Let's be honest, I don't spend all my days out exploring and trying new restaurants. Things in Nashville can get expensive pretty quick so most weeks I do about one activity. When I'm not out, I spend most of my days by the pool at my apartment building with a book in my hand. The Nashville Public Library has become my best friend, and so far I have read 10 books this summer. With all my reading I decided to do the Summer Reading challenge at the library. Recently I got to pick 3 coupons to local places in Nashville for the reading I've done so far. One of those coupons was for the Parthenon Museum in Centennial Park.
I've been to Centennial Park a few times, but had never gone inside the museum until this week. I have been missing out! I was so pleasantly surprised with what I found inside. Regular admission is $6 for adults and $4 for children, which I think is a great price for the experience.
The first section of the museum teaches about the history of the Parthenon building. I have always been a bit confused as to why there is a full size replica of the Greek Parthenon in the middle of Tennessee, so I enjoyed reading about it's history. I especially loved seeing pictures of people around the building when it was built in 1897. It blows my mind sometimes to just stand in a place and think of all the history that happened on that very ground. I'll let you visit the museum for yourself to learn more about why there's a Parthenon in Nashville!
Next, you walk into the art gallery section of the building. The exhibit is called Pleasure in Collecting: American Art at the Parthenon- The James M. Cowan Collection. I'll be the first to say, I'm not the biggest art enthusiast out there. But, I had a very pleasant time appreciating the small collection. There was also a temporary exhibit in the center of the gallery called Instrument Head which was fun and quirky. The exhibits in the center gallery are always changing.
I headed up the stairs to what I assumed was another art gallery, and was shocked at what I saw. In the center of a pillar and marble filled room stands a 42 foot statue of the Greek goddess Athena, and it is quite breathtaking. The statue is a replica of a plaster Athena statue that stood outside the Parthenon during the Centennial Exposition. Parts of the statue are covered in gold foil, and have intricate painted details.
The room also has 2 sets of bronze doors that are 7 feet wide, 24 feet tall, and 1 foot thick making them the largest set of matching bronze doors in the world. That doesn't seem like anything that cool, but when you are standing next to them it's pretty amazing.
I walked around the statue for a bit (and did some tourist people watching). Behind the statue there are also remnants of other plaster Greek statues from the Centennial Exposition.
As I left I stopped in the museum store and looked around at the fun mementos. There were some great souvenir and art items. After I left the museum I walked around the park for a bit, and it was #hot. But I was so glad I did because I noticed something new across the lawn from the Parthenon.
This statue is the start of a monument to the history of the women's suffrage movement history in Centennial Park. I learned that Tennessee was the 36th state to vote to ratify the 19th amendment allowing women to vote, which completed the needed 3/4 majority of the then 48 states. I thought the statue was inspiring and enjoyed reading about the tough women that rallied in this park in the 1920's.
No matter what you are interested in, I think Centennial Park is a can't miss for Nashville. You can walk around the nice paths, picnic by the lake, and enjoy the Parthenon from the outside or the inside. There are also lots of benches, playgrounds, and Bird scooters. I actually think Centennial Park is the perfect place to rent a scooter and ride safely without worrying about traffic and cars. After going inside the Parthenon on this visit I think it's one of my favorite spots in Nashville!
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