[2] The park is modeled on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and was first conceptualized in 1989 by former Governor Ned McWherter as part of the planning for the state of Tennessee's bicentennial commemoration.

[7] Eight smaller granite maps arranged below it illustrate the state's topography, geology, original inhabitants, musical heritage, and recreational opportunities.

[7] The northern end of the park features the Court of 3 Stars, a circular plaza made of red, white, and blue granite arranged in the tri-star logo found on the Flag of Tennessee.

[7] A long tree-lined linear lawn stretches between the amphitheater and the Court of 3 Stars, and features four main walking paths and several memorials.

Each pathway is 1,400 feet (430 m) long, and was built with 17,000 pavers inscribed with the names of individuals and organizations who provided donations to the park's construction.

[4] The south end of the Pathway of Volunteers contains both of the Governor's Time Capsules, which were buried during the park's groundbreaking and opening, respectively.

Throughout the walkway are time capsules from each county, arranged from north to south by Grand Division, which will be opened on the state's tricentennial on June 1, 2096.

The Sulphur Springs Monument consists of three fountains which flow into a rock garden, and represents the wildlife and the wetlands of Tennessee.

[13] The memorial also contains a 18,000 lb (8,200 kg) granite globe suspended by water, and a bench with the names of the seven recipients of the Medal of Honor from Tennessee.

[15] The spring continued to be used as one of the city's primary water sources throughout the 19th century, and the area gradually became known as Sulphur Bottoms.

By the 1940s, many of the structures on the site were declared substandard and were subsequently demolished as part of an urban renewal project initiated in 1950.

[17] In 1985, Nashville landscape architect Joe Hodgson suggested redeveloping the land north of the state capitol into a public park, which was echoed by John Bridges of Nashville-based Aladdin Industries in 1988.

[3] On July 19, 1989, then-Governor Ned McWherter suggested that the land to the north of the capitol be converted into a linear green space modeled on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., with the intent of opening to the public for the state's bicentennial.

[24] By October of that year, the project had already gone over budget, and engineers began to recommend reductions to the original plan, which resulted in the carillon being deferred in March 1995.

[27] The park was dedicated on June 1, 1996, by then-Governor Don Sundquist and then-Vice President Al Gore as part of a celebration of Tennessee's 200th anniversary of statehood.

[29] On April 18, 1998, the Civilian Conservation Corps monument was dedicated in a ceremony officiated by David B. Roosevelt, a grandson of President Franklin D.

[33] The Tennessee Department of Transportation placed a time capsule on the north end of the park on July 1, 2015, as part of a celebration of the agency's centennial.

[35] In 2011, the American Planning Association listed the park as one of the top ten public spaces in the United States.