One of our favorite places to walk, take family photos, and breathe in the fresh smells of blooming…read moreflowers. Fall is my favorite time. They have an amazing farm where they grow crops to feed the less fortunate. Cul2vate is an incredible organization you should also check out. The farmers market comes often and it has all the amazing local vendors.

This museum is pretty cool. I came on a second grade field trip, and have burning memories of us…read morekids lining up to milk a cow, and my chickening out. So upon walking in, I immediately told the woman behind the counter, "I was here in 1997, and I passed up the opportunity to milk a cow. Can you help me?" And she just laughed and told me there had been a lot of changes. The cow milking and butter churning hands on activities of the past are gone, but in its place is a gorgeous museum with amazing artifacts. It works hard to tell a linear story of the importance of agriculture in Tennessee. There's definitely a lack of identifying signage in many of the display cases, which is an oversight I'll forgive since I'd imagine most of their audience is schoolchildren that are given a formal tour. I didn't explore much of the grounds- besides a stadium used for training police horses that I definitely wasn't supposed to go in, that I peeked in after vague memories of watching some weaving display in concrete stadium seats as a kid. I will be back to view more of the grounds in warmer weather.

I am in a deeply committed, borderline unhealthy relationship with this park. I've spent an…read moreirresponsible amount of my life here and it keeps turning me into an endurance athlete against my will. First 100+ mile bike ride? Here. First ultra marathon? Here. At this point I'm one trail run away from qualifying for something I didn't sign up for. I also golf here more than a retired grandpa in Florida. Like, aggressively. If you need a tee time, sorry, I might already be there. I've made friends, ran races, had full character development arcs, and I see the same deer so often that we're basically on a "head nod" basis. I've named them. They know my schedule. One of them owes me money. Honestly, Nashville Parks should either sponsor me, put my name on a bench, or issue a restraining order.

Shelby Park in East Nashville has quickly become one of my favorite parks to hit up for a weekday…read moreevening or weekend afternoon walk! I have been making my way to all the Metro parks and Shelby Park sits high on my list right now, and for good reason! The park is well equipped with all the park staples and even a few specialty areas. I come here for the trails, as I love wandering around the park, through the woods, by the golf course and around the water. Just something about it all that makes the walks a bit more enjoyable. In addition to the trails the park offers the classic park offerings such as playgrounds, gazebos and sporting fields. The park is well kept and clean. All parks are a bit worn and dated, but it is not enough to detract from the park itself. Nashville does a good job keeping the parks in good working order, as well as clean. Overall, I am a fan of Shelby Park!

Wonderful neighborhood park next to great neighborhood school. Love the walking path and exercise…read moreequipment.

Imagine. It's 1960. You are a member of the board of Metro Nashville Parks and Recreation. Your…read moreboard has dozens of dreams, and is about to enter the golden age of Nashville Parks, and unbeknownst to you, the number of Nashville parks will double in the next decade. One of the ideas that floats around and gets stuck is a big ole' regional park in Green Hills- something at least 40 acres. But, Green Hills experiences a boom in that same decade. Real estate prices soar, and it begins to look like Green Hills will never get their version of a Shelby Park. But then a property adjacent to John Trotwood Moore Middle School becomes condemned. In 1973, the Metro Parks Board, and the Metro Board of Education, couple up to pull the money together to buy the property and fix it up. Green Hills Park opened in 1972 to little fanfare. Being adjacent to a middle school, it had a playground, a soccer/multipurpose field, and a baseball field. In 2006, it received a 2006 remodel, including paved walking path, and additional playgrounds. It has over 13 acres, and is well worth a visit.

Went for a run on a nice day outside. Followed this trail for the first time and it was a fun…read moreexperience! Lots of people walking their dogs, chilling by the lake/creek, cyclist, other runners, etc. Maybe it was just the timing of when I went and how the weather was outside.

