Bicentennial Mall

Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park is located beneath the Tennessee State Capitol building on the northwest side. It was opened on June 1, 1996, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Tennessee’s statehood and was designed by Tuck Hinton Architects. This 19-acre plaza tells the story of the state's history through a timeline, gardens, and water features. We encourage you to check out the entire park, but for the purpose of this tour, we will focus on Tennessee’s geographical and early history.

The Rivers of Tennessee Fountains will be one of the first things that you see  across James Robertson Parkway, just past a map of the state outlining each county, with a light denoting the county seat. It is a collection of 31-geysers that honors the state’s major lakes and rivers while a long trough represents the Mississippi River. Next, the 2,000 seat amphitheater was designed after the Greek theater at Epidaurus and provides dramatic views of the Nashville skyline. To the east of the amphitheater, you can go through the Walkway of Counties. This path has a marker for each of Tennessee’s 95 counties. Underneath each marker is a time capsule to be opened on Statehood Day in 2096.

West of the amphitheater, you will travel down the Pathway of History, a 1,400-foot-long granite wall with engravings of events in Tennessee’s history. Along the path, you will find McNairy Springs, the Sulphur Springs Monument, and the World War II Monument. At the northern end of the park is the Court of Three Stars surrounded by the 95-bell Carillon. The three stars represent the differences between the “Grand Divisions” of Tennessee which are the mountains of east Tennessee, the hills of middle Tennessee, and the delta of west Tennessee. The 95 bells play part of the Tennessee Waltz, one of the state’s nine official songs, every quarter hour, and the entire song at the top of the hour.

Since its creation, the Bicentennial Mall continues to give visitors a glimpse of the deep history of Tennessee. If you would like to continue learning of Tennessee’s history, the Tennessee State Museum is our next stop.

Walk back to Seventh Avenue and turn RIGHT. Feel free to stop in at the Farmer’s Market for a quick bite to eat or drink before continuing on to the final stop, the Tennessee State Museum, on your left.