With 183 scenic acres, Lakeshore Park is Knoxville’s most visited park. The East Tennessee Hospital for the Insane, later renamed Lakeshore Mental Health Institute, operated for over 125 years and closed in 2013. The city worked with the conservancy to preserve the park and the building and now there are walking trails, sports fields, a playground, and beautiful monuments and pavilions. The rolling hillsides make for a perfect picnic area with a beautiful view of the Tennessee River.

Pictured below are the institute and the gorgeous Marble Hall that hosts parties, weddings, and other special events.