In this comprehensive book, lead designer Kem Hinton first shares the story of the State Capitol, the National Landmark designed in 1845 by architect William Strickland and regarded as the most important single building in Tennessee. He next recalls the early efforts to establish a new public park in an underappreciated part of Nashville, a commemorative civic gift that would provide an unobstructed vista of the historic statehouse. This is followed by an explanation of the design process to create within this exterior space an informative outdoor museum about the Volunteer State. The publication contains illustrations, maps, drawings, and photographs documenting the Tennessee State Capitol, the evolution of Capitol Hill and its surrounding properties, the lackluster development of land north of the statehouse, and the design and construction of the $59-million urban park. It further contains professional images of the Bicentennial Mall when it was first dedicated as well as those taken up to the present day by many of the state's most talented photographers, including John Guider, Robin Hood, Slick Lawson, Dean Dixon, John Schweikert, and Bob Schatz.