Best Downtown Park in Nashville 2026: Wasioto Park
In late 2024, the Indigenous Peoples Coalition — led by local author, historian, community activist and member of the Cherokee Nation Albert Bender — waged a successful campaign to rename Cumberland Park near downtown Nashville’s riverfront. Now known as Wasioto Park, named for a Shawnee word given to the Cumberland River many generations ago, the 6.5-acre green space remains a valuable asset along the river’s rapidly developing East Bank. With its kid-friendly play structures and water features, Wasioto is a gem of the downtown core — and hopefully will remain so no matter how much development takes place around it.
