Andersonville National Historic Site

496 Cemetery Road

Columbus, GA 229-924-0343

Call for days and hours of operation

Admission Charged

Andersonville, or Camp Sumter as it was officially known, was one of the largest of many Confederate military prisons established during the Civil War.

Heritage Corner: the Heart of the Columbus Historic District

1. Woodruff Farm House

708 Broadway

Columbus, GA

The Woodruff Farm House is an 1840's double pen structure serving as a house museum and the offices of Historic Columbus Foundation's Riverfest Weekend and Heritage Tours. The Woodruff Farm House was moved from its former site at Macon and Woodruff Farm Roads on February 14, 1986 to 708 Broadway.

The farm house is called a double-pen. When additional space was needed, adding more pens could enlarge a house. A single pen with another single pen adjacent to it is called a double pen. A double pen has two front doors as seen on this house and the West House at Westville in Stewart County, Georgia.

2. Log Cabin

7081/2 Broadway

Columbus, GA

The Log Cabin is an example of a dwelling used by traders in the early 1800's prior to the settlement of Columbus and is considered to be the oldest structure in Muscogee County, about two centuries old. It was moved from its original location, in the northeastern quadrant of the county, ten miles from its present site. The dwelling was found in a tangle of undergrowth on the George C. Woodruff, Jr. family farm. In an effort to preserve it, the family made the cabin available to the Historic Columbus Foundation.

The Foundation moved the dismantled cabin and reconstructed it at its present location, completing the project in the spring of 1988. The late Dr. Joseph Mahan, at that time historic preservation planner of the Lower Chattahoochee Area Planning and Development Commission, and Mr. Fred Fussell with the Columbus Museum guided the project. Lumpkin contractor, Henry Lynch, dismantled and reassembled the cabin.

3. 700 Broadway

Columbus, GA

700 Broadway is a two-story Italian villa-style townhouse that was restored for the offices of the Historic Columbus Foundation in 1977. Historic Columbus Foundation moved its offices in 2002 to the Rankin House, 1440 Second Avenue. It was the only two-story brick home in the original city of Columbus. The exterior and interior of the walls are solid brick. The first floor is open to tour and has an appropriately furnished parlor, dining room, a library and a bedroom. Original mantelpieces are retained throughout the house. The ceilings are 14 feet high. The light fixtures in this house are gasoliers. The second floor, formerly bedrooms with a wide central hallway, house the offices of the Junior League of Columbus.

Displayed on the Back Porch walls are some of the different historic sights around Columbus.

There are three National Historic Landmarks within the city limits:

The first National Landmark is the Industrial Waterfront District, which includes the Columbus Iron Works. During the War Between the States, the Iron Works produced cannons and mortars, as well as engines and boilers for gunboats. It burned in 1902 but has since been completely restored. It now serves as the Columbus Convention and Trade Center.

The second National Landmark is the Springer Opera House. The Springer is a Victorian theatre built in 1871. It was almost destroyed in the 1960's to build a parking lot, but was saved and restored. The Springer Opera House is now the State Theatre of Georgia.

The third National Landmark is the Folly, the only double-octagonal house in the United States. The first octagon consists of a central chimney and a fireplace in each of the rooms, and the second octagon is a bedroom.

The Walker-Peters-Langdon HouseThe Walker-Peters-Langdon House, a simple Federal cottage built in 1828, is considered the oldest house in the original city.

The Pemberton House

11 Seventh Street

Columbus, GA

The Pemberton House is a Victorian cottage which was occupied by Dr. John Stith Pemberton and his family from 1855-1860. Dr. Pemberton, a pharmacist in Columbus and later Atlanta, was the originator of the formula for Coca-Cola. The Pemberton House features an apothecary shop, and it is housed in an original outbuilding, formerly used as the kitchen. It has been carefully furnished to approximate the surroundings in which Dr. Pemberton worked when he was a Columbus pharmacist. Coca-Cola Company momentos, pharmaceutical items, a soda fountain, and advertisements of Dr. Pemberton's are some of the items on display

