The Sunsphere

By Linda Tancs

Held in Knoxville, Tennessee, the 1982 World’s Fair was the first one in the South. Hosting 22 nations, it was located in an abandoned railroad yard next to downtown Knoxville. Its symbol was the Sunsphere, which featured a restaurant and an observation deck. Largely vacant and underutilized for most of its post-fair life, the Sunsphere is enjoying a resurgence with the reopening of the fourth level 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.