Georgia Historic Sites

Historic Sites

• Andersonville National Historic Site

496 Cemetery Road Andersonville, GA 31711 (229) 924-0343

<nps.gov/ande>: Of the 45,000 Union soldiers confined at this infamous Civil War prison, almost 13,000 perished. The park contains a national cemetery and the National Prisoner of War Museum.

• Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum

800 Cherokee Ave. SE Atlanta, GA 30315 (404) 658-7625

<www.webguide.com/cyclorama.html>: One of the world’s largest paintings at 358×42 feet, the cyclorama puts you in the middle of the July 22, 1864, Battle of Atlanta.

• Augusta Museum of History

560 Reynolds St. Augusta, GA 30901 (706) 722-8454 <augustamuseum.org>: An impressive collection of artifacts and archival items bears witness to the history of Augusta and the central Savannah River area from the Paleo-lndian period to the present.

• Cherokee Heritage Trails

Northwest Georgia (828) 497-3481

<cherokeeheritagetrails.org/calhoun_home.html>: Along the trail’s Georgia section, historic sites — including the Dahlonega Gold

Museum in Dahlonega, the Chief Vann House in North Chatsworth and the Chieftans’ Museum in Rome — demonstrate the “Cherokee Renaissance” and forced removal.

• Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

Lafayette Road south of highways 2 and 27 Fort Oglethorpe, GA (706) 866-9241

<nps.gov/chch>: Start at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center, where you’ll see a multimedia show and Civil War-era artifacts, then explore the historic battlefields.

• Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

Stilesboro Road near Old Highway 41 Marietta, GA (770) 427-4686

<nps.gov/kemo>: In a series of conflicts here from June 18 to July 2, 1864, Gen. Johnston’s army tried to halt Gen. Sherman’s march on Atlanta. Visitor center exhibits introduce you to these events, as well as the earthworks visible from park trails.

• Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site

450 Auburn Ave. NE Atlanta, GA 30312 (404)331-5190 <nps.gov/malu>: You’ll need to register in person for a free tour of the home where America’s most influential civil rights leader was born Jan. 15,1929, and spent his childhood.

Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King was co-pastor with his father, is two blocks away.

• Savannah History Museum

303 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Savannah, GA 31401 (912) 238-1779 <www.chsgeorgia.org/shm>: One of five Coastal Heritage Society institutions, this museum is in the old Central of Georgia Railway passenger shed. Forrest Gump’s bus stop bench is among 10,000 artifacts that acquaint you with charming Savannah.

• Stone Mountain Park

Highway 78 East, Exit 8 Stone Mountain, GA 30087 (770) 413-5086 <stonemountainpark.com>: Built around a massive mountainside carving depicting Jefferson Davis, Gen. Robert E. Lee and Lt. Gen. Stonewall Jackson, this 3,200-acre theme park features rides, shows, riverboat cruises, festivals and an education center.

Visitor Information

• Georgia Department of Economic Development

75 Fifth St. NW, Suite 1200 Atlanta, GA 30308 (404) 962-4000 <www.georgia.org/travel>

From the December 2006 issue of Family Tree Magazine.