My Ode to Knoxville!…read more This is a love letter to this wonderful city in Tennessee. I was a first time visitor, and unsure what to expect from this almost week long stay. But it was love at first dive bar, in Knoxville proper. Everywhere I ventured, I met a kind soul who was happy to chat with me and point me in a new direction of fun. It didn't hurt that this was clearly the capital of rompers and mullets, and had a touch of grit during each of my night life outings. Ultimately, I was there to see my happier half play a lovely reunion show with his band, thetheorizt, during the first "Fourth & Chill" Street Festival that took place in the historic Fourth and Gil neighborhood. So, thank you Knoxville for being such a queer inclusive, welcoming city for neighbors. I found yummy bagels, karaoke dive bars, and a community of QT's committed to social justice. Just my vibe.

A few trips to Knoxville and I've had a good chance to explore this lovely historic city. Knoxville…read moreis the third-most-populous city in Tennessee after Nashville and Memphis and it shows. A dense downtown that includes a number of skyscrapers and the famous Sunsphere that was built for the 1982 World's Fair and still stands. Coffee, drinks, local breweries, unique restaurants and a Yelp community! And it's important to note that people who live here at Knoxvillians not Knoxvillains! (We have the same problem with Charlotteans in my city. Not Charlatans!) Much of downtown is dotted with parking meters. Not much for free parking and many of the smaller streets have no parking at all. At least the meters indicate when it's "free parking." [Review 1183 of 2024 - 499 in Tennessee - 22206 overall]

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.

A nice kept up historical buildings and the older gentleman was very nice and informative…read more Nice place. Recommend

Robert was great upon entering the Fort! he really made the first impression lasting! the audio…read moretour was a great tool. it allowed us to learn the history and see the historical items. worth while stop!! As we were departing Robert spent extra time helping us navigate the best route to get to our next destination due to flood closures! We ended up seeing the Smoky mountains and learned more history on our adventure. Thank you Robert!!!!