Well I decided to go to Nashville, but I wasn't a country music fan, so I needed to find something else to do in the city. I found the Parthenon at http://www.nashville.gov/parthenon/ and decided I'd check it out.

It just so happened that the day I want to visit the Parthenon is also Dog Day and the park the museum is located in, Centennial Park, is filled with dogs and owners. It was a pain finding parking, which I'd imagine is not normal, but it gave me a chance to walk across the grass and pet lots of cute doggies along the way.

The Parthenon itself is an exact replica of the one in Greece. It was built in 1897 for the Centennial Exhibition along with some other 'worldly' buildings, such as a pyramid, but was the only one that was kept. Most likely because it is representative of the fact that Nashville has been called, since even before 1897, the Athens of the South.

Upon arriving I saw that the admission was $3.50 for adults and $2 for seniors (62 and better) and kids (4-17). I had a two for one admission coupon I found online so it was very cheap to get in. No bags were allowed and I was given a free token to use the lockers available for backpacks and large purses. No photography was allowed in the lower level gallery, but was allowed on the second floor.

The first floor had a large section about the history of the building itself, with many black and white photos. It talked about it being rebuilt in concrete after the original material, plaster, had deteriorated too much in the 1920s. Beyond that was a permanent collection of oil paintings from the 1800s and 1900s by artists I had not every heard of. The most interesting part was the temporary exhibit which was on cartoons from the 1920s to 1950s. There were many cells and sketches of Disney movies and the Gladstones/Flintstones. I liked that exhibit the best.

And then there was the second floor, which was accessible by stairs or elevator. Upstairs was where the 42-foot gilded statue of Athena was. She was very impressive, although her face didn't look very godly to me. There was a good description of the piece including information about her detailed shield. Also in that room was information about all the gods and demigods that line the pediments (the triangle things at the roof of the parthenon). There was a fair amount of history about Greek mythology which was interesting.

There was a gift shop which apparently had been flooded so a girl was sitting at a table selling a limited number of items including postcards, pins, magnets, silver spoons, and Greek coins.

The whole place was rather small, it took me less than 45 minutes to see everything, with just the 4 areas: history, permanent, temporary, and Greek. Don't plan on spending the whole day here, you'll be bored. But, it was definitely worth the inexpensive price. And it was nice that it was in the park. Upon leaving I saw one of the "Catfish out of Water" statues found throughout the city (similar to the cows statues in other cities) and my husband and I found a fun bench swing that we spent some time in before leaving the Centennial Park area. But just remember, if you go on Dog Day, watch your step!

Recommended: Yes

Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime