World's Fair Park is a public park in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee . The park sits on the former fairgrounds of the 1982 World's Fair hosted in Knoxville. Today, the park is home to the Sunsphere and the Tennessee Amphitheater , the two remaining structures from the exposition.
12-588: The Tennessee Amphitheater , also known as the World's Fair Park Amphitheater, is an open-air amphitheater located in the 1982 World's Fair Park in Knoxville, Tennessee . The Tennessee Amphitheater was built for 1982 World's Fair and was designed by structural engineer Horst Berger , part of McCarty Bullock and Holsaple, architects of Knoxville (led by architect Bruce McCarty , the Master Architect of
24-597: A $ 2.5-million renovation of the Sunsphere and Amphitheater, updating the Sunsphere's elevators, replacing HVAC units, repairing windows, and repainting the exterior of both structures. In 2019, the park's performance lawn closed for a $ 3 million renovation, and reopened later in July of the same year. In 2019, the Knoxville Marathon 's finish line was relocated to the park, due to renovations at Neyland Stadium ,
36-596: A festival and performance lawn, a small lake with a fountain, and the Sunsphere . The 5-acre (2.0 ha) performance lawn is used for cultural and community events. Knoxville's Public Building Authority manages the park, except for the Sunsphere. The Knoxville Museum of Art , the Knoxville Convention Center , and the L&;N STEM Academy, at the former Louisville and Nashville station , surround
48-558: A unique finish, ending on the 50 yard line of the University of Tennessee 's Neyland Stadium , from 2005 to 2018. In 2019, the finish line was changed to World's Fair Park due to stadium renovations and this remains the finish line today. The course time limit is 7 hours. This article about marathons or long-distance running is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to sports in Tennessee
60-739: The American Institute of Architects , and since its reopening in 2007, the amphitheater continues to be used for concerts (e.g., Logan Brill ) and by arts organizations in Knoxville, including the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra , Knoxville Opera and the Tennessee Children’s Dance Ensemble. 35°57′40″N 83°55′26″W / 35.9612°N 83.9239°W / 35.9612; -83.9239 World%27s Fair Park The park features
72-478: The Sunsphere , the 1400-seat amphitheater is one of only two structures that remain from the 1982 World's Fair. The amphitheater was condemned to demolition in 2002 but was renovated between 2005 and 2007, reopening in 2007 with then-Mayor Bill Haslam 's inaugural address for his second term. The amphitheater was voted one of the top 15 architectural works of East Tennessee by the East Tennessee chapter of
84-511: The 1982 World's Fair), and Geiger Berger, structural engineers of New York City . Berger was known for his work with tensile architecture, and the architectural design of the amphitheater is notable for the tensile fabric membranes that hover over the theater. The amphitheater has played host to a wide range of concerts, including classical music, country music (e.g., The Aldridge Sisters ), blues (e.g., Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown ), and rock bands (e.g., Weezer and Widespread Panic ). Together with
96-443: The location of the original finish line. Knoxville Marathon The Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon is an annual marathon foot-race run in Knoxville , Tennessee , USA, established in 2005. A prize fund of $ 10,000 is distributed between the top finishers in the marathon and half marathon. The 42.195-kilometre (26.219 mi) race was established in 2005 and has been run annually ever since. The 2020 in-person edition of
108-580: The park and ends in Maryville in nearby Blount County . As of 2019, the tracks are being considered by urban developers and city councilmembers for a conversion into a light rail line. Before the fair, the site was used as a railroad yard. The land was converted into park space for the 1982 World's Fair. After the fair closed in October 1982, the site was cleaned up; the city had to demolish pavilions, remove graffiti, and remove homeless individuals from
120-650: The park. To the west of the park borders a building known as the Candy Factory, which formerly housed the South, Littlefield & Steere Company and its factory. During the fair, the Candy Factory building was used by administration. Recently, the building was renovated into office, gallery, and rehearsal space, and later into condominiums. The Knoxville District K&A Line, operated by the Norfolk Southern Railway , starts at northernmost part of
132-564: The race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic , with all registrants given the option of running the race virtually, transferring their entry to 2021 or 2022, or obtaining a refund. The Knoxville marathon celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2024. The course starts in Downtown Knoxville at Clinch Ave. bridge near the Knoxville Convention Center in the shadows of the Sunsphere . The race boasted
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#1732788062408144-489: The remaining abandoned buildings. Throughout the rest of the 1980s and into the early 1990s, the Sunsphere and U.S. Pavilion were left without tenants. In 1991, the U.S. Pavilion was demolished by implosion due to structural damage caused by neglect. In 2007, the Sunsphere began to see occupancy. Today, it currently houses offices and a public observation deck. In 2018, the Knoxville City Council approved
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