Parthenon (The)

Description:

• 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 8 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. Inside the air-conditioned galleries, 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. Allow about 30 minutes.

• © Frommer's 2013