I went to Centennial Park to find the Taylor Swift Bench

I didn’t move to Nashville just because I’m a Taylor Swift fan, but there are some perks to being a Swiftie in Music City. 

I love that it’s just a short drive to go to Grimey’s each time a new Taylor Swift mural is unveiled, or that I can go take a walk around Radnor Lake, one of Swift’s favorite spots, whenever I want. 

I’m always finding new unique things to do in Nashville, and it’s even more fun when those things are related to one of my favorite music artists.

Of course, this meant that when I heard there was a bench dedicated to Taylor Swift in Centennial Park, I had to check it out. Here’s what happened!

What is the Taylor Swift Bench anyway?

I was already living in Nashville when Swift released the album Folklore. I was so excited hearing the reference in her song “Invisible String” about how she used to sit and read at Centennial Park:

“Green was the color of the grass
Where I used to read at Centennial Park
I used to think I would meet somebody there”

As Swifties likely already know, the singer’s family moved to Hendersonville right outside of Nashville when Swift was trying to get her start in the music industry. Swift isn’t seen in the area often and she doesn’t directly talk about Nashville in her songs as much as she mentions places like New York or London. However, she still has a residence in the Nashville area.

During Swift’s Eras Tour, cities did fun things to welcome the singer. Tampa gave Swift a key to the city, and Glendale temporarily changed the city’s name in her honor. 

Nashville also had a special welcome for Taylor Swift. Inspired by the reference in “Invisible String,” Nashville unveiled a bench in Swift’s honor in the park in 2023 right before the Eras Tour arrived in the city. The plaque on the bench reads “For Taylor Swift, A bench for you to read on at Centennial Park.”

What to expect at Centennial Park

Despite being a longtime fan of Taylor Swift, I did not seek out the bench in Centennial Park right away. I actually waited more than a year! 

I went to Centennial Park multiple times, but I was always visiting for a different reason. Plus, I usually had my toddler with me, and my philosophy for happy adventures with small children in tow is to stay flexible and leave before anyone gets too hungry or tired. 

The Taylor Swift bench is far from the biggest attraction in Centennial Park. The park was first used for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition in 1897. A replica of the Greek Parthenon was built specially for the event. The city decided to preserve the area as a public park once the exposition ended. 

Today both visitors and locals make use of Centennial Park. 

The replica of the Parthenon is now an art museum. I go here pretty often with my family for an event called Kidsville at the Parthenon, which is a series of cool educational programs for children 12 and under.

Centennial Park has so much going on that it really would take forever to list everything I’ve done in the park or that I’m hoping to do in the future. 

One of the most popular things to do is take a walk around Lake Watauga where you can read a series of markers that tell the history of the park. 

Of course, since Nashville is Music City, the park hosts an event called Musicians Corner in the summer and fall, and on Saturday nights in the summer, there are Big Band Dances with live music under one of the pavilions. 

There’s also a playground, a dog park, and a sportsplex where you can play tennis, swim, and even ice skate. 

Finding the bench within the 132-acre park

I finally decided to make a trip to Centennial Park specifically to see the Taylor Swift bench. 

We parked in the lot between the Parthenon and the playground and made a pit stop at the playground for my toddler before taking a walk along the paved pathway around the lake. 

I was worried that the bench would be hard to find in the 132-acre park, but it’s located just off the pathway around Lake Watauga in the Sunken Gardens. It’s even marked on Google Maps if you need extra help finding the location. 

The fact that it’s the only bench with a backdrop of flower beds made the Taylor Swift bench very easy to spot. 

The bench is marked with a plaque, so I knew I was at the right one! 

I took an excessive amount of photos at the bench and then moved on so other people could take their own photos. 

One thing I didn’t know about was that the city also planted a willow tree near the bench (for Swift’s song “Willow”). It turns out that it was a good thing I waited a while to visit because the tree is now large enough to sit underneath!

My toddler enjoyed playing under the tree much more than sitting on the bench. And, I enjoyed that there was an unexpected bonus Taylor Swift-related thing to see.

Is the Taylor Swift Bench worth visiting?

Overall, the Taylor Swift bench makes a fun place for a photo stop, but it really is just a normal park bench. However, I’d definitely recommend going if you’re a Taylor Swift fan.

Since going, I’ve heard other fans say that they’ve brought friendship bracelets to leave on the bench for the next person who comes. I love that people are keeping the magic of the Eras Tour going even after the shows have ended. 

Besides the bench, another recommendation I have for Swifties is to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The Taylor Swift Education Center on the third floor of the museum is mostly classrooms and other resources for the music community. There are always a few items related to Taylor Swift on display. 

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For me, it was worth going to find the bench in the park because I had a good time exploring, and I already knew that I’d enjoy walking around Centennial Park on a beautiful day. You’ll probably only spend a few minutes at the Taylor Swift Bench, but you could easily spend an entire morning or afternoon in the rest of the park.

Thanks for reading! Next up, check out my guide for these must-visit Dolly Parton landmarks around Tennessee.