While driving through Nashville, we noticed the large grassy park directly in front of and down the hill from the Tennessee State Capitol and decided to stop and walk around. The park is a long open area that stretches downhill from the Capitol and provides a nice break from the buildings and traffic of downtown Nashville. There is parking along the sides of the park, although there was some construction taking place in parts of the area during our visit. We parked near the World War II Memorial, which I thought was very well done and a fitting tribute to those who served. From there, we walked through some of the large grassy areas and looked at the different memorials and features throughout the park. One thing I would strongly recommend is walking all the way to the lower end of the park and turning around to look back toward the Tennessee State Capitol. From there you get a very nice view looking up the hill toward the Capitol building with the park stretching out in front of you. In my opinion, it was one of the best reasons to stop and walk around rather than simply viewing the park from the car. There is plenty of open grassy space, and the various memorials give you several things to see as you walk through the area. Overall, this was a very nice unexpected stop while we were driving through Nashville. If you are visiting the Tennessee State Capitol or are already in the downtown area, I would definitely recommend taking some extra time to walk through the park, see the memorials, and especially enjoy the view from the bottom looking back toward the Capitol. Enjoy!

The Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park in Nashville, commonly known as Bicentennial Mall, is a 19-acre urban linear park that functions as an outdoor museum and uses symbolism to showcase he history, geography, culture and musical heritage of Tennessee through a series of monuments, walkways and interpretive displays. Located at 600 James Robertson Parkway, north/northwest of the Tennessee State Capitol, it is considered an extension of the capitol grounds, attracts more than 2.5 million visitors annually and is the smallest but the most visited of the 57 state parks in Tennessee. Modeled after the National Mall in Washington, D.C., it incorporates Classical Greek, Baroque and Beaux-Arts architecture. Opened in 1996, it is situated amid the Nashville Farmers' Market, the Tennessee State Museum and the Tennessee State Library and Archives. On the south end of the mall is the Tennessee Plaza with its defining feature, the Tennessee Map Plaza, a 200-by-50-foot wide green granite map of the state that showcases its cities, counties, rivers, major highways and railroads. A 300-foot-long steel railroad trestle crosses the park directly south of the map plaza, carrying a mainline railroad operated by CSX Transportation. Directly north of the railroad is the Rivers of Tennessee Fountains, 31 geyser-like fountains representing each of the major rivers and waterways of Tennessee, which has the fifth largest river system in the United States. North of the river displays is the 2,200-seat terraced, semi-circular Tennessee Amphitheater used for special events. At the north end of the park is the Court of Three Stars and Carillon, a circular plaza made of red, white and blue granite arranged into a large replica of the tri-star logo found on the state flag. Surrounding the plaza are 50 columns containing a 95-bell carillon, representing the 95 counties of Tennessee and the state's contribution to the development of American popular music. It plays Tennessee's important state songs, including Tennessee Waltz, Ol' Man River, Chattanooga Choo Choo, On Top of Old Smokey and Rocky Top, throughout the day. The mall also features 1,400-foot-long walkways, a line of black granite obelisks and a number of monuments and memorials. Over the years, the park has been designated the No. 1 tourist attraction in Nashville and one of the top 10 public spaces in the country.

A beautiful green space featuring some interesting monuments. The WWII memorial was nice, the Centennial tree was very pretty, and the Bicentennial Carillon was impressive. Don't need to spend a lot of time but it's worth strolling around.

Lots to see in a relatively small space. Great view of Capitol Hill. Read the signs and enjoy the pretty trees. Easy, flat walk.

We stopped by after visiting the farmers market next-door. Had no idea there was an extensive history startng millions of years ago to present day about the state of Tennessee. Plan on doing a whole lot of reading and walking following the timeline inscribed in granite. Don’t forget to check out the war memorial and the Carillon bells (temporarily out of order). I’d allow an hour to read it all.