In honor of the 40th Anniversary of the 1982 World’s Fair, Visit Knoxville is gearing up with collectables and merchandise commemorating the occasion. Our Scruffy City is proud to have hosted people from all over the world, as the expansive fair went from May through October of 1982. Fast forward two score and here we are, ready to celebrate all over again.

Come visit us in the 4th Floor Observation Deck of the Sunsphere to learn about the history and making of our World’s Fair, view vintage memorabilia, and snag some exclusive Sunsphere gift shop merchandise, like shirts, hats, stickers, and tchotchkes. We even have You’ll also get a priceless 360° view of the city! On clear days, you can even see the Smoky Mountains. You can purchase tickets online at thesunsphere.com!

At our Visitors Center Gift Shop on Gay Street, we also carry an array of Sunsphere and World’s Fair Park themed items. We have World’s Fair Park Patches and Stickers, Jack’s Avenue Sunsphere Stickers, Shaun Ridge Sunsphere Sunday Concert Art Stickers, Knoxville Sunsphere Globe Stickers, World’s Fair Flame Stickers, and Flame Patches!

 

If you’d rather the classic collectables, we’ve got you covered with Snow Globes and a variety of glass ornaments all featuring the Sunsphere! We carry large, traditional Sunsphere ornaments, small clip-on varieties, and 40th World’s Fair Ornaments. We also have Knoxville’s 1982 World’s Fair Park historical books, My Friend the Sunsphere kids’ books, and even our Sunsphere Sundays Concert Series Posters! These collectables are exclusive to our Downtown and Sunsphere gift shops.

We also have World’s Fair Park Long-Sleeve Shirts, SoKno Woodworking Sunsphere Earrings and Key Chains, and English Rose Farm Sunsphere Totes and Wine Bags ready for your on-the-go Festival Lawn fun! When you get home from a day of celebratory shenanigans, chill out with your own at-home in-theme spa night—just pick up our English Rose Farm Sunsphere Soap Set and Bath Bombs!

If you’re not Knoxville-local, be sure to plan a trip back to town on May 21, 2022 for our grand World’s Fair 40th Anniversary Celebration at World’s Fair Park!