The Rankin House

1440 Second Avenue

Columbus, GA

The Rankin House was built for James Rankin, a planter and owner of The Rankin Hotel, who immigrated to Columbus from Ayrshire in Scotland. Work on this mansion was started prior to the Civil War but was not completed until the war ended. The construction of the house is attributed to Lawrence Wimberly Wall, a native of South Carolina who worked as a brickmason in Savannah before coming to Columbus in the 1850s. The lower floor has been restored as an 1850-1870 house museum and decorated in the representative Victorian style of that era. Original colors have been used throughout the museum rooms. The fabrics in these rooms are specially created reproductions of materials of the period and were authenticated by a curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Chattahoochee Riverwalk

Columbus, GA

706-322-3181

Admission Free

The RiverWalk is a 15-mile linear park that hugs the banks of the Chattahoochee River. Columbus came back to the river in 1992. But she was never too far away for the history of this city is washed in the waters of the sleepy Chattahoochee.

Call for detailed information

Columbus Steeplechase at Callaway Gardens

1017 Second Avenue

Columbus, GA

706-324-6252

Call for exact days and hours

Admission Charged

The Steeplechase at Callaway, known now as the "event of the season" and always falling on the first Saturday in November, brings family and friends together to watch thoroughbred horses race over timber and brush hurdles. Tailgating together, either in box seats or in the infield, guests select their favorite horse in each of the five sanctioned races and cheer them to the finish; they entertain their children with pony rides, Jack Russell Terrier races, rock wall climbing or Bare Ware Pottery opportunities. There are bagpipers and blacksmiths, as well as the parade of Midland Foxhounds and the WGSY Sunny 100 Tailgate Competition. Additional activities include two junior races for selected competitive riders sixteen and younger, a chefs' competition and a raffle. The day includes a variety of entertainment for all ages.

Coca Cola Space Science Center

701 Front Avenue

Columbus, GA

706-649-1470

Call for days and hours of operation

Admission Charged

Created and operated by Columbus State University, the Coca-Cola Space Science Center opened in 1996. Located on the banks of the Chattahoochee River, Columbus GA, USA, the Center provides a unique on-site learning experience for all ages.

Confederate Naval War Museum

102 Victory Drive

Columbus, GA

706-327-9798

Call for days and hours of operation

Admission Charged

A visit to Port Columbus will allow visitors to place their feet in the shoes of those who made history in the sea services of the Union and Confederate Navies during the Civil War. Visit the original Confederate warships in the collection, some of the rarest and most significant Civil War artifacts in the nation, and reconstructed ships in which the visitor can feel how it must have been to live and work.

Historic Naval Ships

Port Columbus National Civil War Naval Museum

1002 Victory Drive

Columbus, GA

706-327-9798

Call for days and hours of operation

Admission Charged

One of the prime exhibits of Port Columbus is the hull of the ironclad ram Jackson which was designed as an armored, steam-powered ram for river and coast defense. The Jackson’s design was based on the successful model of CSS Virginia (Merrimac). The ship was also known as CSS Muscogee and exemplified the type of vessel employed by the Confederacy in naval combat during the Civil War. The nearly completed ship was burned to the waterline and sunk at the warfs end by Union cavalry General Wilsonís raiders in April of 1865. Jackson was discovered and raised in 1963. It is joined in the museum building by an excellent collection of Civil War naval artifacts including weapons, uniforms and an array of models of Civil War ships.

Columbus Botanical Gardens

Located adjacent to Weems Road

800-999-1613

Call for days and hours of operation

Admission Charged

The Columbus Botanical Garden is an approximately 20 acre site of beautiful rolling terrain in north Columbus.

Pemberton Grave

721 Linwood Blvd. Columbus, GA 31902 706-321-8285

Columbus was the home of Dr. John S. Pemberton, a pharmacist who concocted the original (and still secret) formula for Coca-Cola syrup. He died in 1888; his grave can be viewed in Linwood Cemetery in one of the older sections of town. Pemberton fought for the Confederacy in the War Between the States along with 200 other cemetery residents — his stone is marked with a Confederate Army/Masons seal rather than the anticipated coke bottle engraving. Also in town, the Pemberton House & Apothecary Shop on 11 7th Street features a recreated pharmacy scene and a Pemberton-like mannequin. He was allegedly a morphine addict. Dr. Pemberton sold the secret formula for $1,750.

Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center

4225 University Avenue

Columbus, GA

706-687-4090

Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10am-5pm, Sunday, noon-5pm, Closed Monday

Admission Charged

Oxbow Meadows is a nature discovery center located on 1,600 acres of hardwood wetland habitat in Columbus, Georgia. Nestled in a bend of the Chattahoochee River, it is a place where nature can be itself. Two nature trails wind between ponds, allowing visitors to view native flora & fauna. The center is a hands-on interpretive facility that focuses on the natural & cultural history of the region. Live & mounted animals are on display, including turtles, snakes, birds, frogs, spiders, fish & an alligator.

Nearby Attractions

Callaway Gardens

Pine Mountain, GA 31822-2000

Call for days and hours of operation

800-CALLAWAY (225-5292)

Admission Charged

Callaway Gardens is an award-winning, 14,000-acre resort and gardens nestled in the southernmost foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, in Pine Mountain, Georgia.

Butts Mill Farm

2280 Butts Mill Road

Pine Mountain, GA

706-663-7400

Call for days and hours of operation

Admission Charged

Butts Mill Farm has it all. History, Beauty and wholesome family fun. At Butts Mill Farm you'll enjoy world class miniature golf. A 34ft. inflatable tiger slide, water slide, horseback riding and hay ride. That's just a few of the over 20 activities you can do daily. So plan your visit today and enjoy the excitement of the events and the charm of the Farm.

Pine Mountain Trail

In FDR State Park

2970 Ga. Highway 190 Pine Mountain, GA 31822

706-663-4858

Hours: 7am-10pm

Admission to Park, trail is free

The Pine Mountain Trail is open to hikers any time the park is open. You do not have to be a Pine Mountain Trail Association member to hike on the trail, nor do you have to pay to hike on the trail.

Pine Mountain Wild Animal Safari

1300 Oak Grove Road

Pine Mountain, GA 31822 800-367-2751 or 706-663-8744

Call for dates and hours of operation as they vary by season

Admission Charged

From the moment you enter the gates of the A Wild Animal Safari, you begin an unforgettable encounter that spans seven continents. During a fascinating excursion through our 500-acre park, you will see hundreds of wild and exotic species of animals from around the world. Most of these beautiful creatures roam and graze freely, and many of them will come right up to your window for a scratch on the head or perhaps a bite to eat.

Providence Canyon

Located in Providence Canyon State Park

Route 1 Lumpkin, GA 31815

229-838-6202

Hours: 7am-6pm daily

Admission Charged

Visitors are amazed at the breathtaking colors of Georgia's "Little Grand Canyon." The rare Plum leaf Azalea and other wildflowers, as well as the pink, orange, red and purple hues of the soft canyon soil, make a beautiful natural painting at this unique park.

Westville

1850 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Lumpkin, Georgia

888-733-1850 or 229- 838-6310

Hours: Tuesday - Saturday from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Sunday, 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Admission Charged

Westville is a living history museum which depicts an 1850 west Georgia village. You may have seen pictures of little towns like Westville. They dotted the 1850s countryside in the southern United States. We have created Westville so that you can experience a community in the twenty-first century similar to the ones in which our ancestors lived in the middle of the nineteenth century.

FDR’s Little White House

401 Little White House Road

Warm Springs, Georgia

706-655-5970

Open seven days a week, 9:00 am - 4:45 pm, except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.

Admission Charged

Located near Callaway Gardens and the town of Warm Springs

Searching for relief from polio, Franklin D. Roosevelt first came to Warm Springs, Georgia in 1924 to swim in the springs' naturally heated water. Enchanted with the area, he built a vacation cottage on the side of Pine Mountain while running for president in 1932. During his trips to Georgia, he spent many hours visiting neighbors and learning of their difficulties, especially during the Great Depression. The Warm Springs cottage became known as the "Little White House".

Some of the most far-reaching policies of the New Deal were actually formed in the Little White House. The ideas for the National Bank Holiday and the Rural Electrification Administration each had their inception in its rooms. Many techniques for improving livestock breeding, crop rotation and reforestation were developed and demonstrated near Roosevelt's Little White House. The Civilian Conservation Corps, "the CCC" as it was called, employed many a young local man during the Depression years.