I just stumbled upon this wonderful oasis by accident. It's located next to McCabe golf course. The…read moregreenway is so much fun to run or walk. There's different surfaces and various undulations. There's several bridges you cross and it reminds me of the walkabouts in Australia. I really didn't keep track of the distance but I took the trail all the way around. Highly recommend for a quick run or walk.

It's a park in Belle Meade; of course it's going to be pretty! Moreover, Parmer Park has an…read moreinteresting historic component as well as a vital reclamation property that makes this space all the more inviting. Despite this being a neighborhood park, I think it's one worth the travel if you're in to green spaces that serve a variety of purposes. Driving to and from the park I was reminded how much I like Belle Meade. What's not to like? The homes are gorgeous, the roadways are scenic and the vibe is so peaceful. Additionally, it's surprisingly close to town. For some reason, when I think of Belle Meade I think of the drive out to Bellevue. No. Belle Meade abuts Nashville and is closer and easier to get to than you think. The beauty of the city expands to this park. Parmer Park is named for the gentleman who was granted a piece of the BM Plantation upon which to build a school. As a result, when you spend time in the park, you feel as though you're walking the grounds of something other than a park. The last remnant of the school is the standing facade that serves as a perfect photo frame. It's at once haunting and romantic. The entire park is that way. I kept thinking how gorgeous it must be in the fall. The park is surrounded by a wooden fence, which adds to its charm. The parts that aren't enclosed by a fence have a line of mature trees the serve as a border. Indeed, for a neighborhood park, I was struck by the number of shade trees. Also of note, the many birds, including large birds of prey. Was I really seeing this in the middle of a (sub)urban area? Yes. Yes I was. Maybe it was due to all the rain we've had but I spent some time looking at and listening to the running creek in the park. Again, remember: middle of a city. All this stuff. Not to say that the park is all green and nature. There's a small parking lot, two small playgrounds (appropriate for little ones), a basketball court, a walking trail, many benches, a small pavilion (one table), and an overgrown baseball field. I imagine that growing up in Belle Meade comes with a lot of perks. Parmer Park is one of them. Even if you live nowhere near, this neighborhood park is worth a visit. I bet it's stunning no matter the time of year or season.

What a wonderful area for kids, adults and dogs on leash. Great walking trail ... 4 nicely done…read morebasketball courts ... areas to sit and relax ... picnic area.

Hidden in plain sight just a few blocks off of Franklin Road in Brentwood, Maryland Way Park is a…read moresmall, simple space that offers a .3-mile paved walking path, a few metal workout/activity stations, benches, and a pergola with a picnic table...plus metal horse sculptures and a time capsule buried on the grounds that cannot be opened until 2046! The park is clean and well maintained. A good portion of the green space is designed to let water runoff from the main road travel through, so there are lots of gullies and indentions in a good portion of the green areas. There is still a decent area that allows for grass play without issue. There are no public facilities or dedicated parking. You have to find parking in one of the nearby business lots. Overall, it is a no-frills public space with an interesting history, that happens to be wedged between businesses, hotels and a Whataburger. Solid 3.5 for a public space and a spot to enjoy a leisurely walk close to all the action of Brentwood.

In the middle of the beautiful business park (really, not being ironic, as business parks go,…read moreMaryland Farms is a beautiful specimen of the genre) you can find a 7-acre oasis with walking/jogging trail, exercise stations and a couple of benches. On a sunny weekend afternoon, we nearly had the park for ourselves and the traffic on adjacent Maryland Way is not too noticeable thanks to the topography of the park. (Although there wasn't much traffic since it was a Sunday. Traffic noise might be more noticeable during a busy weekday.) Given the amount of wealth coursing through Brentwood, I think the city (or perhaps some private sponsors) could spruce up the park a little. Many of the exercise stations have faded signs/instructions or seem to have pieces missing. And it might be nice if there were a picnic table or two in addition to the two benches. My biggest gripe is probably the fact that there is no obvious place to park. We parked in an unmarked lot that was nearby the park, but there was no connecting pathway to the park itself. It wasn't a big deal for us to scramble up and down a couple of short grassy hillsides, but I can imagine it being an issue for some other folks. I did like the interpretive sign explaining the history of the Maryland Farms area, which was apparently a 400-acre horse farm until the 1970s!

