY trip to…read morethe Smokeys! Such a beautiful area!! A must see at least once!!!! a very nice gift shop and VERY CLEAN restrooms!!

We we're here for a wedding ceremony. The wedding venue is maybe 30 steps up to a platform…read moreoverlooking the water. It's really pretty, but does not fit a large number of guests. It was perfect for the wedding we attended. The only drawback was that on a Saturday around 5 pm there was multiple motorcycles coming to the area. It was very loud and difficult to hear people talking for the ceremony.

Not that long ago, the United States Congress finally past the 19th Amendment, "The right of…read morecitizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex." A very simple sentence that conveyed a lot of rights to half of the citizens of our country. Once Congress approves a Constitutional Amendment, it must be ratified by a percentage of States. At that time, it needed to be at least 36 to reach the requirement. Thirty-five other states ratified the Amendment before Tennessee did. It took them a year and much debate before a tie vote in the state house of representatives was broken by a single vote. Looking back now, you really have to wonder about Tennessee's elected representatives! This monument is dedicated to the suffragists who made it possible and has a prominent spot in Knoxville's Market Square. [Review 12892 overall, 208 of 2020.]

Neat little statue that holds a lot of history behind it. I'm not sure why this statute is here in…read moreAsheville maybe it took place here? But it is a nice representation of women's rights and I am all for that and equality. It is nice to show my daughters how far women have come over the years