I bet you didn’t know that you don’t need to go to Greece to visit the Parthenon. I didn’t, until just recently. But, thanks to a very good children’s writer who captured the Big Dudes imagination, the now passionate interest the Big Dude has in Greek Mythology and a very popular movie, I have now seen the Parthenon of the United States.
I have been trying for years to get the Big Dude interested in reading. No dice. No amount of encouragement or begging was sufficient to get him to open a cover. Then came Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, a children’s novel by Rick Riordon. He couldn’t put it down and has since read everything written by him. Then, he devoured the entire Harry Potter series too. Thank-you Rick Riordon.
The Percy Jackson series is fantasy that intertwines modern kids in a world of Greek Mythology hence the Big Dudes passionate interest in Greek Mythology. The lightening Thief was so popular it was made into a movie which, of course, we had to go see. There is a scene in which Percy goes to the Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee(go figure). I thought it was a little far fetched then I found out that there really is a an exact replica of the Parthenon in Nashville. Feeling indebted to Percy Jackson for turning the Big Dude on, I felt that I owed the Big Dude a visit to the Parthenon (plus, I still didn’t believe that there really was a Parthenon in Nashville).
right: Big Dude moves 7.5 ton doors with one hand
And there it was in all its glory right there in the middle of Nashville. Originally built as part of the centennial celebration of Tennessee’s statehood in 1897, it has gone through a few renovations and with meticulus attention to detail has emerged as close to the original as can be made. Wow!
The original Parthenon was built as a temple to Athena and inside the replica stands a 42′ tall, guilded in gold, statue of Athena. There are also numerous copies of pediments(another name for statues) that were from the original site. The building also doubles as an art gallery and has a permanent as well as rotating display on the first floor.
As usual, for Museum tours, the Dudes were given assignments in hopes it will help them retain some information from the experience. One of the Lil’ Dudes assignments was to count the number of columns surrounding the building(Hee, Hee, Hee – I was hoping this would keep him busy for a while). I’m pretty sure that he will remember that there are 58 columns surrounding the building.
If Greek Mythology isn’t your thing, the Centennial Park where the Parthenon is located is a large beautiful park with a lake, walking trails, a playground, picnic areas, manicured gardens and a giant steam locomotive. So, there is something for everyone. If you are ever in Nashville, it is worth the trip.
“Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.” Maya Angelou
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