What To Know To Visit Nashville’s Parthenon With Kids

If you’re planning a trip to Nashville, Tennessee, chances are you’ve come across the Parthenon. Is it worth it? Is the Nashville Parthenon similar to the Greek Parthenon? What’s the point? Is the Nashville Parthenon good to see with kids? If you’ve got questions bouncing through your brain, you’re not alone. To be fair though, I grew up in Ohio where my mother went to university inOxford and I went to university in Athens. I have family that lives in Dublin and have driven through Troy. It shouldn’t be surprising to me that not only do we have European cities that dot the US map but we also have European treasures.

Nashville Parthenon, Nashville, Tennessee, United States

The Nashville Parthenon is a beautiful highlight of travel in Tennessee. Find out more:

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Basic Info

Address: Centennial Park, 2500 West End Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee
Hours: Monday – Thursday: 9:00am ~ 7:00pm; Friday – Saturday: 9:00am ~ 4:30pm; Sunday: 12:30pm ~ 4:30pm
Admission: Adults: $10.00; Youth 4-17: $8.00; Children under 4 are FREE.
Tours: There are architecture tours available on the first Tuesday and Thursday of the month at 3:00pm as well as the first Saturday of the month at 10:00am.

What To Know

Why was the Nashville Parthenon built?

The Nashville Parthenon was originally built for Tennessee’s 1897 Centennial Exposition and yes, it is an exact replica of the Greek Parthenon in Athens, Greece. This is the only exact replica in size and detail as the original in fact and because of that Nashville has been given the nickname “Athens of the South”. The beautiful building was actually built to be temporary, though clearly that didn’t stick, and when it came time to tear it down after the exposition, it just didn’t happen.

You might be wondering why they built a building that ahs stood the test of time so well when they were just going to tear it down. Well, actually, the exterior decorations and details were made of plaster and that soon began deteriorating and the structure was continuously patched and repaired until the 1920s when a decision was finally made to actually tear it down and rebuild the Parthenon entirely. Local architect Russell Hart and architectural historian William Bell Dinsmoor took on the task.

When the building was completed and opened in 1931, there were two things that were missing to make it an exact replica of the original Parthenon. Missing was the statue of Athena and the Ionic freize on the exterior. Due to budgetary issues, these didn’t come to fruition until 1982 thanks to years of donations. Finally unveiled in 1990, the statue and Ionice freize had been added, with the gilding on the statue completed in 2002 and it is spectacular.

Has the Nashville Parthenon been in any movies?

If you thought you recognized it, you could be correct. The Parthenon was used in the 1975 film Nashville with Robert Altman and was also in a battle scene in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.

What Greek mythology creatures can be found?

There are so many! If you’re learning about Greek mythology or teaching your kids, be sure to look for the following:

Gryphons: These part-eagle, part-lion mythological creatures can be found on the four corners on the exterior of the Parthenon as well as inside.
Nike: The Greek goddess of victory can be seen at the top center of the east pediment if you’re outside. You can spot her by looking for her wings and the laurel wreath she extends towards the goddess near her.
Zeus: If you’ve found Nike on the exterior, you can spot Zeus. He is the large seated figure nearby. The Greek god of the sky and thunder is the ruler of the 12 Olympian gods.
Athena: The Greek goddess of wisdom, strategic warfare, weaving, arts and crafts and more, is on the exterior to the right of Nike as well as towering inside. You can find her thanks to her helmet, armor, spear, and shield.
Helios: The god of the sun can be picked out easily thanks to his chariot and four horses which he uses to move the sun across the sky every day..
Dionysos: The Greek god of theater, festivals, parties, wine, and revelry is also easy to spot as he enjoys reclining and lounging.
Dionysos and Persephone: This mother-daughter duo is Persephone, the Greek goddess of spring and the queen of the Underworld and the daughter of Demeter, the Greek goddess of grains, harvest, and fertility.
Iris: The Greek goddess of rainbows is the messenger of the gods. She can be spotted thanks to her outstretched arms holding a fabric cloak.
Poseidon: The Greek god of the sea, horses, and earthquakes is easily identifiable for many with his full beard, bare chest, and trident that everyone knows from their favorite “Little Mermaid” movie.
Hebe: The Greek goddess of youth and the cupbearer to the gods is a small figure that you can find near Poseidon on the exterior of the Parthenon.
Aphrodite: The Greek goddess of love, passion, and beauty can usually be seen with her peplos, or Greek gown falling around her.
Hephaistos: The Greek god of the forge, blacksmiths, carpenters, and artisans is spotted thanks to the axe in his left hand.
Ares: The Greek god of war, you can find him with his helmet, sword, and shield.
Artemis: The Greek goddess of hunting, you can see her hair swept up into a bun and arrows at her shoulder.
Hera: Easy to spot as she has a peacock alongside her, Hera is the wife of Zeus and Greek goddess of marriage and childbirth.
Hermes: The Greek god of travel, messages, thieves, trickery, and commerce has a winged cap and shoes and a winged staff with two snakes weaving around it.
Apollo: The Greek god of music, dance, poetry, knowledge, and prophecy, Apollo holds a lyre at his side.
Ganymede: The human cupbearer to the Olympians, Ganymede is known for his beauty was a Trojan prince who was given eternal youth and immortality in return for his service to the gods.
Selene: The goddess of the moon, she is similar to Helios in that she has a four horses that help her move the moon across the sky each night.

