Downtown Knoxville: Explore unrground Gay Street

shopping gay street knoxville

Disver Knoxville Tennsee, the rich history of Gay Street, learn about Knoxville's Theater District, where to go, and live shows to explore on Vis Knoxville.

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GAY STREET

Sce the 1790s, Gay Street has played a primary role Knoxville’s historil and cultural velopment.

Gay Street is home to art galleri, historic theaters, the East Tennsee History Center and more – wh many buildgs listed on the Natnal Register of Historic Plac. Gay Street was the se of the 1796 Constutnal Conventn that rulted the foundg of the state of Tennsee, and was a fol pot for the early polil activy of both the cy and the state of Tennsee. On the eve of the Civil War, Gay Street was the se of simultaneo Unn and Conferate recg ralli.

GUI TO GAY STREET KNOXVILLE, TENNSEE

Durg the Civil War, Gay Street saw some early vlence, a fatal shootg of a Unnist monstrator, days after the firg on Ft. William Sanrs died as the rult of wounds the Lamar Hoe on Gay. After the war, Gay Street saw extensive mercial velopment as railroad nstctn brought an dtrial boom to Knoxville.

DID YOU KNOW THE 100 BLOCK OF GAY STREET WAS RAISED? TAKE AN UNRGROUND TOUR

By 1850, Gay Street was home to three-fourths of Knoxville's mercial activy. In 1854, Gay Street beme Knoxville's first paved road.

NEW GAY STREET SHOP BRGG 'CREDIBLE SMELLS AND LORS' TO DOWNTOWN KNOXVILLE

Almost all public visors to Knoxville ma an appearance on Gay Street.

THE SPICE AND TEA EXCHANGE OF KNOXVILLE OPENS TODAY ON GAY STREET

Durg the Civil War, Andrew Johnson was shot at when he gave a pro-Unn speech on Gay Street. Others who were seen on Gay Street at one time or another were prohibnist Carrie Natn, Socialist ndidate Eugene V.

One of Knoxville’s olst buildgs, the Lamar Hoe, now the ont portn of the Bijou Theatre, was operatg as a hotel facg Gay Street by 1817, when hosted a receptn for Gen.

THIS $26M PROJECT WOULD FILL GAY STREET'S 'GREAT DIVI' WH SHOPPG, HOG AND DG

Begng 1908, Gay Street beme the lotn of Knoxville’s first skyscrapers, steel-ame buildgs of 10 stor or more, begng wh the Burwell Buildg, followed by the taller Holston Buildg, and some years later the Andrew Johnson Hotel, which was for almost half a century the tallt buildg East Tennsee. From 1960 to 1963, Gay Street was the se of dozens of civil-rights monstratns, first s-s at all-whe lunch unters, then monstratns outsi the still-segregated movie theaters. Gay Street has also been the home of multiple partment stor, cludg Miller’s, which mataed a prence s origal bex-arts brick buildg on Gay for 70 years.

It was home to the headquarters of furnure giant Sterchi Brothers, whose logo has bee a signature of the Gay Street skyle, and today is one of downtown’s largt and most popular rintial buildgs.

Gay Street has always been home to Knoxville’s ft theatr. In 1872, Swiss immigrant Peter Stb pleted his grand Stb’s Opera Hoe, facg Gay Street.

DOWNTOWN MAILBAG: NEW GAY STREET MARKET BRGG SODAS, SNACKS, SCRATCH-OFFS AND SMOK

It was the first of several theaters that kept Gay Street l up at night. Those who have performed shows Gay Street theaters between 1880 and 1940 clu Sarah Bernhardt, Lillie Langtry, Will Rogers, Gee M. By the 1920s, Gay Street supported several movie theaters at once, the largt of which were the Riviera (1920) and the more extravagantly rated Tennsee (1928).

A QUIRKY GAY STREET FIXTURE FOR WTERN GEAR, VTAGE VIB IS LEAVG DOWNTOWN KNOXVILLE

Today, as day turns to night, theatre lights still lure you down Gay Street for a variety of performanc and cematic entertament at some of the regn’s most popular venu. Knoxville Arts District - 100 Block Gay Street. Gay Street also wnsed the early days of live-dience rad, as untry stars like Roy Acuff, Chet Atks, the Everly Brothers, and Dolly Parton got their starts on rad statns WNOX and WROL.

THE HOLISTIC CONNECTN, CANNABIS STORE COMG TO 716 SOUTH GAY STREET

Live mic n still be found on Gay Street today at the WDVX studs loted si the Knoxville Visors Center.

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The Spice and Tea Exchange of Knoxville Opens Today on Gay Street | Insi of Knoxville .

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