The Parthenon (Centennial Park)

The Parthenon in Nashville's Centennial Park is the world's only full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece. Built in 1897 for Tennessee's Centennial Exposition celebrating the state's 100th anniversary, the original structure was constructed of plaster and wood; the current permanent concrete building was completed in 1931 and has been maintained ever since. Nashville's longstanding nickname — the Athens of the South — refers largely to this monument and to the city's historic concentration of universities and cultural institutions. The building functions as an art museum, housing the Cowan Collection of approximately 63 works of 19th and 20th century American art, including landscapes, portraits, and genre scenes by Albert Bierstadt, Winslow Homer, and other notable 19th-century masters. The museum's primary visual drama, however, is the interior sculpture: a 42-foot-tall gilded statue of Athena Parthenos occupies the naos (main chamber) of the replica. Completed by sculptor Alan LeQuire in 1990 and gilded in 2002, the figure is the largest indoor sculpture in the Western Hemisphere, closely modeled on ancient descriptions of the lost original. The exterior of the Parthenon reproduces the Doric colonnade, pediment sculptures, and friezes of the Athens original at full 1:1 scale. The east and west pediment sculpture groups, recreated by LeQuire, depict the birth of Athena and her mythological contest with Poseidon for patronage of the city of Athens. Centennial Park surrounds the building with 132 acres of open green space, walking paths, a lake, and event lawns, making it one of Nashville's most welcoming urban parks. The museum is modest in size and a visit typically takes one to two hours; the surrounding park is free to enter even when the museum is closed.