Located on West End Avenue across from Vanderbilt University is an unmistakable Nashville landmark. The Parthenon at Centennial Park is an exact replica of the original Parthenon in Athens. The city's nickname "Athens of the South" refers to its high concentration of education institutions and to this building. It was designed with that idea in mind more that 100 years ago for Tennessee's 1897 Centennial Celebration, honoring its 100th year as a state.
A visit to Centennial Park is free and there is ample parking right in front of the Parthenon building. There is a small admission fee to go inside the Parthenon and view the Athena statue and the exhibits in the art museum, but the main attraction is the exterior of the building and the attention to detail in its architecture.
The park itself has room for relaxing and for picnics. It is walking distance to the Vanderbilt campus as well as some interesting local bars and restaurants that feature live music.
Centennial Park
2600 West End Ave.
Nashville, TN 37203
nashville.gov
A pioneer named James Robertson, who now has a busy highway named after him in Nashville, led a group of settlers into the area by the Cumberland River in January 1780 to establish what eventually became Tennessee's capital city.
The first non-Indian Tennessee families settled here on the banks of the frozen Cumberland and built a fort that would protect the residents from Indian attacks for the next 12 years. This fort, called Fort Nashborough still stands and allows self-guided tours daily. Entry to the fort is free. It can easily be found just steps away from Riverfront Park along First Avenue, near the intersection of Broadway in the heart of the city.
Fort Nashborough
Riverfront Park
Nashville, TN 37243
nashville.gov
The Tennessee State Museum has deep roots, dating back to 1817, when a small public museum was opened on the public square. Since then the museum collections have evolved and the location has been moved around. Since 1981, the exhibits have a permanent home in the James K. Polk Building on Deaderick Street adjacent to the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.
The museum is three stories tall and covers approximately 120,000 square feet, half of which is devoted to exhibits. The permanent collection includes sculpture of the first Tennesseans, a frontier collection, paintings from the age of Andrew Jackson, Antebellum art, Civil War art and a collection related to the New South
Tennessee State Museum
505 Deaderick St.
Nashville, TN 37243
615-741-2692
tnmuseum.org
