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The Tennessee Theatre is a 1920s-era movie palace, located within the Burwell Building in downtown...

The Tennessee Theatre is a 1920s-era movie palace, located within the Burwell Building in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, at 600 Gay Street. The Burwell Building was built in 1907. At a height of 166 ft, it was Knoxville's tallest building until 1912. The Tennessee Theater occupies an annex to the building that was added in 1928. The theatre first opened on October 1, 1928, and with nearly 2,000 seats in the auditorium, was billed as "Knoxville's Grand Entertainment Palace". Its interior was designed by Chicago architects Graven & Mayger in the Spanish-Moorish style, although the design incorporates elements from all parts of the world: Czechoslovakian crystals in the French-style chandeliers, Italian terrazzo flooring in the Grand Lobby, and Oriental influences in the carpet and drapery patterns. The theatre was one of the first public buildings in Knoxville to have air conditioning. The theatre also featured a beautiful Wurlitzer Organ. During its heyday, the theatre played host to a few world movie premieres, including So This is Love (1953), and the adaptation of James Agee's All the Way Home (1963). After a refurbishment in 1966, the theatre's seating capacity was lowered to