Nashville Board of Parks and Recreation

Last updated
Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation
MetroNashvilleParks.jpg
Agency overview
Jurisdiction Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Headquarters2565 Park Plaza Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Agency executives
  • George Anderson, Chairperson
  • Stan Fossick, Vice-Chairperson
  • Monique Odom, Parks Director
Parent agency Nashville, Tennessee
Website http://www.nashville.gov/parks/

The Nashville Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation (also known as Metro Parks and Recreation or Nashville Parks and Recreation) is a municipal board that is responsible for maintaining the parks system of Nashville, Tennessee, United States, and furnishing recreational opportunities for city's residents. The board maintains over 10,710 acres (4,330 ha) of park space. [1] The Board is responsible for over 100 stand-alone parks and 7 municipal golf courses. [2] The ParkScore index is a national comparison of park systems scored on five categories; [3] in 2024, Nashville and Davidson County's parks ranked 78th out of the 100 most populous cities in the U.S. [3]

Contents

History

In 1901, Nashville Mayor James Marshall Head created the Nashville Parks Board. [4] : 81  The plan was to create several neighborhood parks and four larger parks of about 50 acres (0.078 sq mi), one built in each quadrant of town. [4] : 81  Nashville's first park, Watkins Park, was created in 1909. [5] During his two terms as mayor, Head also negotiated the city's acquisition of 72 acres (0.113 sq mi) of prime land that had been used in 1897 for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. The site became known as Centennial Park. [4] : 81 

Administration

The Park Board has seven members, appointed for five year terms. As of 2025, the board is composed of: [6]

As of 2025, the Parks Director, who oversees day-to-day operations, is Monique Odom. [7]

Divisions of the Parks Department include Maintenance, Planning, Recreation and Community Centers, Special Services, Natural Resources and Greenways, and Park Police. [7]

Attractions

Nashville Parks' most notable attraction is the Parthenon, based in Centennial Park. The structure is a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens. It was originally built in 1897 for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition.

Nashville Parks also runs the nearby Centennial Sports Complex, which has an Olympic-sized pool, an ice rink, and a workout area. The Complex rink is home to the Nashville Predators's practice facilities.

Four of Nashville's major parks lie within Nashville's Highland Rim Forest, part of the largest remaining contiguous forest habitat regions in middle Tennessee. [8] These parks are Beaman Park, Bells Bend Park, Warner Parks, and Radnor Lake State Park. [8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Nashville.gov - Parks and Recreation - Quick Facts". Archived from the original on 2009-10-31.
  2. ↑ "Parks and Recreation".
  3. 1 2 "2024 Parkscore Index/ Nashville" (PDF). parkservtpl.org. Trust for Public Land. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 Kreling, Christine; Bachleda, F. Lynne, Ed. (2021). A History of Nashville's Warner Park. Nashville: Friends of Warner Park. ISBN   9781087977775.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ David Madden, "Insiders' Guide to Nashville, 7th Ed.," Globe Pequot, (2009), p. 210.
  6. ↑ "Roster: Board of Parks and Recreation (Metro Nashville)". nashville.granicus.com. Metro Nashville/Boards and Commissions. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  7. 1 2 "Parks and Recreation Board". Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  8. 1 2 Eggers, Caroline (June 14, 2023). "Middle Tennessee's largest forest is part of Nashville. Citizens want protection".


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