Knoxville: From Scruffy to Cool

When Knoxville, Tennessee was chosen to host the 1982 World’s Fair, the Wall Street Journal declared it “the scruffy little city on the Tennessee River,” and suggested low attendance. Turns out, that fair drew more than 11 million people, making it one of the most popular in U.S. history. Even so, it was still a few years before Knoxville kicked off that down-at-the-heels label and became an inviting, vibrant city. AFAR travel magazine recently named Knoxville the coolest city in Tennessee noting, “With a booming outdoors scene, grand hotels, and a slew of new restaurants, Knoxville is one of the South’s most happening cities.”

Knoxville is a college town where football fans can work themselves into a frenzy waiting for their team to surge onto the field after passing through a human “T’ formed by the Pride of the Southland Band, but the city is so much more than tailgate parties and football games. Within one square mile in downtown there are more than 80 restaurants and over 40 boutiques in beautifully restored buildings. There are festivals, theaters, parks, museums, and venues for outdoor activities, as well as breweries, eclectic shops and boutique hotels. And the free trolley system makes getting around part of the fun.

The pedestrian mall known as Market Square is the heartbeat of downtown. The pet-friendly Square is home to concerts and movies, Shakespeare on the Square, an outdoor ice rink, two water play fountains, a seasonal Farmer’s Market and a wide variety of shopping and dining options.   

Cuisine scene

Knoxville’s chef-driven food scene equates to a myriad of choices—and often one’s wallet and appetite are the best guides. Pricier options might include an elegant dinner at J.C. Holdway or Knox Mason, while a thinner wallet might mean more affordable choices like Café 4 or Not Watson’s Kitchen and Bar. 

With over 1,000 tours and counting, Knoxville Food Tours serves up an opportunity to learn about the city’s history while enjoying some of the best food around. Paula Johnson, local historian and author of Lost Restaurants of Knoxville, delights her guests by introducing them to a variety of movable feasts. Another chef-to-table experience is provided by East Tennessee Tours which was created to showcase Knoxville’s impressive downtown eateries.

When the sun sets, the nightlife crowd heads to Old City and its diverse mixture of bars, distilleries and nightclubs. There’s also a concert hall, coffee shops, retail shops and restaurants. Old City shines in the daytime, too. Settle onto a street-view stool at OliBea’s for pickle-brined fried chicken on a flaky biscuit with whipped sorghum, chowchow, and gravy, or head over to Wild Love Bakehouse for a maple pecan twice-baked croissant or take home a whole rye on rye apple pie.

For years, the Fountain City neighborhood has been a place to unwind; the heart-shaped duck pond is a favored spot, as is Litton’s Restaurant. Litton’s, which started out selling groceries, hardware, feed and gasoline in 1946, is known for comfort food daily specials and Litton burgers. 

Shaking up the Knoxville scene, a whole slate of breweries, brewpubs and even a speakeasy are changing the way Knoxville drinks. The city offers an opportunity to relax with some of the country’s finest beers. Whether you prefer traditional beers or quirky infused beers, it’s all on tap in Knoxville. 

Artsy vibes

Artists bring the essence and vitality of the city’s spirit to life in murals, sculptures, and photography, all prominently displayed throughout town. Much of Knoxville’s history is evident in architecture, live music, and local museums. First Friday is a community event that brings together the best art, libations, and music downtown has to offer. 

The Sunsphere at World’s Fair Park, the iconic symbol from the 1982 exposition, is the star of the city skyline. An elevator ride to the observation deck will yield impressive views of the city and the Tennessee River. The Tennessee Amphitheater, another holdover from the fair, boasts tensile fabric membranes that hover over the theater. Within the park is the East Tennessee Veterans Memorial bearing names of over 6,000 local soldiers who died in wars since 1917, as well as the Knoxville Museum of Art.

