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Centennial Park
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24 reviews for Centennial Park
I used to live right next to the park and spent my afternoons walking the loop and people-watching. I love the flowers/greenery, the many benches and swings, the snowcone guy, and all the many fun events they have there during the summer. Its a nice place to take a stroll, relax, have a picnic, throw a frisbee, or walk your dog. The Parthenon is also very cool (even if you don't go inside) and I like to bring out-of-town visitors to this spot.
Why not 5 stars?
1) At night (and sometimes during the day) there are a lot of homeless people in the park. I don't feel super safe there after sunset.
2) At times the pond gets full of trash and goose poop. Sure the goose are funny, angry little guys, but that pond can sometimes be downright nasty.
Centennial is easily Nashville's most prominent park. This is partly due to its location and size but more probably due to its hosting of a large replica of an ancient Greek wonder - the Parthenon. Yes thats right, I said the Parthenon. What does this have to do with Nashville, or even a park you ask? Well your guess is as good as mine, but for some reason it was decided years ago this would be the perfect compliment to our fair city.
The park can be found in the heart of midtown, off arguably the busiest street in Nashville, West End Avenue. Centennial is one of the larger parks in town and serves as a lovely respite from the busy city life surrounding it. The park is lush, the grounds are dotted with numerous mature trees, bushes and flowering plants. There's even a nice sized pond that attracts wildlife and people alike.
Centennial Park is threaded with flat, paved trails ideal for a calming walk or run. There are benches scattered throughout and a large covered pavilion as well as a small playground. The park houses a small outdoor theater which is used for various events including Shakespeare in the Park. In fact, quite a lot of activities and events happen here, whether it be intramural sports games and impromptu gatherings or craft and antique type fairs.
The Parthenon not only serves as an impressive focal point, it also is home to a small art gallery and community center. Nash-villans can attend all sorts of community classes here. People of all ages can be educated in various types of arts and crafts programs. The park has several small parking lots throughout it, and can get intensely crowded especially on days when events are being held there.
Oh Centennial park, you're so full of romance and beauty. I love your grecian urns, canopies of trees, historical postings, seasonal blooms, and your one mile loop. I love passing by intimate weddings, feeding fatty geese, and reading a book on a swinging bench. You are my favorite part of this beautiful city.
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It's hard to miss Centennial Park; it has that big thing called the Parthenon in it. Being an art lover, it's neat to see a replica of something I've never had to opportunity to visit before. But it's also this beautiful thing called random. There is an art gallery on the inside as well, and has another replica inside, a recreation of the Athena statue. You do have to pay to get in, so keep that in mind if you plan to visit, but the park itself is free.
Parthenon aside, people should take a walk around the pond. It's beautiful, and the geese and ducks can get very friendly when you bring your stale Honeycomb cereal for them.
Or bread.
The place is littered with dog walkers and runners, so it's a great people watching spot if you happen to grab one of the benches. They have open green areas good for a Frisbee match, and the ice cone man is one of the sweetest guys I've come across in this town.
I'm here at least twice a month for a stroll, it's just too beautiful not to come by and see.
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This used to be a great park until about 1980. When they built the sportsplex, they got rid of the four baseball fields. I used to play baseball there, first in senior knot hole, then American Legion. I got my first pro tryout there when scouts for the Cincinnati Reds came there to watch about 300 kids show off their skills. They picked one guy that day, but most of us were high school kids just trying to get noticed. It worked, because three others and myself were picked in the draft that June.
The disappearance of baseball fields in Nashville has led to a lot of kids dropping our national pastime, especially in the inner city. We need more outdoor activities for our youths, but places like Centennial Park cater to the more affluent. The Predators practice at the Sportsplex--nuf ced.
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Centennial Park is one of the best parks in the Nashville Metro area. It consists of a one mile loop that you can walk, run, or bring your dog and play catch. There is a lot of well manicured grass everywhere and it is perfect for a pick up game of football or just lounging in the sun.
It is a good place to have a picnic or party because they have and outdoor pavilion where you can hang out and set up some stuff for a party. I enjoy going there to read, because it is not usually too crowded... ah , nothing better than Centennial Park on a nice spring day and a good book, maybe a little War & Peace.
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This has to be Nashville's flagship park, and it's even cooler when you consider its inception as the location of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. The Parthenon is a leftover from that, although they had to rebuild it in concrete because the original plaster one deteriorated. I love to come here on weekend afternoons. It's fun to watch kids try and feed the already overfed ducks and geese. The poor kids don't realize why the birds are unenthusiastic for wonderbread.
There's a marked out mile trail that runs around the park, so if you're walking you can follow it. If you're there early in the morning, you'll have plenty of company from other joggers and walkers, as this is a favorite spot.
There are also several festivals and events going on here. There's big band nights and Shakespeare plays and movies and art showings. There's even a center for the arts here.
