A good place to begin a tour of Knoxville is at Volunteer Landing on the riverfront, the site of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, which recounts the first 100 years of women's basketball, and the new Gateway Regional Visitor Center, 500,000 square feet of total space showcasing information about the scenic beauty surrounding Knoxville. In the four-county Knoxville area are hundreds of thousands of acres of parks and recreational space, including 800 miles of forests, 800 square miles of trout streams, and seven major Tennessee Valley Authority lakes that provide more than 11,000 miles of shoreline and 1,000 square miles of water surface. Knoxville itself boasts the east-side Chilhowee Park and Tyson Park in the University of Tennessee at Knoxville area, and the Ijams Nature Center, a non-profit regional environmental education center located minutes from downtown Knoxville. A raptor center and snapping turtle exhibit were added in 2004.
Much of Knoxville's outdoor and tourism activity centers around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, America's most visited national preserve, with more than nine million visitors annually. The Smokies—located 45 minutes from downtown Knoxville and skirted by Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville and Townsend—provide both active and passive recreation. The park boasts 800 square miles, 95 percent of which is forested, including 20 percent old-growth forest; 700 miles of trout streams; and more than 800 miles of trails.
Many more miles of trails and trout streams are found in Cherokee National Forest, an hour's drive south of Knoxville. Five whitewater rivers flow through Cherokee National Forest's 640,000 acres. Commercial outfitters will rent equipment or provide guided trips on some of the rivers. There are five state parks located nearby: Big Ridge State Park, Cove Lake State Park, Frozen Head State Park and Natural Area, Norris Dam State Park, and Panther Creek State Park.
The area's lakes, known as the Great Lakes of the South, are a major source of pleasure to residents and visitors. They include Norris Lake to the north, recognized nationwide for its striper fishing, and Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, known for its world-class rowing conditions. The climate stays warm from May through September, and water skiing, sailing, and swimming are popular pastimes.
The site of the 1982 World's Fair has developed into a permanent recreation area in the heart of the city. The 266 foot-tall Sunsphere is still within the park, and is Knoxville's unofficial symbol. Visitors can take in a 365-degree view of Knoxville from 26 stories up on the observation deck of the Sunsphere.
Historical homes are also popular with sightseers. Among the best known in Knoxville are the Armstrong-Lockett House (often called Crescent Bend because of its location in a bend of the Tennessee River), a stately mansion built in 1834 as the centerpiece of a 600-acre farm; Blount Mansion, the oldest frame house west of the Allegheny Mountains (it was built in 1792 by Governor William Blount); the Craighead-Jackson House, a brick home built in 1812 adjacent to Blount Mansion; and Ramsey House, a two-story stone structure built in 1797. James White's Fort, Knox-ville's most visited historic site, is still standing on a bluff high above the Tennessee River near downtown; seven log cabins now house pioneer artifacts and furnishings, giving a glimpse into regional life of the past.
Built in 1858, Mabry-Hazen House retains its original furniture. The site is on eight acres atop the highest hill north of the Holston River. It was once a fort—first for Confederate soldiers and then for Union troops. Mark Twain memorialized the home's builder, Joseph A. Mabry, Jr., in Life on the Mississippi. The second generation to live in the house was fictionalized in the best seller Christy, and the third and last generation at Mabry-Hazen House was featured in Life Magazine.
With more than 800 exotic animals, many in their natural habitats, including gorillas, red pandas, and rhinos, the Knoxville Zoological Park is full of family fun, adventure, and learning. The zoo is nationally known for its work with red pandas (it has the highest birth rate of red pandas in the Western Hemisphere), white rhinoceroses, and reptiles. Popular exhibits include Gorilla Valley, Penguin Rock, North American River Otters, and the Birds of Central America Aviary. Special attractions include the Bird Show, featuring free-flying birds of prey, and camel rides, elephant encounters, and a children's petting zoo. The zoo's Kid's Cove, a fun environment designed for children, is scheduled to open in April of 2005; an elephant preserve and African grasslands exhibit opened in 2002, and a meerkat exhibit opened in 2003.
