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During your Nashville vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
The Parthenon
Centennial Park, as the name implies, was built for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition of 1897, and this full-size replica of the Athens Parthenon was the exposition's centerpiece. The original structure was only meant to be temporary, however, and by 1921 the building, which had become a Nashville landmark, was in an advanced state of deterioration. In that year, the city undertook reconstruction of its Parthenon and by 1931 a new, permanent building stood in Centennial Park. The building now duplicates the floor plan of the original Parthenon in Greece. Inside stands the 42-foot-tall statue of Athena Parthenos, the goddess of wisdom, prudent warfare, and the arts. Newly gilded with eight pounds of gold leaf, she is the tallest indoor sculpture in the country.In addition to this impressive statue, there are original plaster castings of the famous Elgin marbles -- bas-reliefs that once decorated the pediment of the Parthenon. Down in the basement galleries of the Parthenon, you'll find an excellent collection of 19th- and 20th-century American art. The Parthenon's two pairs of bronze doors, which weigh in at 7 1/2 tons per door, are considered the largest matching bronze doors in the world. A recent renovation of the building included air conditioning, which should make for pleasant viewing on muggy summer days. Allow about 30 minutes.
Travellers Rest Historic House Museum
Built in 1799, Travellers Rest, as its name implies, once offered gracious Southern hospitality to travelers passing through a land that had only recently been settled. Judge John Overton (who, along with Andrew Jackson and Gen. James Winchester, founded the city of Memphis) built Travellers Rest. Overton also served as a political advisor to Jackson when he ran for president. Among the period furnishings you'll see in this restored Federal-style farmhouse is the state's largest public collection of pre-1840 Tennessee-made furniture. Allow an hour to tour the museum, and more if you want to wander the grounds and outbuildings.
The Frist Center for the Visual Arts
Opened in April 2001, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts brings world-class art exhibits to the historic downtown post office building. The nonprofit center does not maintain a permanent collection but rather presents exhibitions from around the globe. Upstairs, the ArtQuest Gallery encourages visitors to explore a range of art experiences through more than 30 interactive multimedia stations. Creative kids and likeminded adults could spend hours here.In addition to the high quality of its exhibitions, the Frist is free to visitors 18 and under, making it an excellent value as well. Coming exhibitions in 2004: Jacob Lawrence: The Migration Series from the Phillips Collection, featuring the 20th-century American artist's works tracing the movement of blacks from the rural South to the industrial North between the first and second world wars. Running concurrently will be an exhibition of European masterworks from the same collection, by artists including Cézanne, Monet, Degas, Picasso, and Gauguin. Looking farther ahead, the Frist's next blockbuster exhibition is slated for June to early October 2006. Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt is being billed as the largest group of antiquities ever on loan from Egypt for North America.Constructed during the Depression, Nashville's main post office is home to the Frist Center for the Arts. Classical and Art Deco architectural styles are prominent within the marble and gray-pink granite building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Intricate grillwork celebrates icons of American progress: an airplane, a locomotive, a ship, and an automobile. Among other achievements represented in the icons: scientific research (a microscope, test tube, and flask), harvesting (a sheaf of wheat and sickle), industry (cogwheels), publishing (a book press), sowing (a hand plow), metalwork (a hammer and anvil), the pursuit of knowledge (the lamp of learning resting on books), and nautical endeavors (a dolphin and propeller).
Sheraton Music City Hotel
Nearby Airports: * Nashville International Airport - 2 Miles Nearby Cities: * Mt. Juliet - 7 Miles * Antioch - 10 Miles * Belle Meade - 10 Miles * Madison - 10 Miles * Old Hickory - 10 Miles * Franklin - 15 Miles * Hendersonville - 15 Miles * La Vergne - 15 Miles * Goodlettsville - 17 Miles * Lebanon - 20 Miles * Smyrna - 20 Miles * Gallatin - 25 Miles * Murfreesboro - 30 Miles * Dickson - 40 ...
Comfort Inn & Suites
The Comfort Inn & Suites offers complimentary continental breakfast. All rooms feature microwave, refrigerator and coffee makers. Room Service hours: ...
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