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KNOXVILLE |
Surrounded by the backwoods wilderness of the Great Smoky, the
Cumberland and the Blue Ridge mountains, KNOXVILLE , the original
capital of Tennessee, is a rather quiet city of 180,000. Modern
skyscrapers, older brick buildings and a riverfront at the bottom of
steep bluffs combine to give downtown an attractive edge, but specific
places of interest are thin on the ground. On the northern fringe, the
Old City , centered on Central Street and Jackson Avenue, is a small
area of shops, galleries, restaurants and nightspots in Victorian
warehouses.
On the western edge of downtown, the World's Fair Park is dominated by
the futuristic Sunsphere , a huge glass ball mounted on a round concrete
tower. There is an observation deck on the lower level of the sphere
(Mon-Sat 9am-4.30pm; free). The Knoxville Museum of Art , in the park at
1050 World's Fair Park Drive, hosts visiting exhibits and features a
small permanent collection of paintings and a cleverly designed
sculpture garden focused on a 200-year-old elm tree (Tues-Thurs & Sat
10am-5pm, Fri 10am-9pm, Sun noon-5pm; $7; tel 865/525-6101). Follow
Cumberland Avenue up a few blocks and you come to the sprawling campus
of the University of Tennessee . Lined with bars and diners, frequently
bedecked in the orange and white colors of the Volunteers football team,
the campus has two theaters and the Frank H. McClung Museum at Circle
Park, which features displays on the city's archeology, art and history
(Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 1-5pm; free).
The Gateway Regional Visitor Center , 900 Volunteer Landing Lane (daily
9am-5pm; tel 1-800/727-8045), celebrates east Tennessee's natural
resources and its technological (predominantly nuclear) achievements. It
stands among the waterfalls and foliage of the revitalized Volunteer
Landing, which boasts riverside restaurants and a marina complex.
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Vacation Rentals in Knoxville |
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from $65.98
USD