KNOXVILLE, Tenn.-
The Knoxville skyline has one distinguishing characteristic: a large, golden globe.
It's the Sunsphere, a five-story golden glass orb perched atop a steel tower left over from the 1982 World's Fair.
But any curious tourist who ventures off the highway to find the landmark might be disappointed.
"The Sunsphere is not open to the public," reads a sign at the base of the tower.
Elevators once carried people to an observation deck and restaurant inside the Sunsphere, but it's now vacant except for roosting pigeons and security guards on their rounds.
But a development company is currently negotiating a lease with city officials, and they hope to reopen the 266-foot-tall Sunsphere to the public.
Cautiously optimistic, Knoxville mayor Bill Haslam wants to see the return of the Sunsphere soon. It could come in time for the structure's 25th anniversary in 2007.
The Sunsphere–beloved by most Knoxvillians, but famously mocked on an episode of "The Simpsons–has had trouble staying open for long periods during the past 24 years.
After the World's Fair ended and the crowds left, the restaurant shut down. Several tenants made a go at keeping the landmark alive by remodeling it into office space. It was last open for public tours in 1999, when 100,000 people from all over the world visited.
