4.5 Stars On our…read morelast day in Nashville, my brother and I spent time on the grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol. It was incorporated in a walk that took us from the Downtown Embassy Suites across from Music City Center to Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. It was my second time seeing the Tennessee State Capitol Building on my vacation. The first was from the Gray Line Tour. The Tennessee State Capitol Building with the Capitol District added a different dimension to the Nashville vacation. Once we got to Union Street, even though we were less than a mile from Broadway, Music City USA seemed miles away. It felt like we were now in a city celebrating the state of Tennessee. We entered from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard and 6th Avenue. The first thing I noticed is how high up it is. We climbed steps to enter the grounds. The Tennessee State Capitol Building is at the highest elevation in Downtown Nashville. It is remarkably noticeable from the Northside view along US 31/41, where it looks like it is on top of a small green mountain where a trail of steps carry people up. Not to be political (pardon the pun) the best spots to see The Tennessee State Capitol Building up close was from the east side. The second best spot to see it is from the north side either from US 31/41 or Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park where you get the awesome hill view. The Supreme Court Building blocks the west side. And during our visit, the reconstruction at Legislative Plaza prevented us from taking prime views at the south side. With that said we spent quality time on the east side. Being up on the higher elevation with mature trees, the weather felt better. When we ascended the southeast corner steps I took in the Alvin York statue. When we got to the top of the hill I took in the statue of President Andrew Jackson on his horse Cincinnati with the State Capitol behind it. Walking along the shaded walking paths, I took in the Tennessee Capitol Bell which is a replica of the Liberty Bell. Rising above Downtown Tennessee, my eyes took in a distant east view and past the Capitol an impressive view of Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park where we were headed next. I stopped to take in the pond. In the shadow of the State Capitol, my brother and I spent time on a bench overlooking the Tomb of President James Knox Polk and his wife Sarah. The majority of my attention was on the State Capitol Building. Designed by William Strickland, it was completed in 1859 when Tennessee decided that Nashville was going to be the state capitol. The architecture is Greek Revival. William Strickland based it on a Greek Iconic Temple. It stands 206.6 feet tall. It is one of twelve state capitols without a dome. While I was looking at it and taking pictures I was aware that the Tennessee State Senate and Governor could be behind the wall. I was certain that it was the second state capitol building that I spent time outside of (I also reviewed the Colorado State Capitol). Deciding to walk to the Tennessee State Capitol Building and ultimately Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park was a very good move. They added another dimension to the Nashville, Tennessee vacation where we got to celebrate the State of Tennessee. Being that this review focuses on the Tennessee State Capitol Building, I feel that my experience on its grounds admiring the beautiful Greek Revival architecture with the statues, mature trees, views, and burial spot of President James Knox Polk and his wife Sarah minus an inside tour makes it worthy of 4.5 stars

I liked the grounds, although I didn't go inside, as a visitor from out of state, I enjoyed…read morewandering around the green spaces here and at the attached WW2 memorial and Bicentennial Park. It was the perfect size for a quick morning walk. The grounds are well maintained and no signs of homeless encampments or litter like most cities tend to have, at least not on these grounds. Overall I enjoyed the tour of the Tennessee capitol building.

Memorial located to police officers located in downtown nashville Tennessee war memorial plaza…read more The memorial is basically a large plaque with several names who have represented the city. Not as detailed or eye catching as all the other cool statues and monuments located in war memorial plaza but still a very fine and cool tribute and honor.

The Tennessee officers memorial is a nice tribute in downtown Nashville. It is located close to the…read morecapitol building and is a tribute to those officers they have lost their lives.

This was more of a moderate urban hike than a historical open air museum. It was interesting but…read more It a must see when visiting Nashville. The goats herding the pasture were pretty cool. Bring water and sunscreen.