I have been on a local park kick lately, so when I was cruising around the roads deep in Antioch…read moreand passed Antioch Park, I made a quick u-turn to check it out! The park, while aptly named Antioch Park, is just as much a community center, if not more so, than park. It features a center that offers meeting, function and activity space, along with outdoor courts and other areas. I was not here for any of that, as I was after the trails, which the park does offer as well. The trails are minimal here, but are solid for a good walk. As with most Nashville metro parks, the trails take you through nature and are surrounded by woods and all that good stuff. Overall, I am not in the area often, but glad I got to check Antioch Park off my "walking trail" list!

It's a beautiful park, but a lot of stupid people go there and throw their trash on the ground…read more They need more trash cans, signs and perhaps, cameras, to stop this ignorance. It's beyond me who thinks this is ok!!

Watkins Park was established in 1901, and has 8 acres. It has a community center, a playground,…read morepublic restrooms, picnic shelters, a baseball field, a basketball court, tennis courts, a spray park, a pump track for bikes and skateboards, and a paved walking/jogging path. This park was the FIRST public park in Nashville! Samuel Watkins was a Nashvillian who served in the War of 1812. As a brick-maker and construction contractor, he became independently wealthy, even securing the business for the construction of the State Capital building, and eventually funding the Watkins Institute. The land had been privately owned by Watkins, but used for public purposes such as political rallies and school commencement ceremonies. During the Civil War, Union soldiers overran the park, and basically ruined a lot of the natural resources on the land. He donated this land, named at the time "Watkins Gove" to the city of Nashville in 1870. The city of Nashville opened the park in 1901, setting up the landscaping by natural citizens, and setting up the first children's playground in the city here. The park is beautiful. It packs a LOT in a relatively small space. It's historically significant, as well. It was only due to the popularity of the park and playground that the city of Nashville began seriously acquiring land and plopping as many playgrounds down as they could. Standing in the park, you can see the State Capital building, and it gives you a real sense of appreciation for the gift Samuel Watkins truly was to the city.

Watkins Park is a pretty perfect city park -- and I'm a bit surprised that I am the first person…read more(on Yelp) to review it.* The park itself is located in the Charlotte Pike no man's land that seems to change names every other year. Watkins Park? Fang? Something else? Who knows. When/if looking for the park, aim for MLK High and it's right across the street. The area has gone through some significant changes over the years and what you knew about it, say, 8 years ago is no longer accurate (like a good amount of Nashville these days). But this review isn't about the area, it's about the park. And, the park is pretty awesome. With it being just west of Downtown (and with large buildings slowly moving past the interstate), you can get some lovely skyline views while in the park. It's bordered by trees and a stone fence that gives an unexpected bit of character to a city park. There are plenty of mature trees and a good bit of flat green space, making me think it's lovely in the spring time. If you're a walker/runner, the park has a trail just for that. It's a circle (or, circular) so while there are no hills to choose from, you're assured not to get lost. If you're looking for exercise that comes from not running in circles, you're in luck. There's a large tennis court, a basketball court, a couple of playgrounds for the kiddos, a baseball diamond, and a SPLASH PAD! Yep, all of this... in a city park. Fantastic, right? Smack dab in the middle of the action is a large pavilion perfecting for family reunions, cookouts and other food gatherings meant to be shared under wood coverings while outside. The park itself has a nice amount of lot parking, which is helpful since street parking is a bit of an issue. And if all of this isn't enough to get you to visit, Greenbrier Distillery and Marathon Music Works are just beyond the train tracks and tree border. Given Watkins Park's design and proximity to so much, I'm pretty shocked by the low traffic. As much as I hate the phrase, it seems like it's a hidden gem for green space lovers. In the middle of a busy cityscape, I was shocked to experience such a well-planned and paid-out park. Watkins Park has charm, space, activities, and loads of natural beauty. Spring is coming. You should spend some of it here. *Well, not really.