Behind the Scenes Tour: Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park

This is a members only tour. Reserve tickets here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/historicnashvilleinc/1371559?

The Bicentennial Mall was built to honor Tennessee’s first 200 years. Designed with the theme of “the land, people, and music of Tennessee,” this 19-acre park directly north of the state capitol has become one of the most successful urban parks in the Southeast. In 2011, the mall received the “Top Ten Public Spaces Award” from the American Planning Association, and in the past 25 years, this civic gift has matured and been reinforced by construction of the new state museum and new state library and archives.

In this 90-minute event, mall lead designer Kem Hinton explains the history of this unique and once-underappreciated part of Nashville, following by a guided tour of the urban park and its numerous features including the enormous state map, Rivers of Tennessee fountains, Walkway of Counties, Pathway of History, Tennessee World War II Memorial, and the 95-bell Tennessee Carillon. Kem also covers the transformation of the surrounding land to become a more comprehensive destination, one that has energized the surrounding district. He also shares secrets of the park including one story that the mall is a “place full of sacred power.”

The tour will begin at the large map along James Robertson Parkway at 11 am. Attendees can park in the Farmers Market lots.

Kem Hinton is an architect, urban designer, author, LEED accredited professional, and visual artist. He received his professional education from the University of Tennessee, University of Pennsylvania, and Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Kem is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and in 2019 received the AIA Tennessee William Strickland Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2021, he was appointed to the Tennessee Historical Commission. Previously a founding partner of Tuck-Hinton Architects (1984-2019), he now practices in the studio of Kem Hinton Design.