Why Should I Visit the Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee?
I don’t know about you, but it’s always been my dream to travel to the great city of Nashville, Tennessee. If you agree, then you know there are countless sights to drink in here, everything from the Grand Ole Opry to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. You’ve heard good things about the Parthenon too. Should you visit the Parthenon during your Nashville trip?
Visiting the Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee is a great idea for these reasons:
- It’s an excellent replica
- A great chance to see Greek architecture without visiting Greece
- On-site museum
- Has been used in many movies
In today’s post, I’ll tell you what you can see and do at the Parthenon, how kid-appropriate it is, how much a day at the Parthenon costs, and if it’s hard getting there. You’ll then be able to decide if you should slot an afternoon at the Parthenon into your Nashville travels.
What Is the Parthenon?
Did you know that Nashville is known as the Athens of the South? That’s Athens as in Athens, Greece. That’s why the Parthenon is such a natural fit.
Featured in Centennial Park, the Parthenon was planned by William Crawford Smith, an architect, in the late 1890s. The building was replicated by 1897.
The Parthenon in Nashville is designed to be a perfect copy of the one in Greece, even featuring polychrome paint to match the original.
It’s full-scale too at more than 40 feet, so visiting this Parthenon is like taking a trip to Greece but without the overseas travel, passport, and huge expense.
Filmmakers often choose Nashville over Greece if they need a Greek building for a television show or movie. In the 1975 movie Nashville by Robert Altman, the Nashville Parthenon is featured in a major scene involving a political rally.
More recently, in 2010’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, the Hydra battle showcases Nashville’s Parthenon!
What Is There to See and Do at the Parthenon?
I find the Parthenon in Nashville so beautiful that I can stand outside and marvel at its exterior architecture all day. You can do that too, but there’s plenty more to do should you choose to spend a day here.
Inside the Parthenon is an art museum. The lower level features permanent art installations from a variety of American artists who did works between the 19th and 20th centuries. You can view more than 60 paintings in all.
Temporary exhibits and shows occur in the leftover gallery space all the time, so if you visit more than once, there should always be something new to see.
On the main floor, you should check out the Athena Parthenos statue, which is a recreation in chryselephantine of the Greek goddess Athena.
The Nashville Parthenon’s Athena statue is a recreation, and it was built in 1990. It’s a lot newer than other parts of the building!
Most sights you will see throughout the museum, including the Parthenon Marbles, are replicas. The Parthenon Marbles–which is a series of marble sculptures from Ancient Greek times–are made of plaster.
In the summertime especially, the Parthenon’s museum becomes the perfect destination for live performances, mostly plays. Some of them are performed inside the museum, but many more are done outside to use the Parthenon as a dramatic backdrop.
Some of the plays you might get to witness are Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman, Antigone by Sophocles, and Medea by Euripides.
Can I Take My Kids to the Parthenon?
Are you looking for some family-friendly fun around Nashville? The Parthenon could be it, but please note how I said could.
The giant Athena statue usually impresses kids of all ages since it’s so imposing. However, outside of that, younger kids won’t have a lot to entertain them. That’s not to cheapen the exhibits at all, because they’re marvelous.
To a kid though, the art and replica statues and figures can come across as boring. Older kids and teens, especially those with an appreciation of art, might have a very different opinion of the Parthenon.
If you have younger kids and you want to entice them to let you and your partner or spouse spend a few hours at the Parthenon, you can always take them for ice cream or promise a trip to the more kid-friendly Adventure Science Center.
Is the Parthenon Often Crowded?
Nashville is not short on sights for tourists to enjoy, but even still, the Parthenon remains a must-see destination for many people passing through Nashville. That’s why you can often expect the Parthenon to get quite crowded.
It’s hard to take photos of the stunning architecture when people are dashing across the building’s exterior. You also can’t enjoy the art inside the museum when you’re constantly looking over people’s heads.
Here are a few times when you can see the Parthenon with a smaller crowd.
As Soon As It Opens
The Parthenon opens at 9 a.m. on all days it’s open except for Sundays when it opens at 12:30 p.m. If you can get to the building before 9 a.m., then you’ll have the first crack at it.
During Inclement Weather/Threats of Inclement Weather
Although it’s not ideal, if you don’t let a few drops of rain ruin your day, then head on out to the Parthenon. It should still be open even in inclement weather, as most of what there is to see is inside. You just can’t expect any outdoor plays or performances, obviously.
Even the threat of rain might be enough to thin the crowds.
During the Week
As you can imagine, when parents are off work and the kids are done with school for the week, the crowds at the Parthenon are going to be huge. If you can get there during the week, you won’t see nearly as many people by comparison.
What Is There to Do Around the Parthenon?
Do you want to make a whole day of your Parthenon trip? After you get a taste of Greek history and architecture by visiting the building and museum, here are some other places in the vicinity for you to check out.
