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Beautiful park with a center pond and big willow trees. Recommend strolling through and you can see the outside of the Parthenon. We went to Taylor Swift's bench with is apparently where she used to sit and inspired the lyric "Green was the color of the grass where I used to read at Centennial Park" from Invisible String. Recommend checking out the spot if you're a Swiftie. It had beautiful roses by the bench and faced a small willow tree that apparently inspired her song Willow too! Unfortunately, part of the park was under construction and closed off as of October 2025.
Centennial Park is a great park in Nashville, Tennessee. It is probably best known for the recreation of the Parthenon, but the park has a lot more to offer. It is a wonderful park filled with open space, a nice lake, statues and much, much more. It is a great place for the community to gather in respite and recreation. Communities need parks. We need a place to escape the hustle and bustle of the grind of the every day of city living. Centennial Park is a great part of Nashville, Tennessee and definitely a place to visit when you are in Music City.
Surprisedly this was an amazing park. It was nice to see the open area filled with young men playing soccer, sparring, all playing volleyball, joggers and us walkers taking in the sights. Used the map and walked the entire park. Duck's chilled in water and made sure to see the beehives. Then there is the Taylor Swift bench. For her to read at. Someone left a little bag of friendship bracelets. But it was empty. There were these cool swings that you swing by moving your feet. The Parthenon was nice from outside but did not go inside.
Came here for the Taylor Swift bench and it was nice to see. This park is huge!! Big events happening on the weekend so plan accordingly. Traffic is wild to get there and there's no parking.
Really fun park to walk around! There was ample parking when we went and a lot of people hanging out. I especially liked the landscaping and the monument to suffragettes in Tennessee.
Centennial Park is another arboretum! After visiting the Parthenon, we walked the paths admiring all the beautiful trees and foliage. Reading the historical significance of each structure is always interesting. There were quite a few geese roaming around and a few hidden ducks. The squirrels are just everywhere. It's a very busy park, especially around the Parthenon. Aside from the geese poop on the walkways by the water, it's very well maintained.
Quality/Quantity - Another relaxing attraction. Some highlights are: 132 acres. The iconic Parthenon, a one-mile walking trail, Lake Watauga, the Centennial Art Center, historical monuments, an arts activity center, a beautiful sunken garden, a band shell, an events shelter, sand volleyball courts, dog park, and an exercise trail, etc. Also, it is the home of the Centennial Sportsplex. Atmosphere - See above. Service - Self service. Price - Free. Owner Comment - What a history. 1783 - Purchased by John Cockrill. 1884 - 1895 Race Track, West Side Park. 1897 - Tennessee Centennial Exposition. 1902 - Percy Warner, Nashville Railway and light company purchased 72 acres and gave it to the park board. 1916 - First community center. 1932 - Swimming pool. 1953 - Steam locomotive. 1961 - Fighter plane. 1963 - Croquet Club. 1972 - Swimming pool was converted to an art center. 1978 - Ice Centennial. Etc.
We are so lucky to have such a beautiful park accessible to downtown Nashville! I work nearby and we love to take walking meetings and enjoy the fresh air when the weather is nice. The renovations that the park completed to the front half of the park have been wonderful for walkability and really made the space look lovely. I can't wait for the renovations to the back half! The Parthenon is always a joy to see, no matter how many times I've seen it. I love our weird little Nashville landmark. Centennial Park is the home of one of my absolute favorite Nashville events - Musicians Corner. This series is several weekends in the spring and fall and represents everything I love about Nashville. Community, music, local businesses - everything comes together at these events. If I ever have guests on a Musicians Corner weekend, I insist that it is one of their Nashville activities. There are so many artists that I am still following that I say that I saw their Musicians Corner set years ago. The park also is a safe home for bees and has its own honey!! The honey makes a great unique gift.
super pretty park with lots of land. beautiful architecture and lots of history behind it. perfect to go on a walk, walk your dog, or just even run around. we didn't go inside but it was $15 to tour the museum. should we be back and have more time, we definitely will go in!
Visiting Centennial Park was a beautiful start to the day! The architecture of the building is impeccable and such a vision! The park was so tranquil and beautiful; so many trees and variety in the vegetation. The trees provide plenty of shade, even throughout the walking path. There was a nice paved trail to walk/run and plenty of benches, swings, and areas to pause and sit. The park has different stations with educational information as well as activities to do around the park. I highly recommend stopping through and recommend coming nice and early.
Lovely green space in Nashville! It's a large parks with lots of grassy lawn space for reading, sports, and activities, plenty of walking trails, a small picturesque lake, and the very impressive full scale replica of the Parthenon. I was a visitor from out of town, and my observation was that there was a good mix of students from nearby Vanderbilt, visitor/tourists coming to check out the park and art museum in the Parthenon, families, and large organization groups. There were a handful of food carts if you got hungry and wanted a bite to eat in the park. While I didn't go in for the art museum, I thought the Parthenon was really cool. I also enjoyed walking around the lake, and of course, checking out the bench dedicated to Taylor Swift. As a fan, it was fun to walk around and imagine Taylor doing the same before me. And by the way, green was the color of the grass! And gold was the color of (some of) the leaves!
If you're visiting Nashville, Centennial Park is absolutely worth checking out! If I were a local, I could easily see myself going there every day just to walk around, enjoy the scenery, and take it all in. I'd also recommend checking out the Women's Suffrage Monument while you're there--it's a beautiful and meaningful addition to the park A beautiful park, with incredible pieces of history, and a great place to spend a few hours. Highly recommend! read more
My fiancé and I took a stroll through Centennial Park to check out the different monuments and see the Parthenon, and it really is such a gorgeous spot to walk around. The Parthenon building itself is stunning and makes for some beautiful photos, even on a cloudy day. Just a heads up, the Parthenon is currently closed until June 28th. The only downside was that there was unfortunately quite a bit of trash around the park and in the water, which was disappointing to see in such a beautiful area. Overall though, it was still a lovely place to explore while in Nashville! read more
It's a massive park open to public for free. It looks stunning with its large green grass field and the Parthenon sitting in the to compliment to view. Parking spots are available in designated areas, all free but has hourly limits. There are multiple sculptures and statues around the park. There's a huge children's playground as well. My daughter had a great time playing there. The slides and playhouse all are kids friendly. Lots of people were using the open space in the park for picnic and family gathering. It's one of the must visit spot in Nashville. read more
8 months ago
Beautiful park with a center pond and big willow trees. Recommend strolling through and you can see the outside of the Parthenon. We went to Taylor Swift's bench with is apparently where she used to sit and inspired the lyric "Green was the color of the grass where I used to read at Centennial Park" from Invisible String. Recommend checking out the spot if you're a Swiftie. It had beautiful roses by the bench and faced a small willow tree that apparently inspired her song Willow too! Unfortunately, part of the park was under construction and closed off as of October 2025. read more
Centennial Park is a great park in Nashville, Tennessee. It is probably best known for the recreation of the Parthenon, but the park has a lot more to offer. It is a wonderful park filled with open space, a nice lake, statues and much, much more. It is a great place for the community to gather in respite and recreation. Communities need parks. We need a place to escape the hustle and bustle of the grind of the every day of city living. Centennial Park is a great part of Nashville, Tennessee and definitely a place to visit when you are in Music City. read more
1 year ago
Surprisedly this was an amazing park. It was nice to see the open area filled with young men playing soccer, sparring, all playing volleyball, joggers and us walkers taking in the sights. Used the map and walked the entire park. Duck's chilled in water and made sure to see the beehives. Then there is the Taylor Swift bench. For her to read at. Someone left a little bag of friendship bracelets. But it was empty. There were these cool swings that you swing by moving your feet. The Parthenon was nice from outside but did not go inside. read more
1 year ago
Came here for the Taylor Swift bench and it was nice to see. This park is huge!! Big events happening on the weekend so plan accordingly. Traffic is wild to get there and there's no parking. read more
1 year ago
Really fun park to walk around! There was ample parking when we went and a lot of people hanging out. I especially liked the landscaping and the monument to suffragettes in Tennessee. read more
2 years ago
Centennial Park is another arboretum! After visiting the Parthenon, we walked the paths admiring all the beautiful trees and foliage. Reading the historical significance of each structure is always interesting. There were quite a few geese roaming around and a few hidden ducks. The squirrels are just everywhere. It's a very busy park, especially around the Parthenon. Aside from the geese poop on the walkways by the water, it's very well maintained. read more
Quality/Quantity - Another relaxing attraction. Some highlights are: 132 acres. The iconic Parthenon, a one-mile walking trail, Lake Watauga, the Centennial Art Center, historical monuments, an arts activity center, a beautiful sunken garden, a band shell, an events shelter, sand volleyball courts, dog park, and an exercise trail, etc. Also, it is the home of the Centennial Sportsplex. Atmosphere - See above. Service - Self service. Price - Free. Owner Comment - What a history. 1783 - Purchased by John Cockrill. 1884 - 1895 Race Track, West Side Park. 1897 - Tennessee Centennial Exposition. 1902 - Percy Warner, Nashville Railway and light company purchased 72 acres and gave it to the park board. 1916 - First community center. 1932 - Swimming pool. 1953 - Steam locomotive. 1961 - Fighter plane. 1963 - Croquet Club. 1972 - Swimming pool was converted to an art center. 1978 - Ice Centennial. Etc. read more