I recently visited Fort Negley Park Visitor Center with an 89-year-old gentleman I work with…read morethrough Seniors Helping Seniors who has mobility and memory issues. Tracy, the Historic Site Director, was absolutely outstanding and is a true credit to Metro Parks. He went above and beyond, taking extra time to answer our questions, engage with us, and share his incredible knowledge of the site and its history in such a kind and thoughtful way. His patience, professionalism, and genuine care made the visit both enjoyable and meaningful for us. I highly recommend visiting the Fort Negley Park Visitor Center, especially because of the wonderful people who make the experience so special.

Climate change has really jacked things up. It's November and it's a sustained 80 degrees. That's…read morenot right. And beyond the terrifying temperature implications of such heat this time of year, the weather patterns have severely impacted one of the rites of autumn: leaf colors. While not the industry found in New England, autumn chasers bring a significant economic bump to Tennessee and this year they've not gotten their money's worth... so they're not coming... so businesses that usually boom this time of year are busting. These are facts. So it came to pass that I had buddies in town and we wanted to get outside and see some color. Knowing that inside the city limits I wouldn't have much luck, I had the bright idea to drive east. After all, the more eastbound you go, the higher you climb and the higher you climb, the closer to the fall air that photographers capture and song writers write about. Well, I didn't have the time to make it to the Smokies (or, even, the plateau) but I did have the time to reach the Davidson/Wilson County line. Surely there would be some sort of natural beauty found in the hinterland, right? Right. While not the majestic color I was hoping for, Stone Hall Park offered a nice chance to get outside, be active and take in some of the natural beauty that makes Middle Tennessee such an enviable place to live. Stone Hall Park is at the mouth of a greenway and abuts the Stone River. Parking is a bit of a challenge. Located on the grounds is a home (Stone Hall) used for wedding receptions, etc. We parked there. On a busy day, I don't know how the park would accommodate non-locals. After walking the house grounds and taking pictures of the river and bridge, we started on our exploration of the green space. You can either take the greenway trail (directly next to the river and enshrouded by greenery) or walk the paved paths of the park (behind a subdivision and reclaimed from an old golf course). We took the paved path. The scenery was fantastic. Dotted with trees and embedded with ponds, the park offered steep hills to climb and wondrous views from the top. There were plenty of clearings so as not to feel frightened by what could be lurking but plenty of green space to remind you that you were in a park. The paths stretch far beyond what the eye could see. If not for my friends wanting to get on with the weekend, I could have spent many more hours walking the paths and seeing where they led. Unfortunately, Stone Hall Park didn't have the vibrant reds and oranges I was hoping for. It did, though, have plenty of yellow and much more color than I have by me. So, there's that. I'd definitely return for an out-of-the-city nature adventure.

Public art Statue of the Pass and Stow Bell located on the grounds of the capitol building in…read moredowntown Nashville, Tennessee. In the summer of 2022 me and my buddy Jeremy visited downtown Nashville for and event. While in the downtown area we explored the numerous offerings that downtwon Nashville has to offer. The capitol gorunds had numerous great works inlcluding this piece I'm not very familiar with this bell but based off a quick glance it appears to be a small replica of the famed Liberty bell. I was unable to find any placards or info on this piece but it was still cool to discover.

This is another cool, looking monument outside of the capitol building in Nashville Tennessee. It…read moreis called the past and stole bell. Check it out when you are in the area

Public art Statue of Andrew Johnson located on the grounds of the capitol building in downtown…read moreNashville, Tennessee. In the summer of 2022 me and my buddy Jeremy visited downtown Nashville for and event. While in the downtown area we explored the numerous offerings that downtwon Nashville has to offer. The capitol gorunds had numerous great works inlcluding this piece Large and well done statue of the 17th president of the United States. It's always cool to check out public art statues of historical and presidential figures as they are literally etched in stone for our remembrance .

Andrew Johnson has a statue. Andrew Johnson has a statue Nashville. It's located outside the…read morecapitol building. It features a description of who Andrew Johnson is and why he has a statue.

