NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The state of Tennessee has a lot going for it: country music, southern cooking, professional sports teams and of course, Dolly Parton.
But some of the biggest gifts are the 57 state parks that span the state.
I visited Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, right outside the NewsChannel 5 studios to learn more. It's the site of one of the biggest New Year's Eve celebrations in the country every December 31st but on most days, things are quite peaceful.
"It's great, it's like my second backyard," said Virginia Walczak, who brings her two daughters to the park almost every day. "This was just an opportunity to get outside and to practice riding our bikes. It's a beautiful day, a great way to enjoy the weather."
For photographer Carl Carswell, it's the perfect place to not only take photos but to also find peace.
"I feel like out of a park, it's great for meditation," said Carswell. "If you want to put your feet in the grass, like grounding, it's a form of healing - it's great for meditation. If you're going through something stressful, depressing anything like that - you just come to the park."
The beauty of all these areas are on display in a new exhibit at the Tennessee State Library and Archives titled The Legacy of State Parks. Secretary of State Tre Hargett tells me there's something for everyone.
"The state parks belong to all of us," said Hargett. "You think about all of the memories people have made over the past 85 years visiting our state parks and now this gives people the opportunity to understand the history behind the state parks after 85 years, and learn from our 16 different collections and the 57 state parks we now have in the state of Tennessee."
State Librarian and Archivist Jamie Ritter tells me that nearly everyone can find a connection to Tennessee in the Archives. For Ritter, a letter on display is a link to his own family tree.
"I have family in the Center Hill Lake area, so this is a letter from Congress that talked about a development of a state park on Center Hill Lake. It's the Edgar Evins State Park that's there now, but I thought that hit pretty close to home."
Parks Director of Interpretive Programming and Education Rob Barett says the parks were developed some 86 years ago, born from the Great Depression. Each park offers its unique perspective.
"With Governor Lee's recent announcement at State of the State, we're actually adding four more parks," said Barett. "We're very excited looking forward to that, because what that will mean is that more people will be closer to a park and can continue to connect with the benefits of the recreational opportunities, but also we'll preserving more of our natural and cultural heritage as we go."
To plan a visit to the Tennessee State Library and Archives or learn more about a lunchtime speaker series connected to the parks, head to their website.
