Ingles Open Road at Tennessee Theatre
I’m Chris Bainbridge… inviting you to take a ride with me. This is an amazing place to find adventure in all shapes and sizes. Ingles has sent me on a mission to bring you the very best of what our beautiful home has to offer – food, fun, nature music, and more… all affordable, and all out of the ordinary. This is The Ingles Open Road.
Today we’re in downtown Knoxville, and I’m excited to welcome you to a palace of entertainment. For nearly a hundred years this building has welcomed the stars of stage and screen. And all of them had to shine that much brighter to contend with the opulent grandeur of the Tennessee Theatre.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and honored as the Official State Theatre of Tennessee, today’s Tennessee Theatre has something for everyone: classical music, vintage films, dance, Broadway, and stellar performances by today’s hottest musicians and yesterday’s favorites.
This place is spectacular. It was built in the roaring 20’s and boy does it feel like it. This Spanish-Moorish style transports you as soon as you walk through the doors. And at a place like a theatre… that’s what it’s all about.
It’s a grand tour of visual delight. The details are amazing! Czechoslovakian crystals in the French-style chandeliers, Italian terrazzo flooring in the Grand Lobby, and Asian influences in the carpet and drapery patterns. It is truly a feast for the eyes. And then of course there’s the theatre itself.
This 4,100 square foot stage presides over 1,647 seats – each with a view to theatrical magic. What began as a home for movies and vaudeville acts transformed at the turn of the century into a home for musical superstars and major Broadway touring productions.
But The Tennessee is also accessible for weekday fun, with Mighty Musical Mondays at noon when you can take in concerts with the Mighty Wurlitzer for free! What began as accompaniment for silent films turned into an attraction all its own. And today it’s a draw not to be missed.
After 14 months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tennessee Theatre is welcoming audiences again. With nearly a hundred years of history this place has quite the story to tell. So, get your ticket today for a magical journey to a gorgeous destination. The Tennessee Theatre is located at 604 South Gay Street in Knoxville, Tennessee, and you can find them online at TennesseeTheatre.com. Your weekend is waiting… on the Ingles Open Road.
