The Parthenon Reviews (Nashville, Tennessee)

The World's Only Full Scale Replica of Athen's Parthenon

Indianapolis, Indiana

January 27, 2010

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Best of IgoUgo In 1897 Tennessee celebrated its 100th year since joining the Union, although they were a year late as they joined in 1796. To commemorate the special occasion, the Tennessee Centennial Exposition was held in Nashville. Different cities in ...Read more In 1897 Tennessee celebrated its 100th year since joining the Union, although they were a year late as they joined in 1796. To commemorate the special occasion, the Tennessee Centennial Exposition was held in Nashville. Different cities in Tennessee built exhibits and buildings on the grounds that closely related to their own history. Memphis built a pyramid that highlighted the history of Memphis as the ancient capital city of Egypt. Nashville built a full scale replica of the Parthenon as the city’s nickname has always been "The Athens of the South."

The Exposition was held in what is today known as Centennial Park. It is a 132 acre park located a few miles from downtown and directly across the street from Vanderbilt University. The original Parthenon was built as a temporary structure but in 1925 it was rebuilt as a permanent structure. The Parthenon operates today as an art museum.

Tours of the Parthenon cost $6 unless you have purchased a Music City Pass which already includes admission. The ground floor of the Parthenon is an art gallery divided into the east and west galleries. There is a permanent collection of 63 paintings by 19th and 20th century painters. There are also art exhibits that change periodically and a full schedule of the different exhibits can be found on their website.

An elevator or a flight of stairs takes you to the second level where Athena resides. Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom, war, and justice. Athens was named in her honor and it was the Athenians who built the Greek Parthenon. Inside the Parthenon in Greece once stood the Athena Parthenos, a tall structure of Athena that was built sometime around 447 BC but was destroyed centuries later. In Nashville, a reconstruction of Athena stands 41 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs 12 tons, making it the largest indoor sculpture in the western world. In her right hand is a statue of Nike, the goddess of victory, which stands 6 feet 4 inches tall. Her other hand is propping up a large shield. The statue took eight years to build and in 2002 the gilding process was applied giving the statue its current form. Surrounding Athena on both sides of the wall are seventeen different statues representing Greek gods and goddesses.

Behind the Athena statue is the Treasury Room where a few sculptures are on display as well as the exit to the Parthenon. The doors leading out of the Parthenon are 7 feet wide, 24 feet tall and 1 foot thick. The doors weigh 7.5 tons and are considered to be the largest matching set of bronze doors in the world.

The Parthenon is open to the public Tuesday thru Saturday from 9am to 4:30pm. During the months of June thru August, it is also open on Sunday from 12:30-4:30. The tours are self-guided and it usually takes about 45 minutes. There is also a gift shop on the lower level of the Parthenon.
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From journal Nashville, Tennessee - Home of Country Music and Southern Cooking

The Parthenon

by saythankyou

Phoenix, Arizona

May 25, 2006

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Best of IgoUgo What can I say about the Parthenon in Nashville other than it is the only place you can see a full scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens? Oh yes...The Parthenon is also an art museum with paintings by 19th and 20th century artists. You ...Read more

From journal Our First Trip to Nashville

Nashville Parthenon

by thewanderingpoet518

Rochester, Michigan

August 23, 2005

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Apparently, at the end of the 19th century, Nashville was considered to be the "Athens of the West," and to commemorate this ideal, the Parthenon was built. A century and some change later, the structure has been updated and refurbished and serves ...Read more

From journal Wu Wei Reunion in Nashville

The Parthenon

by dwsmith78

St. Louis, Missouri

January 20, 2005

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This is just odd. You're in the middle of a large urban park, and sitting on top of a hill is the Parthenon! I expected it to be larger. Having spent a lot of time in D.C., the size wasn't all that impressive. However, it was something to look at ...Read more

From journal Nashville - A mixed-breed city

The Parthenon

by Cindy64

Edmond, Oklahoma

May 7, 2002

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I am a history fanatic, so I thought the Parthenon was great. It is a full-size replica of the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. I've seen the Elgin marbles in the British museum in London. This was much better because you can see ...Read more

From journal Nashville--A Great Place to Be!

The Parthenon

by Tideone

Huntsville, Alabama

October 4, 2000

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You don't have to travel to Greece to see the Parthenon. You only have to travel to Nashville where the world's only full scale replica sits in Centennial Park. Originally built as part of the 1897 Centennial Exposition, the Parthenon now houses ...Read more

From journal Nashville, so much more than just country music

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