Knoxville and UT
The University of Tennessee (UT) is eager to host this year’s Global Finals and we are excited to offer you the opportunity to learn more about us. Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Knoxville is both the oldest and the third largest city in Tennessee and offers visitors a delightful combination of natural beauty, charm and Southern hospitality. In late May, Knoxville normally experiences temperatures ranging from a low of 60° to a high of 85° F. Jackets and umbrellas are advisable, just in case. Knoxville is the northern gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the United States. The park covers a half-million acres with an abundance of streams, wildlife, trails and spectacular scenery.
For more information, we encourage you to visit the Web sites below.
About Knoxville www.knoxvilletennessee.comKnoxville Tourism Sports Corporation www.knoxville.org
McGhee Tyson Airport www.tys.org
Great Smoky Mountains National Park www.nps.gov/grsm
Knoxville is also home to the University of Tennessee (www.utk.edu).
Founded in 1794, the University was the nation’s first coed higher education institution. More than 20,000 undergraduates and 6,000 graduate students represent almost every state in the United States and more than 90 other nations.The campus has 220 buildings on 550 acres, and many of the buildings have been recently renovated and refurbished. Among the University’s alumni are a Nobel Laureate, six Rhodes scholars, six Pulitzer Prize winners, and 11 NASA astronauts.
Here at UT, students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational and extracurricular activities. There are more than 300 special interest organizations that include residence hall associations, sororities, fraternities, and recreational, political, religious and service groups. There are also numerous cultural and artistic activities including a student theater company, the Pride of the Southland marching band, an opera theatre group, a symphony orchestra, a jazz ensemble, a percussion ensemble, several choruses, and an art league. And, if you like sports, UT is home to the 1998 NCAA National Champion football team, the Vols, and the eight-time NCAA Women’s Basketball National Champions, the Lady Vols, along with many other NCAA athletic teams.
If your team is interested in learning more about the University of Tennessee, we would like to invite you to participate in a campus tour while you are in Knoxville for the Global Finals. We will be offering both campus tours and college-specific tours. Please call (865) 974-0263 and ask for Jeremy Easterday to make your arrangements. We would also encourage you and your team to take advantage of the virtual tour available at the University’s Web site (http://admissions.utk.edu/virtualtour). We look forward to your visit to our campus.
Things to Do Around Campus
There are a wide variety of activities available for Global Finals participants to take advantage of during times when they are not competing or attending other Destination ImagiNation-related events.Participants will have access to many campus recreation facilities and equipment, free of charge, Tuesday through Saturday. Expanded recreational and other special activities will be available on Tuesday afternoon and all day Wednesday for those arriving on campus early.
Main attractions will be the Student Aquatic Center and Intramural Fields (IM Fields), where hours of swimming and free sports equipment check-out will be available. Recreational opportunities include tennis, racquetball, paddleball, basketball, soccer, softball, handball, water volleyball, volleyball, sand volleyball and swimming in the outdoor pool. We encourage you to bring beach towels for the pool.
Participants are also invited to visit the Down Under Recreation Center on the bottom floor of the University Center where bowling, billiards, board games, darts and table tennis will be available for small fees.
Nightly entertainment events will be held at Presidential Courtyard, the Marriott, the Student Aquatic Center and various other locations. Activities will continue until midnight each evening for the Secondary and University/Military levels. Come and join the fun!
If you are interested in something to do that does not involve much physical activity, McClung Museum is an interesting option. Located one block from Volunteer Boulevard on campus, McClung Museum is a general museum with collections in anthropology, archaeology, local history, decorative arts and natural history. Plus, you can shop at the Museum Shop. Admission is free, so make sure you stop by.
Another opportunity located beside the Knoxville Convention Center is the Knoxville Museum of Art. The Knoxville Museum of Art hosts a variety of world-class exhibits, while sharing a mission to serve as the primary visual arts center for East Tennessee. Admission is free and we encourage you to visit this museum during your time in Knoxville. (They have a Museum Shop too!)
If you are in the mood to shop but do not want to travel far, the UT Campus Bookstore is the place for you. Find all sorts of Tennessee Vols paraphernalia in the trademark orange and white, plus lots more!
If you think you might be interested in getting out and about, then Global Finals Field Trips might be just the ticket. Please refer to the Field Trips section of this guide for more information.
