Centennial Park Walking Audio Tour
Walk through Nashville’s history, culture, and community—at your own pace
Walk Through Nashville’s Story
Explore one of Nashville’s most iconic landscapes through a 12-stop self-guided walking audio tour that reveals the people, places, and movements that shaped Centennial Park, and the city beyond it.
Spanning art, music, activism, nature, and fun anecdotes, this immersive experience (created by Nashville Sites) transforms a walk through the Park into a journey across centuries of Nashville history.
How the Tour Works
Start at the Parthenon or jump in anywhere along the route
Scan the QR codes on the posted signs via your phone
Listen, walk, pause, and explore at your own pace
No app required. Headphones recommended.
The tour starts in front of the Parthenon and ends near the Bandshell, but the tour can be experienced in any sequence.
Stops Include:
The Parthenon
Suffrage Monument
James Roberson Statue & Bandshell
Lake Watauga
Centennial Arts Center & Swimming Pool
Sunken Garden & Taylor Swift Bench
Croquet Cafe, HCA & Dog Park
Children’s Memory Garden
Centennial Monuments & Performing Arts Center
Musicians Corner & Vanderbilt
Cockrill Springs
Great Lawn
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Family & Visitor Friendly
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Easy Sidewalk Route
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~1 Hour • 12 Stops
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Free, Self-Guided Mobile Phone Experience
What You’ll Experience Along the Way
🏛 A Landmark Unlike Any Other
The Parthenon: A full-scale replica of the ancient Greek temple
Built for the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition, which drew 1.8 million visitors
Home to Athena, the tallest indoor sculpture in the Western Hemisphere
Learn how this beloved icon became a symbol of Nashville’s identity as the “Athens of the South,” and what stories lie behind its columns.
🌿 Nature, Water & Environmental Stewardship
Lake Watauga, created for the 1897 Exposition and still at the heart of the Park today
An island apiary home to more than 300,000 honeybees, supporting pollinators and native plant life
Cockrill Springs, a natural water source used for thousands of years and restored to the landscape in 2014
These stories reveal how Centennial Park balances recreation, ecology, and sustainability in the heart of the city.
🎶 Music, Performance & Creative Expression
The historic Bandshell, where legends like Patsy Cline, Bruce Springsteen, and Jimmy Buffett once performed
Musicians Corner, a free concert series that has hosted thousands of artists, from rising stars to Grammy winners
A Park that continues to serve as a stage for performance, protest, and community celebration
Discover Centennial Park’s contributions to the creation of “Music City.”
✊ Civic History & Social Change
The Suffrage Monument, commemorating Tennessee’s pivotal role in securing women’s right to vote
Sites connected to Civil Rights activism, including protests that reshaped public spaces in Nashville
The Great Lawn, long used for marches, festivals, Pride celebrations, and public gathering
The tour explores how Centennial Park has reflected, and influenced, changing ideas of justice, democracy, and belonging.