World's Fair Park, Knoxville (must see)

World's Fair Park is a public space in downtown Knoxville, located on the former grounds of the 1982 World's Fair. Prior to the event, the site was used as a railroad yard and was converted into a park specially for the fair.

After it was closed, in October 1982, the site was cleaned up, pavilions demolished, and throughout the rest of the 1980s and into the early 1990s, the place remained vacant.

The two last standing structures from the exposition, the Sunsphere and the Tennessee Amphitheater are now the park's key attractions. In 2018, the Knoxville City Council approved their $2.5-million renovation, updating the Sunsphere's elevators, replacing HVAC units, repairing windows, and repainting the exterior of both structures.

Apart from these two landmarks, the park features a 5-acre (2.0 ha) performance lawn, currently used for cultural and community events, and a small lake with a fountain.

Surrounding the area are the Knoxville Museum of Art, the Knoxville Convention Center, and the L&N STEM Academy (located at the former Louisville and Nashville station). To the west of the park is the building known as the Candy Factory, which once housed the South, Littlefield & Steere Company and its factory. During the fair, the Candy Factory building was used by the administration.