Bicentennial Park is also called Bicentennial Mall and is located in downtown Nashville. It is a 19-acre state park ( it is not a shopping mall, though the name says otherwise.) The grounds are located northwest of the Tennessee State Capitol and was opened in the late 1990's, which marked the 200 years since Tennessee officially became a US State. Its main purpose was for the preservation of the northerly view of the State Capitol Building. The park includes facts about Tennessee’s history, attractions and landmarks, and was primarily built to celebrate the state’s statehood of 200 years.
Here on the southern end you will see the amazing Tennessee Map Plaza. This impressively massive granite map of the state measures 200-feet wide. Installed below it are eight smaller counterparts that display other important details about the state. Here is the Rivers of Tennessee Fountains. It showcases 31 water fountains that each represents a major river and waterways of the state.
Now we walk over to the northern end of the park through this tree-lined lawn. There are four main walkways. The two inner paths are the Path of Volunteers. The outer path on the east is the Walkway of Counties, a representation of the topography of the Grand Divisions. Underneath are buried time capsules from each county, set to be opened in the future, which will mark the state’s 300th anniversary. The park comprises of a 1,400-foot Pathway of History with engraved historical events that transpired from the years 1796 up to 1996. The decades are marked with granite pylon, though there is a disruption in the wall which represents the Civil War and exactly how the state was divided during that event. There is also a commemorative 18,000-pound granite globe floating in water which represents the World War II Memorial.
There is a scaled amphitheater ingenuously patterned after the Epidaurus Amphitheater in Greece which can hold up to 2,000 people. The amphitheater has a center stage with rows of stone steps joined by a terraced lawn where you can rest your feet on the grass. The park is also a perfect place for picnics and gatherings because of its open area. It has a very large lawn and one can spend the day lounging in the green grass enjoying and letting the day pass with your family and friends.
This is the Court of Three Stars. The red, white and blue granite represent the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee. These adjacent 50 columns hold a 95-bell carillon that represents the 95 counties of Tennessee. In the early 2000's, this 19-acre park was the number one tourist attraction in Tennessee. Eleven years later it was in the top ten public places in the US.
Aside from picnics, the grounds can be considered a really exceptional place to take prenuptial and wedding pictures. There is a court called the Carillons and Court of 3 Stars which has bell towers that represent the counties of the state and the bells play songs every hour. Plus, aside from those you get a stunning sight of the State Capitol Building.
Photo Tennessee Bicentennial Mall - 100_0565 by Stephen Yeargin is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