What To See

How long does it take to see the Parthenon in Nashville?

You could easily spend an hour in and around the Parthenon looking at the architecture and enjoying the art inside. Take advantage of the various programs and opportunities to learn inside and enjoy the time there.

How many columns are on the Parthenon?

There are 8 columns on the east and west sides of the building and 17 columns on the north and south sides bringing the total to 46 columns. More interesting than the number though, is that the columns create an optical illusion when you look at them. The buildings lines, rather than being constructed to be perfectly 90 degrees and straight, were constructed instead to be perfect to the human eye. What’s the difference? If the lines were perfectly straight, our eyes would distort the image so instead, the original architects designed the columns to tilt slightly inward and every horizontal line is curved to lift in the middle.

If you want to “see” this in action, take something with you with a straight line like your phone or a piece of paper and hold it up when you’re looking at the Parthenon to see how the lines differ.

What to know about the statue of Athena

Once you step inside the naos, the primary space inside the temple, you will find a beautiful and enormous statue of Athena, the goddess of wisdom, warfare, and the arts. Athena is 41 feet 10 inches tall and she holds in her hand a statue of Nike who is 6 feet 4 inches.

The ancient sculpture of Athena was created by Pheidias in the 5th century BCE and was made from ivory and plates of gold that were fixed to a wooden frame. The modern version in the Nashville Parthenon was sculpted by Nashville artist Alan LeQuire between 1982 and 1990. This statue is made from gypsum cement, reinforced with fiberglass, on a steel frame and gilded with 8 pounds of 23.75 carat gold.

Is the Nashville Parthenon worth it?

We thought it was stunning. The building itself is very interesting and if you take your time and learn more about the Greek mythological creatures, you can enjoy so much. Additionally, the park is a beautiful green space for a picnic.

Tips to see the Nashville Parthenon with kids

Kid-friendly guides: Definitely check out the downloadable guide to the Parthenon specifically for kids on the official Nashville Parthenon website. It is chalk full of interesting tidbits and missions for them to complete like finding centaurs, Medusa, and Griffin and key infographics to help children learn about the Greek Gods. You can also pick up materials in person and see what activities are going on in the Kidsville Activity Corner in the lobby when you arrive as well.
Audio tours: Listen to the audio tours together. The audio tours are available 24/7 and describe the exterior architecture. Even if you just plan to enjoy the outside, you can learn a about the mythology and structural details. This might be a bit much for younger learners, but there is also a transcript available so you won’t miss anything. Conversely, just use the transcript to start a conversation with your kids and point things out to them so you can do it in your own time.
Learn about optical illusions: As mentioned above under “How any columns are on the Parthenon?”, the Parthenon was built as an optical illusion so it would be more impressive to our eyes. This is a great opportunity to learn about optical illusions and show your kids one in action. If you download the transcript for the audio tour I just mentioned, you can find more information about the optical illusion in section 3b.
STEAM Resources: If you’re a homeschooler like us, then you’ll definitely want to expand on the trip to the Nashville Parthenon and they make it super easy to do just that! There are some awesome educational resources available for all ages that include art, architecture, vocabulary, Greek mythology and more. Check it out and expand the experience.
Check out the playground: There is a playground on the grounds as well to get some energy out and climb on things other than giant columns.

The Nashville Parthenon and the Centennial Park that surrounds it is a beautiful place to check out in Nashville, Tennessee. I hope you can see and learn more when you go!

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