We are so lucky to have such a beautiful park accessible to downtown Nashville! I work nearby and we love to take walking meetings and enjoy the fresh air when the weather is nice. The renovations that the park completed to the front half of the park have been wonderful for walkability and really made the space look lovely. I can't wait for the renovations to the back half! The Parthenon is always a joy to see, no matter how many times I've seen it. I love our weird little Nashville landmark. Centennial Park is the home of one of my absolute favorite Nashville events - Musicians Corner. This series is several weekends in the spring and fall and represents everything I love about Nashville. Community, music, local businesses - everything comes together at these events. If I ever have guests on a Musicians Corner weekend, I insist that it is one of their Nashville activities. There are so many artists that I am still following that I say that I saw their Musicians Corner set years ago. The park also is a safe home for bees and has its own honey!! The honey makes a great unique gift. read more
super pretty park with lots of land. beautiful architecture and lots of history behind it. perfect to go on a walk, walk your dog, or just even run around. we didn't go inside but it was $15 to tour the museum. should we be back and have more time, we definitely will go in! read more
1 year ago
Visiting Centennial Park was a beautiful start to the day! The architecture of the building is impeccable and such a vision! The park was so tranquil and beautiful; so many trees and variety in the vegetation. The trees provide plenty of shade, even throughout the walking path. There was a nice paved trail to walk/run and plenty of benches, swings, and areas to pause and sit. The park has different stations with educational information as well as activities to do around the park. I highly recommend stopping through and recommend coming nice and early. read more
Lovely green space in Nashville! It's a large parks with lots of grassy lawn space for reading, sports, and activities, plenty of walking trails, a small picturesque lake, and the very impressive full scale replica of the Parthenon. I was a visitor from out of town, and my observation was that there was a good mix of students from nearby Vanderbilt, visitor/tourists coming to check out the park and art museum in the Parthenon, families, and large organization groups. There were a handful of food carts if you got hungry and wanted a bite to eat in the park. While I didn't go in for the art museum, I thought the Parthenon was really cool. I also enjoyed walking around the lake, and of course, checking out the bench dedicated to Taylor Swift. As a fan, it was fun to walk around and imagine Taylor doing the same before me. And by the way, green was the color of the grass! And gold was the color of (some of) the leaves! read more
Centennial Park is a famed nashville park that is the hosting ground for several amazing displays of public art and is the front lawn for the popular tourist attraction the Parthenon. I've visited this park probably 3-4 different times over the years and it is always a nice stroll with pretty landscape and great views. I always enjoy checking out the statues and monuments when visiting. Overall a very nice and open spaced area to either enjoy some Good weather or take on some History with all the statues and monuments. read more
4 years ago
I love this park. It's a great space to relax in the middle of the city. They have tables, benches all around, they have ponds with ducks and other birds but I found out you can't just feed them anything. They have a sign up telling you what you can feed them. They do different festivals all throughout the year too. This time it was just a nice day to get the kids out to ride their bikes and run around. They have the Parthenon museum (been inside but not that day) and the have different statues around. They also have a kids playground. Definitely recommend to come visit! You can find someone just playing the guitar like that day! read more
2 years ago
Centennial Park is beautiful, located in the midtown. Its nice and lush green during spring and summer. Its a great place to sit and enjoy the Parthenon. The park has plenty of parking available. The lake has plenty of ducks, other birds and turtles. Its a must visit if you're in Nashville. read more
2 years ago
A great place for the family. Two kid play areas, a Parthenon tour, vendors, water with a fountain and ducks, and of course lots of grassy areas. Highly suggest to take the tour. read more
I came to visit the Parthenon. I ended up discovering that it's in Centennial Park. I got to take a brief walk round. It's one of many things that I loved about my visit to Nashville. One new place to visit led to many others within the same vicinity. It is the perfect city for curious folks like me. Toronto has High Park. New York City has Central Park. Nashville has Centennial Park. They all are large, central, amazing green spaces. Centennial Park is located in the middle of Nashville. Besides housing the Parthenon, it hosts a bunch of arts and cultural events throughout the year. The park is on the National Register for Historic Places. It is a 132-acre public park established in 1903. It comprises the following: - The Parthenon museum - A one-mile walking trail - Lake Watauga - Centennial Art Center - Centennial Performing Arts Studios - Musicians Corner - Sunken gardens - Bandshell - Events shelter - Sand volleyball courts - Dog park I'm exhausted listing everything. My visit only scratched the surface. I managed to see a couple of monuments at the park: - John W. Thomas - Women's suffrage I