Why doesn't the Sunsphere light up at night? | Know Your Knox

The Sunsphere’s tower was blue, then it was green and now it’s blue again. But one thing has always been true: When the sun goes down and the sky grows dark, so does the Sunsphere.

Our friends at New2Knox have asked why that's the case, as one would think Knoxville’s icon should be on display at all hours of the day. Short answer: Permanent illumination is part of the Sunsphere’s renovation plans, but some other upgrades must happen first.

Standing 26 stories tall, the signature structure of the 1982 World's Fair turned red, white and blue in 2016. It cost less than $5,000 for the temporary Fourth of July lighting, according to the city, and there was an opportunity to make it permanent.

It would only have required $75,000 in grant funding. That never happened.

So another two years went by before the Sunsphere was bathed in blue light in December 2018. This time, with help from Knoxville fixture Bandit Lites, 45 downtown buildings got similar treatment to honor young patients spending the holidays at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.

“One reason why the Sunsphere was never lit up in the past is. one, obviously, that costs a lot of money,” Visit Knoxville President Kim Bumpas told Knox News. “And two, you don’t really light up something like the Sunsphere until you make it a real visitor experience, which is what we’ve been working on for the last year and a half since Feb. 22, 2022.”

How well do you Know Your Knox? We answer the questions you really want to know

Timeline for Sunsphere renovations in downtown Knoxville

After two years of social distancing, only one thing was on Knoxville's mind in February 2022: visiting the Sunsphere again. (Just me?) The structure reopened for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began with a renovated observation deck and $5 entry fee.

Since then, Bumpas said, more than 90,000 visitors from all 50 states and 53 countries have traveled up inside the globe. The disco ball on a stick, the golden golf ball on a tee − whatever you want to call it.

But once you light it up, she said, more people will want to visit. And Visit Knoxville wants to make sure the Sunsphere experience is top-notch before that happens.

In September, Knox News reported the Sunsphere was changing colors. No, the globe wouldn't become silver as it was nearly designed. The stalk would be painted its original blue color, and a third-floor visitors center would be added.

Once the visitors center is finished, scheduled for 2024, Bumpas and Visit Knoxville will “push forward in the next year or so to really get our vision around what does a lighting strategy for the venue look like,” she said.

'Dynamic lighting' would illuminate the Sunsphere

It's not just a $5 entry fee. It's a $5 donation to the Sunsphere Fund, which has supported renovations to the structure and would help fund lighting.

“I think lighting it up at night is a way to recognize events that are in town, and it would also lend to more after-hours events that we might have at the observation deck,” Bumpas said. “It would also just be a really iconic way to tell the story of the venue at night, and that only promotes more ticket sales and more investment from our visitors during the day.”

Don't expect any temporary lighting before a permanent plan is finalized, Bumpas said. In the meantime, Visit Knoxville is looking at examples of other cities that illuminate their structures.

At this point, all Bumpas can say is that “it would be a more dynamic lighting scenario than just uplighting.”

Knoxpedia: A guide for newcomers, Knoxville residents or anyone planning to move here

How to visit the Sunsphere in downtown Knoxville

Sunsphere tickets are available at visitknoxville.com/sunsphere-tickets or via the QR code at the base. Adult tickets are $5, while tickets for kids 12 and younger are just $1.

Each ticket comes with a reservation time for a worker to escort guests to the fourth-floor observation deck for a 30-minute visit.

The Sunsphere observation deck is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays, with a one-hour break between 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Sunday hours are noon-4 p.m.

Know Your Knox answers your burning questions about life in Knoxville. Want your question answered? Email knowyourknox@knoxnews.com.

Ryan Wilusz is a downtown growth and development reporter. Phone 865-317-5138. Email ryan.wilusz@knoxnews.com. Instagram @knoxscruff.

Support strong local journalism by subscribing at subscribe.knoxnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Knoxville Sunsphere doesn't light up at night