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Ah Centennial, Nashville's crowning achievement of a park. For runners wanting to escape the drudgery of the streets, head into Centennial and take a jog around its scenic mile loop. For kids, aside from all the open spaces there is a great play area with all the fixings. If you're hungry after all the playtime, Centennial Café should have something to offer. If you simply feel like staring at water, grab a bench by the pond and stare at some geese (at least I think they are geese). Last but not least, Centennial Park houses the not so inconspicuous Parthenon, the only full-scale replica of the Greek original.
Me personally, I like to buy a Barbie kite and run around like an idiot, perhaps not appropriate behavior for a 24 year old, but alas, it's allowed.
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When the weather is nice I love to walk around Centennial on the mile track. It's usually filled with such an array of people that just taking that in is enough. Granted, most the time I'm wondering why I'm walking around a recreation of the Parthenon, but whatever.
Around September or August they close the bathrooms, so be sure to rememebr that before coming. Last year I forgot and discovered a homeless person sleeping in the breezeway before the locked bathroom door. That's one thing I don't like about this park, the homeless people. There aren't a great deal of them, but you usually will see one. Although I've always felt safe here.
On weekends they have tons of different events here, which can make parking a feat. During the summer they have movies in the park on Weds. nights which is great fun and worth the parking struggle.
My friends and I found Centennial Park to be a nice little park to walk around and explore. We enjoyed seeing the Parthenon (Even though a native told us all about how it is just like the original in ROME, you would think if you had the only replica in the world you would know it is from Greece and not ROME!!) I digress.
Although we were unwilling to pay the $5 admission fee we enjoyed ourselves walking around the Parthenon and watching a crew set up for a wedding.
All in all it was a nice park with a diverse crowd and good snow cones. We enjoyed our snow cones made by a machine run by a car battery no less, while sitting by the pond and watching the ducks. It was nice!
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If I lived near Centennial Park, I would go there every day. It's a great urban park with loads of amenities for park goers. Situated around a lovely pond with fountains that I think they have died green for some strange reason are a number of attractions.
First is the Parthenon which is a scale replica, housing art ,sculpture and the lovely gilded Athena, is a very cheap way to bring some culture to your life. There are acres of flat field for soccer, Frisbee, etc.. Plenty of playground and a botanical garden.
One of my favorite things about Centennial is that it plays host to a # of public events like, Movies in the park, Artisan festivals, Earth Day, Craft Fairs, Shakespeare in the Park, Big Band Dances, etc.. So check some local event calendars for events, it's great free entertainment.
I enjoy that Centennial is located right in the center of town and is thus a great venue for lots of local events from Movies in the Park to the Pride festival. It's not where I go when I want to just enjoy some greenery though because it is way overpopulated. If what you look for in a park is a place to enjoy scenery and a little peace or a casual picnic with friends I'd recommend taking the drive across the Cumberland to Shelby.
Centennial is pretty small, but has fairly diverse areas to inhabit. There's a pond which is popular with the dog walkers. There's the Parthenon of course. There are a couple swings and benches scattered about if you're lucky enough to snag one.
If you live in Nashville and somehow haven't made it out to Centennial yet, you should definitely come by and enjoy it while the weather is still warm and sunny.
Another standard destination of the places to take out of towners has to be Centennial Park.
visitor: What's that?
me: the Parthenon.
visitor: why is it there?
me: don't you have one in your town?
Anyway, everyone always finds it very interesting, if not silly. The rest of the park is what i like. There is a pretty good play ground for the kids. A lot of festivals usually make a stop here. The trees provide a good amount of shade. In all, it is a really super park to have in the center of a city this size.
Centennial Park is one of Nashville's most recognizable attractions. There is a real life size replica of Greece's Parthenon, which is the biggest draw for tourists. There is also a gallery in the basement floor under the Parthenon. A few years back, before the Frist was built, they had a very cool Andy Warhol exhibit.
For locals, the park and the events held in it are the main draw. There is a one mile loop for runners and walkers. There is a duck pond. It used to have paddle boats, but I haven't seen them in years (sadly). There is also a bandshell where they have concerts, movie screenings and plays. The park itself is home to a good number of craft fairs, festivals and the like.
Right after work and on weekends, the park is pretty crowded. And you'll meet some shady characters there if you go after dark (and sometimes in daylight too!). But overall, it is a huge asset to Nashville in many ways!
Thanks to the random Parthenon replica and the duck pond, Centennial park has become a Nashville landmark. I didn't want to shell out the Parthenon admission, but the huge steps and ledges make a good place for sitting or walking around. Mostly, I just enjoyed contemplating the strange and mysterious forces that could have brought such an edifice into being in the middle country Music City.
Watching people feed he ducks at the pond is also pretty entertaining - bring along a friend, a book, and/or a picnic to turn to when that gets old. Centennial Park is definitely big enough that it would be a good place to go jogging or take a walk. Free music and theatre performances by Nashville Shakes are also held here pretty frequently (I've never seen music there, but I highly recommend the Nashville Shakes productions). There's a parking lot as well as street parking inside the boundaries of the park.
Since i grew up in Nashville, it never seemed strange to me that there was a full-scale replica of ancient Greece's Parthenon in the middle of a downtown park. It wasnt until after i moved away that i realized how eccentric that is.
Nashville, also known as the Athens of the South, constructed the Parthenon and the park for their Centennial Exhibition in 1897. In recent years, the city commissioned a freaky looking statue of Athena, said to be the largest indoor sculpture in the Western world.
The park is a lovely place to spend a nice afternoon. There are frequently craft and culture fairs here during the warm months. Movie trivia note: Centennial Park is the site of the climactic scene in Robert Altman's 1970s film, Nashville.
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Like it or not, Centennial is definitely our fair city's finest park. The Parthenon is beautiful, and there are plenty of shady trees and lots room for Frisbee and football. I personally like the small artificial lake; it's nice and placid and perfect for feeding ducks.
Centennial Park is right off West End in a pretty safe area, and, though I'm not much of a jogger, it's probably the best spot on the West Side for a walk or a run. There is a pretty neat fighter jet mounted at the far end of the park, and the whole place is great for kids.
In the summer, Shakespeare in the Park is definitely worth checking out. Parking is typically pretty plentiful.
Centennial Park is Nashville's biggest urban park located just off west end. It is the home of the Parthenon which houses a statue of Athena as well as an art gallery downstairs. It is also the location of many free things to do in the summer including:
Big Band Dances complete with free lessons (June - Sept) ,Shakespeare in the Park, & Movies in the Park
There are also a ton of festivals hosted here. This is also one of the locations that Metro holds its art classes. And apparently now the park has free wi-fi. Not to mention plenty of space to walk and play.
Centennial Park is a very pretty urban park in Nashville,TN near Vanderbilt Campus, and just a five minute from downtown. It is the home of the Parthenon full scale replica and art museum. Yes, they have a full scale golden Athena inside the full scale Parthenon. It is unique to see the Parthenon sitting out on the grass in the park. It is the only place in the world where you can see the whole building intact. The Nashville Parthenon doesn't have the beautiful marble construction that the original had, but you know its harder to afford those kind of luxuries when you actually have to pay people for its construction instead of just using slave labor.
The park has a paved 1 mile jogging,and biking trail that circles the park. There are several ponds where ducks and swans swim all day long. There are lots of flower and blooming bush plantings that surround the ponds. You can sit on one of the many benches and have a smooch session with your significant other. This seems to be a popular activity here as the afternoon gets late.
The museum inside the Parethon is also worth a visit. You can spend a hour or two looking at the collection. They often have a gallery of local artists in addition to their permanent collection.
As a total random mention, the band 'Casiotone for the Painfully Alone' has a song called "Nashville Parthenon" it is a great and very obscure indie rock song. I just like that the building has reached all the way into the Hipster conscience.
Other pop culture references for the Parthenon include Nashville's favorite new celebrities, Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman who have been photographed strolling through the park.
Centennial Park is a great place to be on a nice day. Of course, I'm a bit biased by the fact that I proposed to my wife here, and we walked for miles last December trying to convince our child to pop out.
However, bias or not, its a very large green space that is very well maintained. It has a good bit of parking for park visitors, but it gets pushed to the limits when there is a big event hosted there, like the movies or Shakespeare. Whatever you do, don't park here when you're not supposed to, like for Vandy games - they aren't shy about towing!
We've not actually been IN the Parthenon, but we've walked around it a good bit, even in the dark of night, since it is very throughly lit. We've always felt safe here.
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the parthenon thing is funny. Tee hee. Fun to stop by and see if you're in the area, otherwise it's not an overly pretty park. If you're only visiting nashville for a few days, spend time doing something else.
The parthenon is completely stupid and useless except for making awesome greek mythology God war videos (Which it's perfect for). That doesn't keep Centennial from being my favorite park in Nashville! There's always something to be entertained by whether it's the overly agressive ducks, a movie in the park, some special event, or the fake fighter plane. You could say Centennial is the best and weirdest place to picnic in Nashville
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Lots of grass and big old trees for shady picnics, or just a cool respite from the asphault. I like the Parthenon a lot. It does three things really well: first, it is a replica of what the Parthenon would have looked like in ancient Greece, with accesible displays and explanations throughout. Experts say the replica is not perfect, but still it is an impressive feat on a major scale; the gigantic Athena statue inside is memorable. Second, there are interesting displays about the Nashville Cenntennial: a revealing snapshot of the city's history and its curious nickname as "the Athens of the South." Third, the exhibits in its art gallery are pretty interesting... they are rotating exhbiits, and it usually is a modern concept pivoting off of the classical art tradition.
As a classics major I think its alright to look at from the outside. Once you get inside...yikes! first of all, what kind of place has the security guy so bored that he tells you to spit your gum out??? Plus, Athena looks like a joke. So, go to the park enjoy it from the outside (you can take some pretty aswesome pictures) and spend the $5 admission on some frozen popsicles from Las Paletas!