The historic Candy Factory Building was built circa 1917. There visitors can see chocolatiers at work at the South's Finest Chocolate Factory, which features more than 100 candies made and sold on the site. Nearby, visitors will encounter a row of beautifully restored Victorian houses. These quaint, brightly hued dwellings were built in the 1920s and are now home to antique and curiosity shops as well as studios and art galleries.
Organizations like the Arts Council of Greater Knoxville support an active arts community. The Tennessee Amphitheater, located in World's Fair Park, is a popular venue and is used for numerous free concerts and productions sponsored by the city of Knoxville and private groups. The Oak Ridge Art Center is also a boon for the cultural climate of the region. It has a studio and a gift shop and displays both local and traveling artists' and photographers' exhibits. Classes are offered in such artistic endeavors as pottery, oil painting, watercolor, drawing, and sculpture.
Knoxville boasts two symphony orchestras: the world-class Knoxville Symphony Orchestra (KSO) and the Knoxville Chamber Orchestra. KSO, established in 1935, plays several concerts a year to sold-out houses at the magnificent Tennessee Theatre, which reopened in January of 2005 following an extensive $23.5 million restoration, and at the Civic Auditorium/Coliseum. The orchestra's core group also makes up the Knoxville Chamber Orchestra, which was founded in 1981 and performs a five-concert series in the historic Bijou Theatre.
The Knoxville Opera Company, which has achieved a position of prominence among American opera companies, produces several major operas annually. The Civic Music Association brings internationally known musicians to Oak Ridge; their performances alternate with concerts by the Oak Ridge Symphony and Chorus, composed of local musicians and with full-time professional directors.
A variety of dance forms are presented to Knoxville audiences by the Appalachian Ballet Company, Circle Modern Dance Company, the City Ballet, and the internationally acclaimed Tennessee Children's Dance Ensemble.
The University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Maryville College also serve as cultural centers for the region. UT's Department of Theatre is committed to providing drama education and exposure to outstanding theatrical productions—both to university students seeking a career in theater and to East Tennessee audiences desiring quality dramatic fare. The Ula Love Doughty Carousel Theatre, the Music Hall, and the Clarence Brown Theatre present musical, comedies, dramas and dance performances. Maryville College supports a Playhouse and College-Community Orchestra series.
The Knoxville Civic Auditorium/Coliseum brings to the area the best in professional traveling companies presenting Broadway hits. Local residents can not only view fine theater but also are encouraged to participate at the Oak Ridge Community Playhouse. The playhouse has a full-time professional director and offers a full season of plays and musicals.
Highlighting the history of the Knoxville region are many excellent museums and historic sites. The history of the entire area is the focus at the Museum of East Tennessee History, housed at the East Tennessee Historical Center along with the public library's McClung Historical Collection and the Knox County Archives. The Museum, Historical Collection, and Archives will double in size upon the completion of a $20 million expansion in 2005. African American history and culture reaching as far back as the 1840s is chronicled at the Beck Cultural Exchange Center in downtown Knoxville. Confederate Memorial Hall, an antebellum mansion that once served as General Longstreet's headquarters during the siege of Knoxville, is now a museum that houses artifacts, documents, and furniture of the Civil War era. The University of Tennessee at Knoxville's McClung Museum highlights collections of history, anthropology, archaeology, natural history, science, fine arts, and furnishings.
The Knoxville Museum of Art is a dynamic institution providing exciting exhibitions from the surrounding region, the country, and the world. This state-of-the-art facility, located in downtown Knoxville's World's Fair Park, presents an average of 20 traveling exhibitions annually in its five galleries; its permanent collection is drawn from American art of the twentieth century and later. The Arts Council of Greater Knoxville sponsors exhibits and varied galleries at the Candy Factory at World's Fair Park, at the Ewing Gallery of Art and Architecture, and at the Joseph B. Wolffe Sculpture Gallery. The University of Tennessee Gallery Concourse focuses on the work of local, regional, and national artists.
