Bijou Theatre, Knoxville
The Bijou Theatre is housed in the Lamar House Hotel building and is located in the rear wing thereof which was added in 1909.
The hotel itself dates back to 1817 and was modified in the 1850s. It was built by Irish immigrant Thomas Humes (1767鈥�1816) and his descendants and quickly emerged as a gathering place for Knoxville's wealthy. During the Civil War, the Union Army used the building as a hospital for their wounded. Following the war, the hotel became the center of Knoxville's Gilded Age extravagance, hosting lavish masquerade balls for the local elite.
In 1909, it had a new lobby cut through from Gay Street to accommodate the Bijou Theatre which opened its doors for the first time on March 8, 1909. In the following decades, at various times, the theater served as a venue for traditional stage performances, vaudeville, and a second-run and pornographic movie house, as well as a commencement stage for the city's African-American high school.
Among those who have graced the theater's stage over the years are the likes of the Marx Brothers, Dizzy Gillespie, John Philip Sousa, the Ballets Russes, Ethel Barrymore, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, John Cullum, and Houdini.
In recognition of their architectural and historical value, both the building and the theater were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
The hotel itself dates back to 1817 and was modified in the 1850s. It was built by Irish immigrant Thomas Humes (1767鈥�1816) and his descendants and quickly emerged as a gathering place for Knoxville's wealthy. During the Civil War, the Union Army used the building as a hospital for their wounded. Following the war, the hotel became the center of Knoxville's Gilded Age extravagance, hosting lavish masquerade balls for the local elite.
In 1909, it had a new lobby cut through from Gay Street to accommodate the Bijou Theatre which opened its doors for the first time on March 8, 1909. In the following decades, at various times, the theater served as a venue for traditional stage performances, vaudeville, and a second-run and pornographic movie house, as well as a commencement stage for the city's African-American high school.
Among those who have graced the theater's stage over the years are the likes of the Marx Brothers, Dizzy Gillespie, John Philip Sousa, the Ballets Russes, Ethel Barrymore, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, John Cullum, and Houdini.
In recognition of their architectural and historical value, both the building and the theater were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
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Bijou Theatre on Map
Sight Name: Bijou Theatre
Sight Location: Knoxville, USA (See walking tours in Knoxville)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Knoxville, USA (See walking tours in Knoxville)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Knoxville, Tennessee
Create Your Own Walk in Knoxville
Creating your own self-guided walk in Knoxville is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Knoxville鈥檚 Historical Buildings
Knoxville is often referred to as "The Marble City" for the abundant supply of high-quality marble used in many of its buildings. Noting the wealth of well-preserved historic homes in the city, prominent American architect John Russell Pope even coined his own moniker for it 鈥� the "City of Houses".
Indeed, Knoxville's eventful and sometimes turbulent past, dating from... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
Indeed, Knoxville's eventful and sometimes turbulent past, dating from... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
University of Tennessee Walking Tour
Founded in 1794 as William Blount College, The University of Tennessee (UT) in Knoxville is one of the oldest public universities in the United States. Nowadays, the UT flagship institution features a mix of historic and modern sites which draw many a visitor to the city.
The campus covers nearly 600 acres in downtown鈥檚 west end, including over 200 buildings and a faculty of more than 1,700... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
The campus covers nearly 600 acres in downtown鈥檚 west end, including over 200 buildings and a faculty of more than 1,700... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Downtown Knoxville Walking Tour
A small town with big-city amenities and a vibrant music scene (a mix of country, bluegrass, and rock), Knoxville, or K-Town as it's popularly shortened by locals, is also often referred to as 鈥渢he Gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains,鈥� for its proximity to the national park area, whose marble quarries, in the past, gave it another moniker, The Marble City.
Knoxville was founded in... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
Knoxville was founded in... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles