Satisfy Your Inner Artist and Visit The Parethenon

One of Nashville’s most unique attractions is the Parthenon, located in Centennial Park. This iconic building is a built-to-scale replica of the original building by the same name located in Athens, Greece. This Nashvillian landmark was designed by Confederate Veteran William Crawford Smith, and was built during the 100 year anniversary of the state of Tennessee.

In 2017, the Parthenon acts as an art museum, as well as the focal point of Centennial Park – which is just west of downtown. For authenticity, there’s a Athena Parthenos statue that is the focus of the museum itself, just as there was a statue in the original Parthenon in ancient Greece. The statue is 42 feet high and sculpted with over 8 pounds of gold leaf. Within the museum is also fragments of the original Parthenon in Athens that date all the way back to 438 BC.

Athens Of The South

One of the names given to Nashville is “The Athens of The South”, and it’s for this reason that the Parthenon was eventually built within the city. Many buildings were presented to be built for the 100th year anniversary of the state, and many of which included the same style of architecture – classical. But what was special about the Parthenon was that it was the only choice that was an exact replica.

Humble Beginnings

Originally, the Parthenon was built out of wood, plaster, and brick, and was never intended to remain where it was permanently. But, due to the cost to destroy the project, as well as how much citizens and tourists enjoyed visiting the structure, it remained far longer than expected. Over the next 20 years, the weather took its toll on the landmark, which pushed the city to rebuild the Parthenon out of concrete, and on the same foundation. This project began in 1920, and was entirely completed by 1931.

Originally, the Parthenon was most popularly used for pageants and theater events. The pagents often included casts of over 500 people, which regularly attracted crowds from around the rest of the country. Perhaps most impressive about these pageants were the visual spectacle they could create almost 100 years ago. Chariot races, thousands of live birds, and set pieces that shot flames, created a hype for the Parthenon that would rival films and TV shows from today.

From 1954 to 1967, the Parthenon served as a backdrop for a massive nativity scene that was sponsored by the no longer existing Harveys department store. This monster of a scene was about 280 feet long, 75 feet deep and filled with loads of sparkling lights. Unfortunately for Nashvillians, this scene was sold to a shopping center in Cincinnati circa 1968.

The Parthenon’s permanent museum contains 63 paintings, all done by American artists, and all donated by the same man, James. M. Cowan. The rest of the gallery space is often used as a venue for many temporary art exhibits and shows.

Visit the Parthenon and see why Nashville is known as the Athens of The South. while you are at it, visit us in Nashville! Make sure you set some time aside for Nashville’s great sports teams while you are in town.