Volunteer Landing

The location of the park is the site of the Treaty of Holston.[3] In 1988, a 50-member waterfront task force was created to analyze the waterfront area along the Tennessee River.[3][4] Per the recommendations of this task force, a three-phase project to develop Volunteer Landing began in 1995 and continued through 1996.[3][4] Volunteer Landing was completed in September 1997.[5] Upon this completion, Volunteer Landing had a boardwalk, a central pavilion and plaza, a pedestrian bridge, and two new public parks.[5] In April 1999, Gateway Regional Visitor Center which highlighted the region's nature and technology was opened.[5] In Spring 2000, the 140-boat slip Volunteer Landing Marina, was completed.[5] The Regas Riverfront Tavern/Restaurant, which seated about 250 people and had a banquet facility with capacity of 300, was also completed in 2000, concluding the waterfront development project.[5]

The state and local government contributed $10 million to Volunteer Landing.[5] The marina was funded with about $3 million in private funds and a $100,000 Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) grant.[5] The visitor center was received $5.6 million in federal, state, and local funds.[5] The tavern/restaurant had about $6 million of private funding.[5] The overall cost was $42 million and consisted of both public and private developments.[4]

In 2007, the Public Building Authority began to manage Volunteer Landing.[3]

View of Volunteer Landing from Neyland Stadium showing the Three Rivers Rambler parked underneath the roadway bridges

Volunteer Landing has 13 acres (5.3 ha).[6] Two new public parks were built as part of Volunteer Landing.[4] One is called River Mountain Park, and it is west of the central pavilion and demonstrates the region's river and mountain heritage through the landscaping and water features.[4] The second park is at the mouth of First Creek where the city was founded and has exhibits reflecting this history.[4]

Volunteer Landing Park is a three-acre linear park connects James White Greenway and Neyland Greenway.[7] They are part of the downtown greenway system which is 19 miles long and runs east to west.[6]

The one-mile walk features several attractions such as train rides, riverboat cruises, restaurants, and a marina.[1]

Fishing, biking, walking/running, and paddling are some available activities.[7] During University of Tennessee (UT) home football games, the Vol Navy lines the river at Volunteer Landing as part of a tailgating tradition.[7][6] There is also a playground, splash pads, a shelter, picnic areas, and restrooms available.[1][7]

Dock near the restaurant Calhoun's On The River, November 2019

One dock was originally built for the 1982 World's Fair.[6] In 2017, a privately owned boat hit the dock and damaged it.[6] It was closed afterwards, though the city had already planned improvements prior to the incident.[6] The replacement dock cost $270,000 and 75 percent was financed by a TWRA grant.[6] In April 2018, city-owned 360-foot-long boat dock reopened.[6]

The Vol Navy dock is near Neyland Stadium.[8] The dock and concrete pavilion were built 1994 and was funded by a TWRA grant.[8] In 1998, 200 feet were added.[8] In 2019, the new dock was completed.[8] It is nearly 600 feet long.[8] The TWRA funded the project with a $400,000 grant and $100,000 came from the city and UT.[8] The Public Building Authority managed the project.[8] The city owns the dock and UT maintains it.[8]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Volunteer Landing.

• Official website