learned so much quickly admiring them and reading the plaques nearby. At Centennial Park, I found out that over three million people who visit it each year. I can see why. It has cool sights to see and the park is beautiful with the lake nearby. There are various festivals scattered throughout the year that are held here. I never got to see any of them, but hope to someday when I'm back. This park is owned by the city of Nashville, and managed by Metro Parks and Recreation Department. Centennial Park Conservancy serves as the nonprofit support group of the park and Parthenon in a public-private partnership with Metro Parks, with a mission to preserve, enhance, and share the park for current and future generations. This park was nicely maintained when I spent a few hours here. Centennial Park was such a cool find. I would have stayed outside longer, except that it was hot and humid. I needed air conditioning badly! When it's cooler temperature-wise, I'll definitely take more time to walk and explore the park. (280) read more
Took a walk here one morning. This park is in a great location, within walking distance of downtown and midtown Nashville, right across from Vanderbilt. The parthenon was stunning, especially in the golden early morning light. I do slightly wish I'd come when it was open so that I could stroll inside ($10 admission) but also think that early summer morning is a perfect time to come because the lighting was immaculate. There were a few other strollers, dog walkers, joggers, but at 7am on a weekday in August it was not crowded at all. The bench swings are cute and cozy. The pond was stunning, and great for watching ducks and geese gliding. A super peaceful spot worth a stroll if you find yourself in Nashville! read more
We stopped here for a little picnic lunch as we were passing through town and ended up spending more time than we anticipated. This is a lovely park with so much to see! Many people have complained about parking but we were able to get a spot close to the Parthenon early afternoon on a weekday. We enjoyed a snack on a blanket on the ground with a great view of the building (as did many others). The park was busy, especially the children's play area, and there were lots of cute pups as well. We did not go in the Parthenon because they don't allow dogs. However we did walk around and see the adorable bench swings and lots of great statues. We really enjoyed our spring afternoon and I would definitely recommend stopping by. read more
A lovely park in the heart of Nashville, with a lot to offer in all seasons. The Parthenon is the main attraction, but there's also many shows in the summer, recreation, festivals, many dogs to look at, and a great spot to unwind and relax. Easy access to the park on West End Ave near Vandy, and there is parking throughout the park - but it is super walkable from other downtown attractions. Always worth a stop if you're in the neighborhood! read more
Centennial Park is located in Nashville's west end neighborhood with free parking and home of The Parthenon, known as the Athens of the South. Centennial Park was the host site for the world's fair in 1897. The Parthenon was built for the fair but eventually the building had started to deteriorate and was rebuilt. The Parthenon is built to size of the actual one. Inside, there is a 42 foot tall statue of Athena. You do have to pay to go inside though. This beautiful and lush park also has a man made lake, a one mile walking trail, an art center, historical monuments, a dog park, volleyball courts and a beautiful sunken garden. My husband, our little girl and I came for a visit in December when it was very cold (well at least cold for a native Southern Californian). When we arrived, we saw a large tour bus dropping just parking and letting people off to let them wander around the park and take photos in front of The Parthenon. This park is beautiful and very large. There are plenty of great photo spots all around and worth a visit. read more
Part of Vanderbilt University, this was a great treat to relax and admire the Pantheon. We were in Nashville only for a day and got there after they closed, so couldn't go in. It's a beautiful replica of the Archipolis that was also a replica of and nspired by Persepolis from ancient Iran. The columns and place looked so authentic, it sucked we couldn't go inside. Highly recommed visiting if you happen to be in or around Nashville! read more
First off , the parthenon is lovely located here in Centennial Park. On a recent trip to Nashville I decided to checkout this landmark. I'm so glad I did because the park in general is beautiful. The Parthenon also serves as a museum. Unfortunately, I didn't do a tour but I certainly will next time. This is a replica obviously , as Athens , Greece is the home of the original Parthenon. I hope to make it there one day! Lots of historic statues are situated throughout the park. The ducks are out and about. This was a fun experience and I recommend you checkout Centennial Park! read more
1 year ago
This is a large well kept park where the grass was so green it almost looked like astro turf. Of course the parthenon is there and worth a look and there's also trail that takes you past a Civil War monument, a monument to the man who aquired the land for the park, a column that I think (?) is a monument to the founder of Nashville and a large pond. We were able to get a parking spot in the lot by the parthenon. Check out the parthenon and then do a lap to check out the rest of the park. read more
1 year ago
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More info about Centennial Park
2500 W End Ave
Nashville, TN 37203
Midtown
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I was in Nashville 20 years ago. At the time, there was a food court nearby. Is it still there?
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