Sunsphere, Observation tower in World's Fair Park, Knoxville, US
The Sunsphere is an 81‑meter observation tower made of steel and glass with a golden sphere at the top, located in World's Fair Park in Knoxville. The viewing platform on the fourth level inside the sphere offers open views of downtown and the wooded hills nearby.
Built for the 1982 World's Fair, the Sunsphere served as its symbol and housed a restaurant reached by a paid elevator. After the fair it stood largely unused, serving from 1992 to 1997 as Knoxville's welcome center. The Level 4 observation deck reopened on July 5, 2007, and Visit Knoxville reopened it again on February 22, 2022, after a pandemic closure.
The tower takes its name from the golden glass sphere at its top, which catches the sunlight and has become a symbol of Knoxville. Inside the observation area, visitors find displays about the city's growth and the changes the region experienced during the late twentieth century.
The observation platform is reached by three elevators that start at the base of the tower and rise directly to the glass sphere. Visit Knoxville's official tourism site provides details on opening times and entry, while the park around the structure remains freely accessible.
The tower's glass panels are layered with 24-karat gold dust and cut into seven different shapes. A 1996 Simpsons episode, "Bart on the Road", turned the sphere into the "Wigsphere"; a script from that episode is displayed inside the real tower.
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