This museum focuses on Southern Appalachian culture and artists from the East Tennessee region. Higher Ground: A Century of the Visual Arts in East Tennessee is a permanent exhibit highlighting the works of noted artists such as Lloyd Branson, Catherine Wiley, and Beauford Delaney, as well as major artists from outside the region who produced significant work here. Another permanent exhibit is part of the museum’s effort to introduce new art and new ideas.   

The Emporium Center, a 28,000 square foot space filled with art galleries showcasing regional artists, and the McClung Museum—a Smithsonian affiliate museum founded to preserve Native American artifacts disturbed by TVA’s impoundment of several major rivers—offers a fascinating array of permanent and temporary exhibits featuring history and the arts. Permanent exhibits include paleontology, ancient Egyptian, and Knoxville’s Civil War experience.

The East Tennessee History Center is located in the marble, 1874 Custom House building and features Voices of the Land, a chronological exhibit of several centuries in East Tennessee. Beck Cultural Center is a museum, archive, and gathering place with a focus on the African-American culture in Knoxville.

Festival Fever

In 1947, a New York newspaper reporter wrote, “Knoxville is the ugliest town I ever saw in America.” Stung by that characterization, members of the Knoxville Garden Club and a group of concerned citizens with a vision of civic beautification designated the first dogwood trail, which led to the annual Dogwood Arts Festival, a celebration of the blooming of dogwood trees, regional art, culture, and natural beauty. This year’s festival is April 24-26.

Knoxville hosts America’s only Rossini Festival, an international street fair, which is Knoxville Opera’s perennial celebration of the performing arts. The public enjoys non-stop entertainment on outdoor stages showcasing everything from opera, classical, gospel and ethnic music, along with ballet, modern and international dance. April 18 is the date for the 2020 festival.

The Big Ears Festival, coming to Knoxville March 26-29, is an internationally acclaimed festival featuring celebrated performers and composers. Big Ears crosses the boundaries of musical genres and artistic disciplines.

Year round, Knoxville hosts a number of diverse cultural festivals, appealing to every passion and palate.

Show time

The elegant Tennessee Theatre first opened in 1928 and was lauded as “the South’s most beautiful theater.” In 2005, the former movie palace reopened as a world-class performing arts center. With the dazzling Czechoslovakian crystals in the French chandeliers, Italian terrazzo flooring in the Grand Lobby, and Asian inspired carpet and drapery patterns, the theater is a show in itself. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and named the Official State Theater of Tennessee, this gem hosts classical music, vintage films, dance, Broadway, and performances by popular singers and musicians. It is also home to the Knoxville Symphony Opera. 

The Bijou Theatre is one of the oldest and most revered performance venues in the region. It opened in 1909 as a part of the Lamar Hotel, one of Knoxville’s oldest existing buildings. After years of decline, the theater was restored and reopened in 2006. Praised by the New York Times as “one of the best sounding rooms in the country,” the U.S. Cellular Stage at the Bijou offers a clear stage view and aural excellence from every seat. 

The Clarence Brown Theatre for the Performing Arts at the University of Tennessee opened in 1970. Heralded at the time as one of the finest facilities in the nation, the theater remains a superb performance venue.

Go outside and play

Being within a short drive of the Great Smoky Mountains adds to Knoxville’s appeal, but there’s no shortage of parks, green spaces and blueways for enjoying outdoor activities. Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness, a 1,000-acre stretch of land features more than 50 miles of hiking and biking trails and connects parks, trails, and Civil War sites. In June, the best cyclists in the United States compete in the highest level of competition in the USA Cycling National Championship on downtown Knoxville’s beautiful and challenging course. 

Bicycling magazine has named Knoxville one of the best bike cities in America. Although Knoxville has participated in the National Bike to Workday for nearly two decades, it was a little late pulling into the biking lane. Tremendous progress has been made, however. The city has 20 miles of bike lanes, with more in the works. There are plenty of trails for leisurely riding as well as challenging mountain biking tracks within riding distance of town. No bike? No worries. Pace, a bike share program is available in town as are Spin electric scooters.

