Nashville Sites

Nashville Sites We are an online platform that offers free, self-guided, credibly curated, mobile-friendly, thematically-based walking and driving tours of Nashville.

This year, Juneteenth615 takes place at Centennial Park, a landscape where Nashville’s history of public gathering and c...
06/19/2026

This year, Juneteenth615 takes place at Centennial Park, a landscape where Nashville’s history of public gathering and civic action continues to unfold.

Long before it became a public park, this land was part of Cockrill Farm and later Burlington Plantation, both of which relied on enslaved labor. Following emancipation, the site evolved from farmland to fairgrounds and eventually into one of Nashville’s most important public spaces.

One of the most significant chapters in the park’s history took place at its former swimming pool. Built in 1932, the pool was reserved exclusively for White patrons under Jim Crow segregation. On July 18, 1961, Tennessee State University student Kwame Lillard and Fisk University student Matthew Walker Jr. challenged that system by attempting to use the facility. Rather than integrate the pool, the city closed all 23 public swimming pools in Nashville.

Today, the former pool building serves as the Centennial Art Center, and a historical marker commemorates the actions of Lillard and Walker. As Nashville gathers in Centennial Park to celebrate Juneteenth, the park offers an opportunity to reflect on the many ways people have fought to expand freedom and access in our city.

This year, Juneteenth615 is taking place at Centennial Park, a landscape where Nashville’s history of public gathering a...
06/19/2026

This year, Juneteenth615 is taking place at Centennial Park, a landscape where Nashville’s history of public gathering and civic action continues to unfold.

Long before it became a public park, this land was part of Cockrill Farm and later Burlington Plantation, both of which relied on enslaved labor. Following emancipation, the site evolved from farmland to fairgrounds and eventually into one of Nashville’s most important public spaces.

One of the most significant chapters in the park’s history took place at its former swimming pool. Built in 1932, the pool was reserved exclusively for White patrons under Jim Crow segregation. On July 18, 1961, Tennessee State University student Kwame Lillard and Fisk University student Matthew Walker Jr. challenged that system by attempting to use the facility. Rather than integrate the pool, the city closed all 23 public swimming pools in Nashville.

Today, the former pool building serves as the Centennial Art Center, and a historical marker commemorates the actions of Lillard and Walker. As Nashville gathers in Centennial Park to celebrate Juneteenth, the park offers an opportunity to reflect on the many ways people have fought to expand freedom and access in our city.

As part of our Pride Month series, today we’re highlighting Bianca Paige, one of the most recognizable and influential f...
06/09/2026

As part of our Pride Month series, today we’re highlighting Bianca Paige, one of the most recognizable and influential figures in Nashville’s LGBTQ history.

Born Mark Middleton in Paducah, Kentucky, Bianca Paige became a beloved performer known for her quick wit, sharp humor, and commanding stage presence. After moving to Nashville in 1983, Middleton found community in the city’s growing LGBTQ scene and, with the guidance of drag performer Rita Ross, developed the persona that would make Bianca Paige a local icon. Bianca became a fixture at venues like Warehouse 28 and The Connection, entertaining audiences with a mix of comedy, celebrity impressions, and fearless honesty.

That honesty became especially important when Middleton publicly shared that he was living with HIV. He used his platform to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and support those affected by the epidemic. Together with friend Ron Sanford, he founded the Bianca Paige Awareness Network, which raised more than $1 million for HIV/AIDS education, research, and patient support.

Bianca Paige was an advocate, fundraiser, and community leader whose impact continues to be felt throughout Nashville. In 2021, Metro Council renamed Carney Street as Bianca Paige Way, ensuring that her legacy remains a visible part of the city she helped shape.

Learn more on our LGBTQ driving tour!

Happy Pride Month! Throughout June we’ll be highlighting places and people featured on the Nashville Sites LGBTQ History...
06/02/2026

Happy Pride Month! Throughout June we’ll be highlighting places and people featured on the Nashville Sites LGBTQ History Driving Tour. We begin with Penny Campbell, one of the most influential LGBTQ activists in Tennessee history.

While studying at Vanderbilt Divinity School in the 1980s, Campbell became a leading voice against racism, s*xism, and homophobia at a time when many LGBTQ people faced discrimination and pressure to remain silent. She helped organize Tennessee’s delegation to the 1987 National March on Washington for Le***an and Gay Rights, led protests related to the AIDS crisis, and played a key role in organizing Nashville’s first Pride Parade in 1988.

Campbell’s most enduring legacy came through the courts. As the lead plaintiff in Campbell v. Sundquist, she challenged Tennessee’s Homos*xual Practices Act, which criminalized s*xual behavior between same s*x couples. In a landmark 1996 decision, the Tennessee Supreme Court struck down the law, and the case later helped shape the legal arguments that led to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Lawrence v. Texas. A historical marker honoring Penny Campbell was installed in East Nashville in 2017.

Her story is a reminder that Nashville has been home to individuals whose work helped advance LGBTQ rights not only in Tennessee, but across the nation.