Public art monument titles woman's Work located on the grounds of Centennial Park and the…read moreParthenon in Nashville, Tennessee. In the summer of 2022 me and my buddy Jeremy visited downtown Nashville for and event. While in the downtown and surrounding areas we explored the numerous offerings that Nashville has to offer. Centennial Park had numerous great works inlcluding this piece The piece is a pretty basic stone structure with a sphere at the top. Not much to take in but still a cool monument. In the same park area is a much cooler homage to woman's work rights so defiantly an area worth checking out for public art fans and historians.

We were out and explore in Nashville parks came across a woman's work monument. There's not really…read moremuch to this monument looks like it needs some cleaning and maybe an update

Public art at a very public price…read more Stix has gained recognition for its art and price tag. When it was completed in 2015, it gave Nashville a public art exhibit with a $750,000 price tag. It is regarded as the most expensive public art in Nashville history. So what is this $750,000 public art exhibit? It is a public work of art within a traffic circle that serves US 31, US 41, and Korean Veteran's Boulevard. The centerpiece are 27 red, orange, blue, and green poles that look like tall candy canes towering above a traffic circle covered with native green grass. I had seen Styx up close three times. Driving in from Interstate 40 via Lafayette Street it was an unofficial "Welcome to Touristy Downtown Nashville" sign. It was a block from the towering Embassy Suites that we stayed at. When we spent time on the rooftop lounge, my eyes caught glimpses of it. At street level, my brother and I saw it by foot when we strolled the southern periphery of Touristy Downtown Nashville along Korean Veterans Boulevard. From this westbound perspective, the landscaped median fed into the Stix. We ultimately saw it on this vacation when we were leaving Touristy Downtown Nashville. From my experiences, I view Stix as 1) an Unofficial Gateway to Downtown Nashville and what many would consider the tourist zone and 2) Highway Americana. As I stated before, driving into Downtown Nashville, I saw Stix as a Gateway that gave the message "Welcome to Nashville." From my perspective it was a line in the sand between the underdeveloped landscape parchmarked by patches of vacant land extending to I-40 and the vibrant Downtown. When we walked along the southern periphery of the tourist zone in the shadow of Music City Center, it guided us to the North along 8th Avenue (US 31/41). Stix is also Highway Americana. This artsy traffic circle serves the two major south to north US Highways 31 and 41. US 31 bridges Spanish Fort, Alabama to Mackinkaw City, Michigan. US 41 bridges Miami, Florida to Cooper Harbor, Michigan. Taking into consideration that I have spent a lot of time on US 41, I have a connection to the highway. When I look at Stix, I am reminded of a highway that I spent time in driving from Naples to Miami Beach Florida along the Tamiami Trail, sightseeing on Florida's West Coast, visiting Chattanooga, spending time with my brother in Terra Haute, Indiana when he went to ISU, and walking along Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. So there was this roadside connection bringing back lifetime memories. Stix gets criticized for its $700,000 price tag. However, when you compare it to the cost of installing a traffic signal, the cost diminishes. If traffic engineers installed an upgraded traffic signal at this former five corners intersection, it would cost $250,000 to $1 million. That is a perspective that needs to be looked into. Now, there is one flaw that was passed over. That would have been installing a barrier around the artsy traffic circle. I am curious why the City spent $750,000 on a traffic circle yet zero on a protective barrier. I think Stix is cool and played a part in my Nashville experience. In closing I am of the opinion that it should've been built in conjunction with economic revitalization projects where public and private partnerships would've shared in the cost.

Stix is a publix art installation in Nashville near the Music City Center. A collection of 27…read morewooden poles that are 70 feet tall and spaced in an irregular pattern throughout a large roundabout. It's an interesting piece that is certainly eye catching as you drive the circle. I don't know what the piece says about Nashville at all. Do you remember those wax candy straws filled with sugar? That's what it looks like. Maybe if it was spelled "Styx", because this IS Music City. I'm rating it at one star because this piece of art cost $750,000 and that was for an out-of-state artist. If it was a Tennessee artist, especially one Nashville-based, then maybe it wouldn't be so terrible.