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The 1982 World's Fair,
formally known as the Knoxville International Energy Exposition,
was held in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. The theme of the exposition
was "Energy Turns the World."
It opened on May 1, 1982, and closed on October 31, 1982, after receiving
over 11 million visitors. Participating nations included Australia,
Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy,
Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, Peru, the Philippines,
Saudi Arabia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States, and
West Germany.
The opening ceremony was broadcast on local and regional TV, with
President Ronald Reagan arriving to open the fair. TV personality Dinah
Shore was the master of ceremonies, and artists such as Porter Wagoner
and Ricky Skaggs performed as the gates opened. A six-month pass to
the fair sold for $100. The fair drew over 11 million visitors, making
it one of the most popular world's fairs in US history, and even turned
a small profit ($57), but short of the projected $5 million surplus.
Knoxville itself was left with a $46 million debt.
The fair was constructed on a 70-acre site between downtown Knoxville
and the University of Tennessee. The core of the site primarily consisted
of a deteriorating Louisville and Nashville Railroad yard and depot.
The railroad yard was demolished, with the exception of a single rail
line, and the depot was renovated into a restaurant.
The Sunsphere, a 266-foot steel tower topped with a five-story gold
globe, was built for the 1982 World's Fair. It still stands and remains
a symbol for the city of Knoxville. (see photos below)
In 2007, the East Tennessee Historical Society opened an exhibit commemorating
the 25th anniversary of the World's Fair. No, the two RV Gypsies did
NOT attend.
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The Sunsphere was constructed
for the 1982 World's Fair and during that time, it served as the symbol
to the Fair. It was also home to a full service restaurant and the Observation
Deck, which in 1982 cost $2.00 for the elevator ride up for a visit.
The Sunsphere closed to the public with the Fair's end and remained
vacant or under-utilized for most of its post-fair life. The Sunsphere
and the Tennessee Amphitheater are the only structures that remain from
the 1982 World's Fair. In 2007, the Sunsphere and TN Amphitheater were
renovated without use of taxpayer's money. Later that year, the Sunsphere's
Observation Deck reopened to the public free of charge and Mayor Haslam
held his Inaugural Address, for his second term in office, in the Amphitheater.
In early 2008, privately-owned businesses took up residence on the fifth,
sixth, seventh, and eighth levels of the Sunsphere.
The Observation Deck got a new look and feel in May 2014, thanks to
the efforts of Visit Knoxville, in partnership with the City of Knoxville
and the Public Building Authority, to renovate the information features.
The 4th level of the Sunsphere houses the Observation Deck open April
through October. The 5th level of the Sunsphere houses a restaurant.
The 6th level of the Sunsphere houses an event floor. |
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Below: The Knoxville Convention
Center which is located next to the Sunsphere. |
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The Tennessee Amphitheater
was constructed during the 1982 World’s Fair and during that time,
it was home to both country music and classical music concerts. The
Sunsphere and the Tennessee Amphitheater are the only structures that
remain from the 1982 World’s Fair. After the Fair’s closing,
the Amphitheater continued to be used for various activities until it
was closed in 1998 for construction of the new Convention Center and
renovation of the World’s Fair site. Once these projects were
complete, the Amphitheater reopened briefly until it was closed again
in 2002 due to structural problems. However, in 2007 Mayor Haslam held
his Inaugural Address, for his second term in office, in the Amphitheater.
This was the first event to be held in the structure after being closed
and empty for years. |
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Below: Views from the observation
deck of the Sunsphere. |
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View of part of the area |
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The 4th level of the Sunsphere
houses the Observation Deck. It offers a 360-degree view of the original
1982 World's Fair site (now World's Fair Park), downtown Knoxville,
the Tennessee River, the University of Tennessee, and the Smoky Mountains.
There is no admission charge to visit the Observation Deck and access
is limited to the double elevators facing the lake at the base of the
Sunsphere and at the Convention Center level. |
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Although the view from the
Observation Deck is the main attraction, the interior walls on the 4th
level were also attractively painted and displayed wonderful information
about Knoxville. |
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Below: A zoomed-in photo of
a great mural on a building, and a regular view from the Observation
Deck. |
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Below: Information on the
wall about the Fair's Hungarian Pavilion that was home to a giant version
of what is now the famous Rubik's Cube that was currently on display
in the lower lobby of the Holiday Inn at World's Fair Park. The two
RV Gypsies went to see the Rubik's Cube and a link to those photos and
more is at the bottom of this page. |
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Below: The Court of Flags
Fountain, and a one-story high geyser. The Grounds are greater in size
than two football fields, the Performance Lawn is a carefully maintained
open area providing a natural amphitheater-like setting perfect for
concerts, festivals, parties and other special events. |
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Rainbow in the water fountain |
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Below: Karen Duquette could
not resist walking in the water fountain. It was a very hot day and
she just had to run through the waters even though she got soaked. It
actually felt good to her, even though it meant riding back to the campground
in wet clothes. Lee Duquette does not enjoy walking in water fountains. |
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First
settled in 1786, Knoxville was the first capital of Tennessee. The city
struggled with geographic isolation throughout the early 19th century.
The arrival of the railroad in 1855 led to an economic boom. During
the Civil War, the city was bitterly divided over the secession issue,
and was occupied alternately by both Confederate and Union armies. Following
the war, Knoxville grew rapidly as a major wholesaling and manufacturing
center. The city's economy stagnated after the 1920s as the manufacturing
sector collapsed, the Downtown area declined and city leaders became
entrenched in highly partisan political fights. Hosting the 1982 World's
Fair helped reinvigorate the city, and revitalization initiatives by
city leaders and private developers have had major successes in spurring
growth in the city, especially the downtown area.