Grand Ole Opry
Whet your appetite for live Nashville entertainment at the Parthenon, then satiate that appetite fully at the Grand Ole Opry. Since 1925, the Grand Ole Opry has been a premier destination for live music.
Today, you can see more contemporary artists than in years past. You can also schedule a daytime backstage tour or a post-show backstage tour for some of the shows that occur in this historic building.
Centennial Park Playground
For the kiddos, a few hours spent at the Centennial Park Playground ought to make up for a less-than-stellar time (for them, at least) at the Parthenon.
With three playgrounds on the premises, including the Ian Potter Children’s WILD PLAY Garden, there is plenty for kids of all ages to enjoy.
The latter park inspires kids (and adults too) to learn about and engage in nature play.
The Learners Cycleway Playground is named after its kid-friendly cycleway. The shaded area features a bathroom and a barbecue area.
Paddington Gates Playground, once known as the Rocket Park, is for kids between one and 12 years old. Your kids can go wild on dual play spaces with sliding, balancing, spinning, swinging, and climbing equipment as well as a double see-saw. You’ll even find a quiet play area.
Finally, Centennial Homestead Playground for kids up to five years old has a lot to enjoy, like turtle sculptures, hug-me poles, a water feature, guiros, and plenty of play equipment with heritage stone and timber design.
Families can grab something to eat after working up an appetite at the nearby Centennial Homestead Café and Restaurant.
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Those passionate about country music should not pass up on a chance to walk through the esteemed halls of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. You won’t find more artifacts from the genre anywhere else than here.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is now on a 140,000-square-foot facility, so you might want to plan an entire day here if you don’t want to rush through the multitude of exhibits.
Some of what you can see include an Iconic Vehicles display (featuring vehicles owned and driven by Jerry Reed and Elvis Presley, among others), stage costumes, nearly 1,000 instruments, over 30,000 moving images in multiple formats, about 500,000 prints, and more than 250,000 sound recordings.
Tennessee State Museum
You can also easily get to the Tennessee State Museum from Nashville’s Parthenon.
This sizable museum is 137,000 square feet in all. Again, if you can swing it, I’d recommend a good chunk of time or even the whole day to see the museum properly.
You can venture through the Tennessee Tunnel to learn about the history of this great southern state, check out the Grand Hall, visit the digital learning center, view the rotating galleries, or bring the kiddos to the children’s gallery with plenty of hands-on elements.
How to Get to the Parthenon?
If you fly into Nashville and land at the John C. Tune Airport, you’re not far at all from Nashville and thus the Parthenon. That’s also true if you land at the Nashville International Airport.
You can rent a car or get an Uber or Lyft from the John C. Tune Airport and arrive at the Parthenon in only 15 minutes if you take Cockrill Bend Boulevard. The trip is 6.8 miles total, which isn’t bad.
If you go via Centennial Boulevard, you’re looking at a 5.8-mile trip that will take about 15 minutes. You can also get to the Parthenon from John C. Tune Airport by car by hopping on I-40 E. That’s a 7.9-mile trip that will take approximately 16 minutes.
From Nashville International Airport, you can reach the Parthenon in 25 minutes if you take I-40 W. That’s a 10.9-mile trip. If you take I-440W, you’ll get there in 24 minutes, driving across 12.8 miles.
You can also take Murfreesboro Pike and then I-440W over 14.2 miles. You’ll arrive in 28 minutes.
Is Visiting the Parthenon Expensive?
As a frequent traveler, I love finding deals when I can. I’m sure you’re the same way. That’s why I think you’ll be delighted to learn that visiting Nashville’s Parthenon is inexpensive.
According to the official Parthenon website, admission costs $10 for adults, $8 for youths (ages four through 17), and $8 for seniors (ages 62 and up). Children under the age of four can enter for free.
Members also gain free attendance. You’d join the Centennial Park Conservancy for an annual fee. Depending on your membership level, you can bring one other person to seven other people to the Parthenon for free for a year.
Speaking of extra people, if you’re in a group, the Parthenon offers group rates. An adult group costs $9, a student or senior group is $6, and a tour company group costs $7.
Is the Parthenon Open Year ‘Round?
Maybe you like to travel at off-peak seasons so tourist traps feel less touristy. That’s a great travel tip!
The good news is that the Parthenon is open for most of the year.
As of this writing, the Parthenon in Nashville is closed every Monday and Tuesday. Their Wednesday through Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and their Sunday hours are 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., to reiterate from earlier.
The Parthenon is closed on the following days:
- New Year’s Day
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- President’s Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day or 4th of July
- Labor Day
- Veterans Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Black Friday
- Christmas Eve
- Christmas Day
Final Thoughts
The Parthenon in Nashville is a must-see destination if Greece has been your bucket-list trip for as long as you can remember. You can see lifelike replicas of real Greek architecture, artifacts, and sculptures.
Plus, there are lots of great areas to visit around the Parthenon, including the Grand Ole Opry and the Tennessee State Museum.
Here’s to hoping you can visit soon!