sweetsleep: I was thinking of hanging out to see it in Centennial Park. From my reading of that website, all the metro parks will be open.

wg

I'll be in Hopkinsville too, but I haven't found an exact spot yet... let me know where y'all pick. :)

Yes the metro parks will be open for sure.
Centennial Park is fairly large, but parking will be limited.

August is very hot and humid even on a good day so consider bringing a back pack or cooler with plenty of water, a battery operated fan of some sort, a folding chair or blanket to sit down on and pack a picnic lunch of some sort as food options will be fairly limited in and around the parks. Bathrooms are not easy to find and may not be in great condition either.

Of course don't forget your viewing glasses.

I can try to contact my employer tomorrow to see if they will permit the public to enter the campus viewing area or not as I hope to bring some of my family with me.
The Opry Mills outlet mall and Gaylord Opryland have huge open parking areas adjacent to each other and lots of places to eat plus find a toilet as well as to take a break from the heat but I would arrive super early if that is your plan as traffic will be very heavy-it is also fairly close to BNA.

Parking is usually free at the mall but not at the resort.

I had not thought about the zoo(it's not a very good zoo in my opinion) and there may be a lot of kids and home schoolers going there as well as at the Adventure Science Center and Planetarium-I would avoid that location like the plague even though there is a great view of downtown Nashville from that area.

I won't have a car but will walk from a nearby hotel. I had figured on bringing a frozen bottle of water so it will melt slowly and stay cold, a rain poncho to sit on, and yes, viewing glasses.

How early do you think I'll need to arrive given that I'm not going to need parking space?

wg

I'm uncertain as yet. My concern is weather so I probably won't know for sure until the night before or morning of. There are a couple of parks in Gallatin that have turned it into a festival with bands and food vendors and whatnot. I think they want people to have a good time no matter what, but I'm more interested in getting clear skies. Fingers crossed!

i got free tickets to one of the parks events. Do they not have clear views?

Help for WendyG
 

It is difficult to recommend a time to get to Centennial Park. Do you mind telling me where you are staying in proximity to the park?

I have been refused access to the excellent viewing at Vanderbilt University because I work at the lowly Medical Center and am faculty there with an appointment in the School of Medicine at VU!!
Got the unpleasant email from the Provost Office this morning. Just unbelievably rude!!I have been there for over 14 years!!

So, for all others, do not attempt to access Vanderbilt University as I can assure you that all will be turned away. It is in a GREAT viewing location. Still smarting over that unpleasant email I got earlier today.

If you are indeed from the UK you will find Nashville unpleasantly hot and humid in August. There are many restaurants(mostly chain US restaurants in a short walking distance from Centennial Park.
If you are at either the Marriott Vanderbilt, the Holiday Inn or a few other newer venues you should be fine gaining access to bathrooms!! I recommend bringing a battery powered fan, parasol for sure!! Not a lot of trees for cover in the park compared to the UK so if you want shade you need to arrive early?!

I am awaiting family members from Nashville,Memphis and Chattanooga to let me know what they want to do. I wish to get a ticket at the Grand Ole Opry Plaza Party myself. Cost is $44 US-includes a backstage tour of the Opry, a picnic lunch, poster,solar glasses and lots of live music. Parking is free at the Opry Mills Mall but traffic will be very heavy. It is fairly close to the airport though. I think that is probably one of the more fun places to view as the parking lot is HUGE!!
Hope this helps.

MTSU
 

MTSU is a downtown university that could be an option for people.
I checked their website and there will be viewing options.
MTSU is Middle Tennessee State University.
i encourage any one at all interested to contact that college to see if access will be available for the public.
Belmont University is just a couple of blocks from Vanderbilt but I did not see any special activities there for eclipse day.
Hope this is helpful

Help for WendyG
 

It is difficult to recommend a time to get to Centennial Park. Do you mind telling me where you are staying in proximity to the park?

I have been refused access to the excellent viewing at Vanderbilt University because I work at the lowly Medical Center and am faculty there with an appointment in the School of Medicine at VU!!
Got the unpleasant email from the Provost Office this morning. Just unbelievably rude!!I have been there for over 14 years!!

So, for all others, do not attempt to access Vanderbilt University as I can assure you that all will be turned away. It is in a GREAT viewing location. Still smarting over that unpleasant email I got earlier today.

If you are indeed from the UK you will find Nashville unpleasantly hot and humid in August. There are many restaurants(mostly chain US restaurants in a short walking distance from Centennial Park.
If you are at either the Marriott Vanderbilt, the Holiday Inn or a few other newer venues you should be fine gaining access to bathrooms!! I recommend bringing a battery powered fan, parasol for sure!! Not a lot of trees for cover in the park compared to the UK so if you want shade you need to arrive early?!

I am awaiting family members from Nashville,Memphis and Chattanooga to let me know what they want to do. I wish to get a ticket at the Grand Ole Opry Plaza Party myself. Cost is $44 US-includes a backstage tour of the Opry, a picnic lunch, poster,solar glasses and lots of live music. Parking is free at the Opry Mills Mall but traffic will be very heavy. It is fairly close to the airport though. I think that is probably one of the more fun places to view as the parking lot is HUGE!!
Hope this helps.

sweetsleep: I live in the UK but am American. I know about hot and humid! My hotel is situated about a half-mile from Centennial Park. I'll be in town early enough to scope out the park the day before. I take your point about trees; I was planning on a hat rather than a parasol and a frozen bottle of water rather than a fan. I am absolutely determined not to drive anywhere!

Sorry you've been turned away from Vanderbilt. I used to know someone who taught there, I think, but they've long since moved away.

wg

Is traffic really going to be that bad? I feel like with such a spread out viewing that it can't be that bad. Like driving on the interstate through Nashville at 7am shouldn't be that awful... right? Or am I underestimating the amount of people that will be in town.

The estimates I've seen suggest there will be a visitor load of 1 million people. Nashville is the biggest city in the 2500-mile eclipse path, possibly the only one of substantial size. A lot of people will want to get into position early (although the eclipse itself isn't until 13:27, there will be 2-3 hours of partial eclipse before and after), and some people will be driving into town that morning. An article I saw earlier in the week was predicting traffic issues all over the place.

Actually, the worst aspect may not be the traffic per se but people stopping to gawk and I'll bet parking will be horrid.

wg

Nashville has become the new Atlanta regarding traffic congestion, so yes, it is bad even at 7am. Many large hospitals are in the midtown area so that impacts that early morning commute.
There are reportedly 100 people moving here per day/per week. Sadly we are the new "it" city to live in. That is why I escaped recently to the suburbs and while I love Nashville, I love Franklin better since I only work 3 days a week now.Ahhh.

The weekend prior to the eclipse is move in weekend for 3-5 local universities(Belmont,Lipscomb,Vanderbilt,Fisk,MTSU ) so more than likely many parents will stay over to view the eclipse so this is another reason hotel rooms are so heavily booked.

We have a metropolitan population area of nearly 2 million people-roads were never originally built to handle this and many commute quite a distance to work in the downtown metro area. There is no mass transit system and probably never will be.

sweetsleep: That's strange. I've been pulling bus schedules off the Nashville MTA site. They *look* functional!

wg

I used to live in Hendersonville and will be watching the eclipse in gallitan. I'll be coming from Memphis and want to make sure I don't get bogged down in traffic. Do you all think if I plan to get to gallitan by 7am I will miss most of the traffic? I can always take a route that avoids Nashville if needed but I think at 6am going through Nashville it shouldn't be an issue.