Ijmas Nature Center was once a riverside bird sanctuary and home to ornithologist Harry Ijams. For decades after his death, it remained a retreat for garden clubs. Thanks to philanthropy and determination, Ijams acquired hundreds of adjacent acres that were once quarry property. An environmental education center, Ijams also features hiking trails, mountain biking, rock climbing, boating, and treetops ropes course challenges as well as a wooden river boardwalk and several protected caves. The visitor center has several exhibits including an extremely rare pair of mounted ivory-billed woodpeckers.  

The University of Tennessee Gardens are the official botanical gardens of the state of Tennessee and part of the UT Institute of Agriculture. Some 4,000 annuals, perennials, herbs, tropical plants, trees, shrubs, vegetables, and ornamental grasses are evaluated each year. The gardens are open all seasons and free to the public.

With a history dating back to 1786, the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum is 47 acres complete with an orchard planted by a Revolutionary War veteran, beautiful stone walls and structures, display gardens and a state-of-the-art welcome center. After two centuries as Howell’s Nursery, the family contracted with local philanthropists in 2001 to create the beautiful public horticultural landscape.  

Zoo Knoxville is said to be one of the premier zoological experiences in the Southeast. Committed to sharing “wildly fun” experiences that educate and inspire, the zoo features acres of creative habitats for animal lovers of all ages to explore. The zoo hosted the first African elephant born in the Western Hemisphere, in 1978, and continues its rare program for red pandas. 

Other notable parks and gardens include Lakeshore Park, Racheff Gardens, Fountain City Park Victor Ashe Park, and Chilhowee Park. Civil War buffs will enjoy Fort Dickerson Park and High Ground Park/Fort Higley. Krutch Park, which is adjacent to Market Square, has lovely walking paths that meander around gardens, sculptures, and waterfalls.

No longer “the ugliest town in America,” or the “scruffy little city,” Knoxville is a sophisticated blend of culture, southern charm and hospitality.  

Oak Ridge: City Behind the Fence

Around 1900, John Hendrix emerged from the woods where, for 40 nights he’d been lamenting the loss of his family while subsisting on limited provisions and enduring the cold weather. He was thought to be delusional when he declared he had been shown a vision of the future. He foretold a city of thousands of people on Black Oak Ridge, and big factories that would help win one of the greatest wars of all time. When the government took possession of the land to build Oak Ridge, people began to say, “I guess old John wasn’t crazy after all.”

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the city of Oak Ridge didn’t exist. In an effort to end the war, the U.S. government purchased rural farmland in 1942 and rapidly built the city of Oak Ridge, which would play a pivotal role in the Manhattan Project. Just two-and-a-half years later, the Secret City skyrocketed to a population of 75,000, making it the fifth-largest city in Tennessee at the time.  

The wartime hubbub left the ongoing legacy of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which brought thousands of scientists and engineers to the area. Oak Ridge National Laboratory helps to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions. ORNL has 4,400 staff members and hosts about 3,000 visiting scientists each year from over 100 different countries.  

Jackson Square lies at the center of the historic district which once served as the city’s original town site. The Square features a variety of shops, restaurants, gardens, and historic displays. For over six decades the Oak Ridge Playhouse, one of the south’s premier theaters, has called Jackson Square home. The Lavender Festival, held the third weekend in June on Jackson Square, features regional vendors whose goal is to celebrate health, herbs, and the environment. 

The International Friendship Bell located in A.K. Bissell Park is 8,000 pounds of bronze cast with images symbolizing peace and friendship shared by Japan and Oak Ridge. The bell will carry the message of peace and international friendship into the future. The Secret City Festival is two days of music, food, history, science, and more held each June in A.K. Bissell Park.

The American Museum of Science and Energy is considered one of the top tourist attractions in the Knoxville area, attracting 65,000 visitors per year. AMSE provides interactive curriculum-based classroom programs for school groups and STEM education programs. It houses permanent and rotating exhibits, provides live demonstrations, hosts evening events and conducts camp programs for students. AMSE is also the starting point for bus tours of historic sites on the federal government’s Oak Ridge reservation, and it hosts the National Park Service programs and events for the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. Here visitors can immerse themselves in the stories of people, events, science, and engineering that changed the world.