To the north of Knoxville, Oak Ridge lures visitors with its American Museum of Science and Energy. One of the world's largest energy exhibitions, it features interactive displays, live demonstrations, computer games, and films for all ages.
In nearby Norris, the Museum of Appalachia offers the most authentic and complete documentation of the Appalachian way of life in the world. The museum houses one of the nation's largest collections of pioneer, country, mountain, and contemporary artifacts such as baskets, coverlets, quilts, early animal traps, thousands of tools, and early musical instruments. Enhancing the main display are 35 other authentic log structures—houses, cabins, a school, a church, and barns—all fully furnished with period relics.
Knoxville presents a variety of popular seasonal activities for residents and visitors. The 17-day Dogwood Arts Festival in April offers more than 350 events. The Dogwood Arts Festival is the largest civic celebration in North America, with more than 8,000 volunteers helping with its staging. This nationally renowned festival includes craft shows, concerts and sporting events, and features 500 miles of marked motor trails in Knoxville to showcase the abundant spring blossoms on the dogwood trees. The Bearden Festival of Art is the newest Festival event. Visitors can enjoy the galleries, shops, and restaurants of Bearden Village.
The Tennessee Valley Fair runs for 10 days every September, followed by the Foothills Fall Festival in October, featuring music from local and famous entertainers, arts and crafts, and a Children's Adventure Land. Tennessee Fall Homecoming, also in October, celebrates Appalachian crafts and mountain music. December's Christmas in the City is sponsored jointly by the city of Knoxville and downtown businesses. This two-month long center-city event is a combination of more than 100 activities featuring music, lights, a parade, trees on the rooftops, whimsical window scenes, and memories of Christmases past.
The Tennessee Smokies provide professional baseball for the area; they play at Smokies Baseball Park, located in Sevierville, Tennessee, just 15 miles from downtown Knoxville. The Knoxville Ice Bears, part of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League, play at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. Area residents also enthusiastically attend the sporting events of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. The 104,079-seat Neyland Stadium on the UT campus is the largest collegiate stadium in the South, and the second largest in the country. The Thompson-Boling Assembly Center and Arena, a 25,000-seat basketball arena, is home to the University of Tennessee Volunteers and the Lady Volunteers basketball teams. It also hosts a variety of other community events.
Knoxville city and county parks contain more than 5,700 acres of parks and recreational space. Facilities include 144 playgrounds; 103 tennis courts, including some of the finest facilities in the South at Tyson Park, located just minutes from downtown Knoxville; 20 public golf courses; 27 recreation centers; numerous ball fields; and a variety of country clubs and indoor commercial recreation establishments. At Volunteer Landing Marina, watercraft including houseboats, pontoons, paddleboats, and aqua-cycles can be rented. In March 2005 Knoxville will host its first Knoxville Marathon, a 26.2-mile run beginning at World's Fair Park and ending at UT's Neyland Stadium.
Knoxville boasts three large shopping malls, Knoxville Center, Simpson Enterprises, and West Town Mall, and more than two dozen other shopping centers. In the downtown area, there are several areas of retail activity, including Market Square Mall. Knoxville's historic downtown warehouse district, called The Old City, is a bustling area of dining, shopping, and entertainment nestled in restored nineteenth-century brick warehouses. Near the University of Tennessee at Knoxville campus, Cumberland Avenue is noted for its shops.
Visitors and residents alike can sample a broad array of foods at Knoxville-area dining establishments. Barbecue and country-style cooking are especially popular, but other choices abound, among them continental cuisine and ethnic specialties such as Greek, Italian, Mexican, and Asian.
Visitor Information: Knoxville Convention and Visitors Bureau, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37920, telephone (865)523-7263 or (800)727-8045