Knoxvillegateway to the smokies

One of Knoxville’s most recent—and important—attractions is the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, housed in a sleek, modern exhibit hall just a block from James White’s Fort, seat of Knoxville’s early history. The juxtaposition makes for a fun day of sightseeing, taking in Knoxville’s role as a contemporary capital of national and college sports just after appreciating the city’s early history. Since this is the only museum in the world dedicated to the history of women's basketball, it’s an important stop for any sports fan, and for families hoping to inspire future athletic prowess. First stop is the world's largest basketball, a 30-foot ball that weighs 10 tons and is studded with 96,000 pebbles. Highlights of the visit include an animatronic figure of Senda Berenson, considered the mother of women's basketball, the limo that chauffeured the All American Redheads, which boasts a home air conditioner on top to keep the players cool and the Hall of Fame Inductees gallery.