Nashville Board of Parks and Recreation

{{Infobox government agency

|agency_name = Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation

|logo = MetroNashvilleParks.jpg

|logo_width = 194px

|logo_caption =

|seal =

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|formed =

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|jurisdiction = Nashville, Tennessee, United States

|headquarters = 2565 Park Plaza Nashville, Tennessee, United States

|employees =

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|chief1_name = George Anderson

|chief1_position = Chairperson

|chief2_name = Stan Fossick

|chief2_position = Vice-Chairperson

|chief3_name =Monique Odom

|chief3_position =Parks Director

|parent_agency = Nashville, Tennessee

|website = http://www.nashville.gov/parks/

|footnotes =

|chief4_name=|chief4_position=|chief5_name=|chief5_position=|chief6_name=|chief6_position=|chief7_name=|chief7_position=|chief8_name=|chief8_position=|chief9_name=|chief9_position=|parent_department=}}

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 {{convert|10710|acre|ha}} of park space.{{cite web| url = http://www.nashville.gov/parks/quickfacts.asp| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091031000520/http://www.nashville.gov/parks/quickfacts.asp| archive-date = 2009-10-31| title = Nashville.gov - Parks and Recreation - Quick Facts}} The Board is responsible for over 100 stand-alone parks and 7 municipal golf courses.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nashville.gov/parks/|title = Parks and Recreation}} The ParkScore index is a national comparison of park systems scored on five categories;{{cite web |title=2024 Parkscore Index/ Nashville |url=https://parkserve.tpl.org/downloads/pdfs/Nashville-Davidson%20metropolitan%20government%20(balance)_TN.pdf |website=parkservtpl.org |publisher=Trust for Public Land |access-date=April 7, 2025}} in 2024, Nashville and Davidson County's parks ranked 78th out of the 100 most populous cities in the U.S.

History

In 1901, Nashville Mayor James Marshall Head created the Nashville Parks Board.{{cite book |last1=Kreling |first1=Christine |last2=Bachleda |first2=F. Lynne, Ed. |title=A History of Nashville's Warner Park |date=2021 |publisher=Friends of Warner Park |location=Nashville |isbn=9781087977775}}{{rp|81}} The plan was to create several neighborhood parks and four larger parks of about {{convert|50|acre|mi2}}, one built in each quadrant of town.{{rp|81}} Nashville's first park, Watkins Park, was created in 1909.David Madden, "Insiders' Guide to Nashville, 7th Ed.," Globe Pequot, (2009), p. 210. During his two terms as mayor, Head also negotiated the city's acquisition of {{convert|72|acres|mi2}} of prime land that had been used in 1897 for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. The site became known as Centennial Park.{{rp|81}}

Administration

The Park Board has seven members, appointed for five year terms. As of 2025, the board is composed of:{{cite web |title=Roster: Board of Parks and Recreation (Metro Nashville) |url=https://nashville.granicus.com/boards/w/520e464dfb812878 |website=nashville.granicus.com |publisher=Metro Nashville/Boards and Commissions |access-date=April 7, 2025}}

Cheryl Mayes- representing the Board of Education
Shan Foster
Dr. Michelle Steele, "chair"
William (Pete) Delay
Susannah Scott-Barnes
Edward Henley- representing the Planning Commission
Crews Johnston

As of 2025, the Parks Director, who oversees day-to-day operations, is Monique Odom.{{Cite web |url=https://www.nashville.gov/departments/parks/boards/parks-and-recreation-board|title=Parks and Recreation Board|website=Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County|access-date=28 July 2022}}

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

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.{{Cite web |last=Eggers |first=Caroline |date=June 14, 2023 |title=Middle Tennessee's largest forest is part of Nashville. Citizens want protection |url=https://wpln.org/post/middle-tennessees-largest-forest-is-part-of-nashville-citizens-want-protection/ |url-status=live}} These parks are Beaman Park, Bells Bend Park, Warner Parks, and Radnor Lake State Park.

References

External links

[http://www.nashville.gov/parks/ Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation] official site
[http://www.nashville.gov/parks/locations/ Locations of Nashville Parks]
[http://www.nashville.gov/greenways/ Nashville Greenways] Nashville Greenway System
[http://www.nashvilleriverfront.org/ Nashville Riverfront] developing area designed to renovate the underdeveloped riverside of downtown Nashville.

Category:Government of Nashville, Tennessee

Category:Organizations based in Nashville, Tennessee