As someone who grew up less than an hour away from Knoxville, I have driven by the Sunsphere thousands of times but never went up for a tour. Visit Knoxville hosted us and we had such a fun time walking around and taking in the panoramic views.
The Sunsphere is the only one of its kind in the world, built as the artistic centerpiece of the World’s Fair in Knoxville much like the Eiffel Tower in Paris in 1889 and the Seattle Space Needle in 1962. The theme of the 1982 World’s Fair was energy and the sun is the ultimate source of energy.
The Sunsphere is definitely family friendly. Everyone who worked there was so sweet to Claire. She enjoyed running around in a circle and we ended up buying her a stuffed Smokey dog because she licked it. Mom of the year right here!
Chris asked me to marry him in World’s Fair Park so it was extra special for us to bring our daughter here.
If you’re visiting Knoxville or even if you’ve lived there for years, I think you’ll be surprised how much you enjoy a tour of the Sunsphere.
Fun fact- across the street at the Knoxville Convention Center you can see the world’s largest Rubik’s Cube which was a gift from Hungary during the 1982 World’s Fair. The inventor, Erno Rubik, is from Budapest, Hungary.
The 40th anniversary celebration of the Knoxville World’s Fair is being held Saturday, May 21st in World’s Fair Park from 10am to 9pm. There will be food trucks, live music, a “maker’s market” showcasing local art, exhibits documenting the history of the World’s Fair, and a fireworks display set to 80’s music. You can also check out the World’s Fair exhibit at the Museum of East Tennessee History downtown now through October 2022.
Thank you to Visit Knoxville for being such amazing hosts. Our tour was gifted but my opinion, as always, is my own.