Announcing our newest tour! Please join us for the launch of our new tour, City Hall and Public Square, on Sunday, April...
04/13/2026

Announcing our newest tour! Please join us for the launch of our new tour, City Hall and Public Square, on Sunday, April 19, at 3:00 p.m. on the steps of the Historic Courthouse and City Hall. This free audio tour explores one of Nashville’s most important civic spaces, tracing the evolution of Public Square and the 1937 Art Deco building that brought local government under one roof.
The tour features narration by Mayor Freddie O’Connell and Vice Mayor Angie Emery Henderson and is the first Nashville Sites tour available in English, Spanish, and Arabic. Developed by a team of historians and students, it offers an accessible look at the people, places, and events that have shaped Nashville’s civic life.
April 19 also marks a defining moment in the city’s Civil Rights Movement, when thousands marched to the courthouse following the bombing of Z. Alexander Looby’s home. The protest helped bring national attention to local organizers and reshaped the course of the movement in Nashville.
We hope to see you there!
*In the event of inclement weather, the program will move inside to the second floor mezzanine.
HistoricCourthouseandCityHall NewTour

The Nashville YWCA building at 211 7th Avenue North, completed in 1911, reflects the city’s early efforts to support wor...
03/26/2026

The Nashville YWCA building at 211 7th Avenue North, completed in 1911, reflects the city’s early efforts to support working women during a period of rapid growth. Designed in the Georgian Revival style with limestone and brick detailing, it was built after a major fundraising campaign and quickly became a central hub for housing, education, recreation, and social services.

More than a residence, the building offered a place where women could find stability and support at a time when those opportunities were limited. It provided meals, classes, a gymnasium, and shared spaces for women building lives in the city, and later expanded to include services for African American women through the Blue Triangle branch.

The YWCA later relocated, and today the building is used as office space, but it remains an important part of Nashville’s women’s history. It reflects how women organized to create new opportunities for work, education, and independence.

Learn more on our Women's History Highlights Tour!

From 1865 to 1913, Ward Seminary was one of Nashville’s leading schools for girls, founded by Eliza Ward and her husband...
03/19/2026

From 1865 to 1913, Ward Seminary was one of Nashville’s leading schools for girls, founded by Eliza Ward and her husband William just months after the Civil War. Offering both college preparatory and collegiate instruction, Ward’s was regarded as one of the leading schools for young women in the South.

Each afternoon, students walked through downtown and up to the Capitol in a line behind their principals, earning the nickname the Ward Ducks. In 1913, the school merged with Belmont College to form Ward-Belmont, a high school and junior college for women. Today, Harpeth Hall School traces its origins to this early institution.

Featured on our Women's History Highlights and Downtown Schools and Education Tour, Ward Seminary reflects the city’s long commitment to education for women!

Vanderbilt University has played an early and influential role in the history of women’s basketball. In 1897, the first ...
03/17/2026

Vanderbilt University has played an early and influential role in the history of women’s basketball. In 1897, the first publicly played women’s basketball game in Nashville took place on campus when Vanderbilt faced Ward Seminary. Coached by one of the university’s first female graduates, Stella Vaughn, the team won the game 5 to 0, marking one of the earliest organized competitions for women in the region.

Women’s athletics at Vanderbilt expanded significantly in the 1970s when the university established varsity programs after decades of intramural competition. Teresa Lawrence Phillips became the first Black woman to play a varsity sport at Vanderbilt and later built a distinguished career as a coach and athletic director at Fisk and Tennessee State University. Another standout Commodore, Carolyn Peck, went on to become the first Black woman to coach an NCAA championship winning team when Purdue captured the 1999 national title.

Learn more on our Women's Sports History Driving Tour!

Josephine Groves Holloway devoted her life to expanding opportunities for African American girls in Nashville. Born in 1...
03/12/2026

Josephine Groves Holloway devoted her life to expanding opportunities for African American girls in Nashville. Born in 1898 and educated at Fisk University, Holloway joined the Girl Scouts in 1923 after training with founder Juliette Gordon Low. She soon organized the first Black Girl Scout troop in Middle Tennessee, and by 1924 more than three hundred African American girls had joined the program.

When the Southern council considered ending troops for African American girls because of the cost, Holloway continued the work on her own, organizing an unofficial troop and steadily growing participation. By 1942 the number of Black Girl Scouts had grown so large that the council formally recognized the program. Hired as an advisor in 1944, Holloway helped establish thirteen additional troops and played a key role in securing land for Camp Holloway, which still operates today.

The council began integrating in 1951 and eliminated racially segregated troops in 1962. Holloway retired the following year, leaving behind a legacy of leadership that expanded access and opportunity for generations of girls.
Learn more on our North Nashville Leadership Driving Tour!

Womankind Books, founded in 1977 by Carole de Bra Powell, was Nashville’s first feminist bookstore and an important gath...
03/10/2026

Womankind Books, founded in 1977 by Carole de Bra Powell, was Nashville’s first feminist bookstore and an important gathering place for women across the city and surrounding rural areas. Powell, a single mother who had been active in civil rights and women’s rights movements, opened the store after connecting with Nashville’s le***an community and local feminist organizers. The bookstore quickly became a hub for conversation, organizing, and support, with nearly one thousand women on its mailing list.

More than a bookstore, Womankind hosted community programs and initiatives such as the Womankind Support Project and the Womankind Health Center, which offered gynecological and mental health services. The space also held monthly coffeehouses and distributed music from Olivia Records, a women’s label founded by le***ans. Though the store closed in 1984, many remember Womankind as a place where women of all backgrounds could find community and support.

Learn more on our LGBTQ Driving Tour!

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1113 Kirkwood Avenue
Nashville, TN
37204

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