Knoxville, Tennessee: The Torchbearer

Nine-foot-tall bronze statue of a young man holding a real, burning torch in his right hand and a diminutive Goddess of Victory in his left. His torch hand has occasionally exploded off when natural gas accumulates in his wrist.

Address:: Torchbearer Plaza, Knoxville, TN
Directions:: On the campus of the University of Tennessee, at the intersection of Volunteer Blvd and Circle Park Drive. Parking is bad when school is in session.

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Visitor Tips and News About The Torchbearer

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The Torchbearer.

The Torchbearer

The Torchbearer.

[Michelle Resos, 08/12/2023]

Dusk seems ideal for capturing torch illumination of his itty bitty pal, the Goddess of Victory.

Torchbearer.

The Torchbearer

The Torchbearer is worth a stop if you're near campus. It looks quite lovely set against a very blue sky.

[Kristie Lee, 04/21/2020]

Torchbearer.

Eternal Torchbearer

Fun facts: there was an intermediate version of The Torchbearer that would have been 26 feet tall; the original artist lived long enough to design the final version; and the Torchbearer's hand occasionally explodes off when natural gas accumulates in his wrist.

[RoadsideAmerica.com Team, 08/09/2019]

Torchbearer.

Slim-Fit Eternal Torchbearer

The University of Tennessee has a nine-foot-tall statue on its campus -- the symbol of the university -- known as The Torchbearer. He was first envisioned in 1931 as a slightly older man with a bad haircut and a paunch, holding a lantern. Protests by faculty and students over the years forced a redesign, and it wasn't until 1968 that a bronze statue was finally unveiled. The new Torchbearer was younger and slimmer, and carried a natural gas torch instead of a lantern. The flame is supposed to be eternal, but occasionally it goes out during high winds or heavy snow.

[signmanjoe, 08/09/2019]