World's Fair Park Informations

World's Fair Park is a public park in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee. The park was part of the fairgrounds of the 1982 World's Fair hosted in Knoxville. It houses the Sunsphere and the Tennessee Amphitheater, the only two remaining structures from the 1982 fair.

The park features two large lawns, a lake, 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 LandN STEM Academy, at the former Louisville and Nashville station, border the park. Another bordering building is known as the Candy Factory, which housed the South, Littlefield and Steere Company and its factory. The building was used for the World's Fair, and was renovated into office, gallery, and rehearsal space, and later into condominiums.

The Knoxville District KandA Line, operated by the Norfolk Southern Railway, runs from the park and terminates in Maryville. As of 2019, the tracks are being considered for conversion into a light rail line.

The land was formerly used for a railroad yard. The land was converted into park space for the 1982 World's Fair. After the fair, the site was cleaned up; the city had to demolish pavilions, remove graffiti, and remove the homeless from abandoned buildings. The Sunsphere and U.S. Pavilion were left empty. After years of lying vacant, the Sunsphere began being used; it currently houses offices and an observation deck.

In 2018, the Knoxville City Council approved a $2.5-million renovation of the Sunsphere and Amphitheater, to update the Sunsphere's elevators, replace HVAC units, repair windows, and repaint the exterior. In 2019, the performance lawn closed for a $3 million renovation, scheduled to reopen on July 1. Also in 2019, the Knoxville Marathon's finish line was relocated to the park, due to renovations at Neyland Stadium, the location of the original finish line.

Coordinates: 35°57′41″N 83°55′26″W / 35.9614°N 83.9239°W / 35.9614; -83.9239

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