Self-guided Exterior Architecture Tour

The Parthenon is offering a Self-guided Exterior Architecture Tour in Centennial Park, available every day from 7 AM to 4 PM through December 31. It's a free walk around the outside of the building, so you can swing by whenever you've got a spare hour in the park.

For those who haven't spent much time with it, the building is a full-scale replica of the Parthenon in Athens, originally built for Tennessee's 1897 Centennial Exposition. It's meant as a monument to the pinnacle of classical architecture, and that's exactly what this tour focuses on. The route follows the same path museum experts would take, with graphics on the sidewalk to get you started and keep you moving. It's offered in several languages, so you can follow along in the one you're most comfortable with.

If you're curious about what's inside, the building serves as Nashville's art museum. The Naos holds plaster replicas of the Parthenon Marbles—direct casts of the original sculptures that adorned the pediments of the Athenian Parthenon back in 438 BC, the originals of which are in the British Museum in London. The museum also houses a permanent collection of 63 paintings by 19th and 20th-century American artists donated by James M. Cowan, along with gallery spaces for temporary shows. This exterior tour was put together during a temporary closure of the museum, so it lets you appreciate the architecture from the outside even when the doors aren't open.

You'll find it at 2600 West End Avenue in Centennial Park, and the tour is free. It runs daily from 7 AM to 4 PM through December 31.