6 Best Sights in Midtown and Edgehill, Nashville

Centennial Park

West End

Built for the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition, this popular park is not only home to the Parthenon Museum but is also a pleasant place for walking, relaxing, and participating in outdoor festivals. Craft fairs, festivals, and performances are often held in the 132-acre park, which includes a small lake, picnic areas, a band shell, an arts center, and a dog park.

Musica

Midtown
Sitting squarely in the Music Row roundabout (also known as Buddy Killen Circle), Musica was originally a point of controversy, but now represents the artistic and cultural diversity of this thriving city. Musica is a bronze statue depicting nine dancing nude figures—including African American, Asian American, Native, and Latinx men and women—enthralled by music. At its pinnacle stands a woman holding a tambourine. The 14- and 15-foot-tall figures also stand on limestone boulders, which are native to the area.

Nashville Pedal Tavern

Midtown
This BYOB tavern offers guests the option of a bar crawl, where they can hop off to take advantage of exclusive discounts, or they can bring their own alcohol (in plastic containers only), while the tavern provides cups, ice, and, of course, music. There are two routes: one that traverses Lower Broadway, the heart of Nashville’s downtown honky-tonk scene, and Midtown, which makes stops on Music Row. Groups of at least six can opt for public tours with other groups, or reserve one (or several) trollies for private tours with family and friends. All guests must be 21 or older to ride.

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Parthenon

West End

An exact copy of the Athenian original, Nashville's Parthenon was constructed to commemorate Tennessee's 1897 centennial. Across the street from Vanderbilt University's campus, in Centennial Park, it's a magnificent sight, perched on a gentle green slope beside a duck pond. Inside are the 63-piece Cowan Collection of American art, traveling exhibits, and the 42-foot Athena Parthenos, the tallest indoor sculpture in the Western world.

The Labyrinth at Scarritt Bennett Center

Vanderbilt
The Labyrinth is located at the Scarritt Bennett Center, a former college for Christian workers that now serves as a community-focused meeting space for people of all faiths who are interested in issues of social justice and spiritual enrichment. The Labyrinth is a seven-circuit path based on medieval models, and is designed to mirror the journey of life: there is only one path, and those who are entering often meet others at various stages who are moving in different directions. Visitors are encouraged to clear their minds and allow their bodies to move at whatever pace feels most comfortable.

Vanderbilt Arboretum

Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt’s entire 330-acre campus is a designated arboretum, with more than 6,000 identified species of trees and shrubs. Guided tours are available via smartphone, and many famous trees (such as Sir Isaac Newton’s Apple Tree, a descendent of the tree whose falling fruit allegedly inspired the physicist’s theories on gravity) have plaques that tell visitors the story of their ecological and historical significance. Other trees have QR codes that visitors can scan with their phones to learn more about a specific species.