My grandson, wife and I yook a trip to the world's ONLY full-scale replica of The Parthenon. It is located about 3 miles west of Downtown Nashville, TN, in Centennial Park. It includes as exact a reproduction of the statue of the Goddess Athena as can be made from historical accounts of the times. Here are some pictures.

THE PARTHENON


YOU MUST BE THIS TALL TO SACRIFICE A BULL TO ATHENA


ATHENA AND NIKE


ATHENA AND NIKE (With mere mortals for size comparison)


And YES, Folks, that IS REAL gold on the statue and NOT gold Paint.

Those are some awesome pics Thorny! Thanks for sharing with us!

Good pictures!! What an interesting place to visit!

Very Cool Thorny!! I am sure your grandson had a Great time!! thanks for sharing!

Great pics,Thorny I bet ya'll had a wonderful time.

Thanks for sharing

Thorn, I just loved your pics! how interesting that must have been.I really enjoyed them, Thanks!

did you picnic in the park beside it and feed the ducks in the lake?

AHHH! You've been there, Jiffy! We didn't feed the ducks this time. We fed the squirrels. See my post about the squirrels in the Critter Corner. I have been going to the Parthenon since I was a newborn. I was born one mile southeast of it. Centennial Park and The Parhtenon were built around 1896 for the Centennial Celebration of the State of Tennessee being admitted to the Union. Originally they had copies of many of the world's great architectural achievements, but all but The Parthenon were torn down after the celebration. Centennial park is the Northern Terminus of the Natchez Trace, one of the oldest (over 2000 years old)roads in North America. It runs from Centennial Park in Nashville, Tennessee to Natchez, Mississippi. Merriweather Lewis, of the Lewis and Clark expedition, died at an inn on this road in Tennessee and is buried nearby. The original road bed is still PLAINLY visible along much of its length. I have walked in the deep groove it makes, while birdwatching in the Warner Parks in West Nashville.

wow, great pics!!

Thanks for sharing!

yes, i've been there, about 12 years ago. had a picnic and fed the ducks. i had forgotten all about it till you posted! thanks for sharing great memories.

If you look you will see Athena holding the Greek Goddess of Victory , NIKE (Yes, of the tennis shoe fame) in her right hand. Notice Athena's pet snake standing on her left between her and her shield. The amount of detail is amazing, sorta like one of those find the hidden pictures you find in kids magazines or video games. It's great fun trying to find all the nest things hidden on her. Snakes were sacred to Athena. Athena was the Greek Goddess of Wisdom and War, hence the spear, armor, and shield. She was also the Goddess of Beauty but not of love. If you sailors are looking for a good time, go find Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of Love.

I had to go back and look again!! WOW How awesome this must be to see it up close!

WOW!!! Nice pics, Thorny!! I want to go there one day- and take the kids, so they can learn a bit!

A footnote: The statue of the Goddess Nike being held by Athena is actually the size of a human being. Athena herself is the height of a 4-story building and that IS 22-carat gold leaf covering the statues.

Cool!! It must be amazing to be standing at her feet! I wanna go!!