The Parthenon of Nashville!

What Is The Parthenon of Nashville?

This is the only full-sized replica of the Parthenon of Athens outside of Greece!

What Makes It Historical?

Since 1820, Nashville was known as the Athens of the West, then Southwest, then South, because the city was full of Greek Revival architecture and put a lot of resources into higher education! For this reason, it made sense to sample a huge, Greek monument to celebrate Nashville’s centennial in 1897! This task fell to Robert Creighton, who built a $30,000 wood and plaster replica that was so beloved, it was left standing in the park long after the centennial exposition was over. When it fell to disrepair, it made a lot of people sad, so plans were made to put something more permanent in place!

Architect, Russell Hart, worked for eleven years with archaeologist, William B. Dinsmoor, and Robert Creighton’s son, Wilbur, to create an exact replica of the Parthenon of Athens! Using the British Museum’s floor plans of the original Parthenon, they copied it to a thousandth of an inch in all dimensions and built it from concrete mixed with quartz! They copied the subtle lean of the pillars, and a slight raise in the outside steps that gave the optical illusion of straightness! Today, the Parthenon that was only supposed to last a season is still standing as an art gallery in the heart of Nashville!

How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?

Volunteer at The Parthenon of Nashville!
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Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!