The Sunsphere

Knoxville's Historic Churches

Take a Sunday-afternoon stroll to behold Knoxville's ecclesiastical architecture! Churches are often the most striking buildings in any city, and that’s certainly the case in Knoxville. The stories behind downtown’s historic churches make them interesting to look…

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Five Knoxville Things to See in 2023

There are so many things to do and see in Knoxville that any short list is likely to seem pretty random. And it goes without saying that a walk around downtown that includes Gay Street, Market Square, and the Old City is an essential. That’s just what you do when you come to Knoxville. But the…

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In the Neighborhood — Farragut

The Town of Farragut is in west Knox County and has much to offer visitors. It is named after Admiral David Farragut, who uttered the now-famous command of “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!” during the Battle of Mobile Bay in the Civil War. Farragut was born on the north side of the river…

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Lights! Cameras! East Tennessee!

On Gay Street there’s a cineplex and a historic movie theater, and just across the street, at the Museum of East Tennessee History, is a comprehensive exhibit about the history of film here. It’s called “Lights! Cameras! East Tennessee!” and it’s pretty fascinating. Movies, still a favorite form of…

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A Guide to the Historic House Museums of Knoxville

In and around Knoxville is an array of photogenic historic homes, houses noted for their age, architecture, and stories of the people who lived there. No two are very much alike. Some have been known and respected as house museums for almost a century, while another is a relatively recent addition…

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Downtown Knoxville: The Book

Downtown Knoxville never fails to attract attention, with relatively narrow streets reflecting its 18th-century origins, a public square of unusual shape, and a variety of large buildings of different styles in brick and marble, most of them built before 1930. And most of it’s on top of a 60-foot…

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A Guide to the Unique Architecture of World's Fair Park

We take World’s Fair Park for granted, as a venue for concerts and festivals, but next time you’re down there, have a look around. There may be nowhere like it in the world. It’s a pretty extraordinary assemblage of more than a century’s worth of architecture, from mid-Victorian industrial to some…

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