Two favorite eateries in Oak Ridge are Big Ed’s and the Soup Kitchen. Since 1970, Big Ed’s Pizza has been serving delicious pizza pies. Inside the dimly lit, family- friendly restaurant, guests can watch staffers toss dough high into the air as they enjoy their New York style pizza. While waiting for the pizzas to bake, many people enjoy exploring the unusual memorabilia Big Ed’s has collected through the years. In 2013, Big Ed’s was named one of USA Today’s 50 greatest pizza parlors in America.  

The Soup Kitchen has been perfecting recipes and serving Oak Ridge people for four decades. They take great pride in their recipes, the way their food is prepared, and the ingredients they use. The Soup Kitchen’s breads, deli sandwiches, soups, salads, and desserts are made in-house from scratch daily. Each day the menu includes eight varieties of soups, four to six choices of homemade bread, select salads, and desserts. 

Outdoor adventure abounds in Oak Ridge. From the glassy waters of Melton Hill Lake, perfect for paddle boarding and swimming, to over 300 miles of off-road adventures at Windrock Park, and miles of greenways. 

Born in war and natural beauty, this once “Secret City” now has a big story to tell. From peaceful waterfront to innovative achievements, there is plenty to see and do in modern day Oak Ridge. 

Legendary Landmarks

Knoxville is home to several beautifully maintained historic homes including:

• James White Fort, a speculative reconstruction  of James White who settled there with his family in 1786
• Blount Mansion, said to be the first frame house built west of the Appalachian Mountains and home of territorial Governor William Blount
• Crescent Bend, seized by the Confederate Army and used briefly as the headquarters of Gen. Joseph Kershaw
• Bleak House, a Tuscany-style villa named after Charles Dickins’ 1853 novel
• Mabry-Hazen House, built for Joseph Alexander Mabry II in 1856
• Westwood, the home of artist Adelia Armstrong Lutz. Westwood has served since 2013 as the headquarters of preservationist nonprofit Knox Heritage, which uses Adelia’s studio for public programs and fundraisers.

Literary Leanings

Knoxville has nurtured several authors with global appeal, some of whom have written eloquently about the town.

• James Agee Journalist, novelist, and screenwriter, was born in Knoxville in 1909. His Knoxville-based autobiographical novel A Death in the Family won the 1957 Pulitzer Prize, inspired a Broadway play, a movie, and TV adaptations. Agee’s nonfiction short story, “Knoxville: Summer 1915,” was set to music by composer Samuel Barber. Agee Park in the Fort Sanders neighborhood is located less than a block from where the novelist was raised. 
• Frances Hodgson Burnett Born in Great Britain in 1849 but moved to Knoxville as a teenager where she began her writing career. Her novel, The Secret Garden, is an enduring classic of children’s literature and has remained a favorite since its publication in 1911.  
• Alex Haley Author of Roots: The Saga of an American Family lived in Knoxville in his later years. Roots is considered one of the most important works of the 20th century and led to a highly popular television adaptation. A larger-than-life statue honors Haley in Morningside Park.
• Cormac McCarthy Lived most of his early life in the Knoxville area. Won the Pulitzer Prize for The Road and an Oscar for No Country for Old Men. His novels The Orchard Keeper and Suttree, describe Knoxville in the early 1950s in captivating detail. 
• David Madden Novelist, born in Knoxville in 1933. His autobiographical novel, Bijou, is about his youth in Knoxville. The book contains accurate descriptions of the Market Square and of the Bijou Theatre, where he worked as an usher while a teenager.
• Nikki Giovanni Contemporary poet born in Knoxville in 1943. She has written numerous poems about her childhood there. Her early poem, “Knoxville, Tennessee,” has been adapted as an illustrated children’s book.