Tennessee Theatre

The beautiful Tennessee Theatre is a jewel of historic Knoxville , located in the heart of Downtown on Gay Street . Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and honored as the Official State Theatre of Tennessee, " Knoxville 's Grand Entertainment Palace " has something for everyone: classical music, vintage films, dance, theater, and stellar performances by today's hottest musicians.

Designed by Chicago architects Graven & Mayger in a Spanish-Moorish style, the movie palace opened its doors on October 1, 1928. The Tennessee Theatre was one of the first public places in Knoxville to have air-conditioning. When the first patrons stepped into the cooled building to see their favorite stars on the silver screen, they paid only 40 cents for matinees and 60 cents for evening shows.

The Tennessee Theatre recently underwent a $28 million renovation and complete restoration, which transformed the movie palace into a performing arts venue while retaining its historic splendor. Architects McCarty Holsaple McCarty and Denark Construction, both Knoxville companies, provided excellent designs and construction oversight to undertake this important project. The restoration turned the theatre into a true multipurpose performing arts venue, better able to serve Knoxville's arts organizations, national touring productions, and concerts.

Directions to the Tennessee Theatre
From North of Knoxville
(La Follette, Lexington) I-75 South to I-275 South
I-275 to I-40 East
I-40 East to Exit 388A (James White Parkway)
Follow James White Parkway to second exit (US 441)
Go straight through first traffic light
At second light, turn right onto Gay Street
The Tennessee Theater is one block ahead on right

From South of Knoxville
(Chattanooga, Athens, Cleveland)
I-75 North to I-40 East
I-40 East to Exit 388A (James White Parkway)
Follow James White Parkway to second exit (US 441)
Go straight through first traffic light
At second light, turn right onto Gay Street
The Tennessee Theater is one block ahead on right

From East of Knoxville
(Newport, Asheville)
I-40 West to Exit 388A (James White Parkway) Follow James White Parkway to second exit (US 441)
Go straight through first traffic light
At second light, turn right onto Gay Street
The Tennessee Theater is one block ahead on right

From I-40 West
(Crossville, Cookeville, Nashville)
I-40 East to Exit 388A (James White Parkway)
Follow James White Parkway to second exit (US 441)
Go straight through first traffic light
At second light, turn right onto Gay Street
The Tennessee Theater is one block ahead on right

Bijou Theatre Center
The Bijou is Knoxville 's oldest business building, dating to 1813 as a tavern and to the late 1830s as "the grandest hotel in the South." On March 9, 1909, it opened as a movie theater, showing George M. Cohan's “Little Johnny Jones” to a packed audience. In 1913, the Bijou began functioning as a vaudeville theatre, with the occasional motion picture still being shown. Notable acts who performed at the Bijou during this time included the Marx Brothers, the magician Blackstone, John Phillip Sousa and his band, and dancer Anna Pavlova. B.F. Keith Vaudeville returned in 1926 for a three-month run. An old fire door in the theater's fly space contains the signatures of the vaudeville performers who presented the final vaudeville show at the Bijou.

In 1926, the theater was sold, with the stipulation that it not be used for any theatrical and/or amusement purpose for a period of five years. Previous owners Tennessee Enterprises was at the time building the new Tennessee Theatre, and they wanted to ensure that there would be no competition nearby. The auditorium became a used car lot and the theatre entrance was used as a fruit stand until 1932, when it reopened as the LeConte Hotel, with rooms available for $1 a day.

In 1935, a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures signed a 30-year lease on the theater. It began showing second-run features and holdovers of movies that had already been shown at the Tennessee Theatre. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, the theater began to offer the occasional play in addition to movies. Tallulah Bankhead appeared in “The Little Foxes” and Ethel Barrymore performed in “The Corn is Green” during this time.

After Paramount 's lease expired in 1965, the renamed Bijou Art Theater began screening “adult” films. In 1971, the United Methodist Church became the owner of the building after it was left to them in the previous owner's will. The theater continued to offer adult films and burlesque-style stage shows. In 1973, the Bijou was closed due to unpaid rent and amusement taxes. It was scheduled to be demolished.

