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Image 1 of 5: Photograph of the entrance to the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge from Symphony Place, 2018. Image courtesy of MHCF.
Photograph of the entrance to the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge from Symphony Place, 2018. Image courtesy of MHCF.
Photograph of the John Seigenthaler Bridge, 2010. Image courtesy of Gary Layda.
Postcard of the Sparkman Street (John Seigenthaler) Bridge, n.d.Image courtesy of Nashville Public Library.
Photograph looking east from downtown towards the Shelby Street Bridge and the Nashville Bridge Company Building.Image courtesy of Nashville Public Library.
Portrait of John Seigenthaler hanging at the downtown Nashville Public Library, 2019. Image courtesy of MHCF.

Photograph of the entrance to the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge from Symphony Place, 2018. Image courtesy of MHCF.

Family Fun

Stop 10 of 12

John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge Entrance

What’s the best part about a pedestrian bridge when you’re with kids? There are no cars! The John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge was originally known as the Sparkman Street Bridge and was built one block south of Broadway, connecting Sparkman Street and Shelby Avenue. In 2014, the bridge was renamed for John Seigenthaler—a local journalist, First Amendment champion, and Civil Rights activist. He was a fierce defender of the freedom of the press and freedom of speech. You can learn more about him at Vanderbilt University’s John Seigenthaler Center located on Eighteenth Avenue in the area known as Music Row. 

Walking across the bridge is a local favorite for leisurely strolls, great pictures, Nashville skyline selfies, and Cumberland River views. Kids can play, explore, watch the boats float beneath and check out Nashville from the river.

Fun Fact: The John Seigenthaler bridge spans a total of 3,150 feet, one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the world. The scramble letter is “T” for “Total span of the bridge.”

Keep walking along the bridge. Stop halfway at the alcove with the full Nashville skyline on your left. There are places to have a seat and great photo opportunities.

Next Stop
Tour Stops
1

Union Station

1001 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203

2

Frist Art Museum and Martin ArtQuest

919 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203

3

Cummins Station

209 Tenth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203

4

Music City Center and Songwriter's Hall of Fame

201 Fifth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203

5

Hatch Show Print

224 Fifth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203

6

Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum and Taylor Swift Education Center

222 Fifth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203

7

Music City Walk of Fame Park

400-498 Demonbreun Street, Nashville, TN 37203

8

Schermerhorn Symphony Center

1 Symphony Place, Nashville, TN 37201

9

Goo Goo Cluster Shop

116 Third Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37201

10

John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge Entrance

108 First Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37201

11

Nashville Skyline (middle of the bridge)

108 First Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37201

12

Cumberland Park

592 South First Street, Nashville, TN 37213

Full Record & Citation
Title John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge
Creator Nashville Historical Foundation
Author Tim Walker, NHF Executive Director; 2018
Date 1909
Address 108 First Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37201
Description The Sparkman Street Bridge was built from 1907 to 1909, connecting East Nashville to downtown. Howard M. Jones was the lead engineer while Foster-Creighton Company and Gould Contracting of Louisville led construction. The structure was an engineering achievement, featuring the first use of reinforced concrete trusses in the United States. This method supported the weight of streetcar traffic and later held the weight of rush hour traffic throughout the twentieth century. The bridge closed to road traffic in the 1990s, later reopening as a pedestrian bridge with excellent views of the river and downtown. Called Shelby Street Bridge after the street name changed from Sparkman, the bridge was later renamed the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge in 2014 in honor of Nashville journalist John Seigenthaler (1927-2014). It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
Type Building
Coverage Area 1
Source Howard M. Jones, architect
Contributor Foster-Creighton Company; Gould Contracting Company of Louisville; John Seigenthaler
Subject Architecture; Downtown; Innovators; New Nashville; New South; Transportation; National Register of Historic Places
Keywords Bridges, Buildings, Cumberland River, East Nashville, John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge
Rights CC BY-NC 4.0
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