Centennial Park

Home to the Parthenon

Description

Opened in 1903 as Nashville's second city park, Centennial Park is now home to concerts, arts and crafts shows, and loads of other events held throughout the year. Even when there are no festivals or events taking place there, though, you can still enjoy paddle-boating on Lake Watauga, picnicking on the park's open greens, or checking out the array of monuments, which tell the story of Nashville's rich history. The park's centerpiece, however, is the world's only full-sized replica of the Greek Parthenon, first erected for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition in 1897 and rebuilt with concrete in the 1920s to ensure it lasted for future generations. As if that weren't enough, the largest example of indoor sculpture in the West--a 42-foot Athena Parthenos--can also be found inside.