In 1975, the Knoxville Heritage Group launched a fundraising campaign to save the theater. The property's owners gave the group a three-month deadline to raise $325,000 to buy the building. They were $50,000 short by the July 1, 1976, deadline, but Bijou trustee John S. Goodstein donated the additional money. The theater was saved and as a result of the visibility gained from Knoxville Heritage's campaign, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Bijou began operating as both a rental house for local theater productions and concerts, and a production company offering theatrical performances. In 1995, a restoration campaign began, with the restoration being completed in 1999. The production arm of the Bijou operated until 2004, and today exists solely as a performance venue.

Directions to the Bijou Theatre:
From North of Knoxville
(La Follette, Lexington)
I-75 South to I-275 South
I-275 South to I-40 East
I-40 East to Exit 388A (James White Parkway)
Follow James White Parkway to second exit (US 441)
Go straight through first traffic light
At second traffic light, the Bijou Theatre is ahead on the left
Parking: pay lot to right, streets, or various other pay lots downtown

From South of Knoxville
(Chattanooga, Athens, Cleveland)
I-75 North to I-40 East
I-40 East to Exit 388A (James White Parkway)
Follow James White Parkway to second exit (US 441)
Go straight through first traffic light
At second traffic light, the Bijou Theatre is ahead on the left
Parking: pay lot to right, streets, or various other pay lots downtown

From East of Knoxville
(Newport, Asheville)
I-40 West to Exit 388A (James White Parkway)
Follow James White Parkway to second exit (US 441)
Go straight through first traffic light
At second traffic light, the Bijou Theatre is ahead on the left
Parking: pay lot to right, streets, or various other pay lots downtown

From I-40 West
(Crossville, Cookeville, Nashville)
I-40 East to Exit 388A (James White Parkway)
Follow James White Parkway to second exit (US 441)
Go straight through first traffic light
At second traffic light, the Bijou Theatre is ahead on the left
Parking: pay lot to right, streets, or various other pay lots downtown

Knoxville Civic Auditorium
The Knoxville Civic Auditorium & Coliseum, located conveniently in the center of all the downtown activity, is an outstanding multi-use facility managed by a professional staff with many years of experience. Conventions, trade shows, and events keep the building active throughout the year. The flexibility of the complex offers seating for convention groups of up to 6,400 persons with additional capacity in the civic auditorium featuring comfortable theatre-style seating for over 2,500. The auditorium-coliseum is adjacent to Knoxville 's excellent interstate system and offers covered parking facilities for over 2,500 vehicles. The building also is headquarters for many of Knoxville 's prestigious cultural events, such as Broadway plays, top name entertainers in concert, hot music groups, and visiting symphony orchestras. The building also has floor space for exhibits and demonstrations.

Directions to the Civic Auditorium:
From North of Knoxville
(La Follette, Lexington)
I-75 South to I-275 South
I-275 to I-40 East
I-40 East to Exit 388A (James White Parkway)
Follow James White Parkway to second exit (US 441)
First traffic light, turn right onto State Street
Next traffic light, turn right onto Church Street
Follow Church Street across bridge
Auditorium is the building ahead on right at next traffic light
Parking: pay garages on left of building, or street

From South of Knoxville
(Chattanooga, Athens, Cleveland)
I-75 North to I-40 East
I-40 East to Exit 388A (James White Parkway)
Follow James White Parkway to second exit (US 441)
First traffic light, turn right onto State Street
Next traffic light, turn right onto Church Street
Follow Church Street across bridge
Auditorium is the building ahead on right at next traffic light
Parking: pay garages on left of building, or street

From East of Knoxville
(Newport, Asheville)
I-40 West to Exit 388A (James White Parkway)
Follow James White Parkway to second exit (US 441)
First traffic light, turn right onto State Street
Next traffic light, turn right onto Church Street
Follow Church Street across bridge
Auditorium is the building ahead on right at next traffic light
Parking: pay garages on left of building, or street

From I-40 West
(Crossville, Cookeville, Nashville)
I-40 East to Exit 388A (James White Parkway)
Follow James White Parkway to second exit (US 441)
First traffic light, turn right onto State Street
Next traffic light, turn right onto Church Street
Follow Church Street across bridge
Auditorium is the building ahead on right at next traffic light
Parking: pay garages on left of building, or street