Georgia on my Mind sang Ray Charles, and this song has become the state’s anthem. Historic buildings from before the American Civil War, plantations, battlefields that were the scene of bloody conflicts, places where African-American civil rights history was made and southern music. All this, and much more, awaits you if you decide to include Georgia in your Southern states itinerary.
Of course, like all top 10 lists, this one can be accused of being extremely subjective. In compiling this list, I have in fact left out many attractions and hidden gems that would definitely be worth visiting, but listing them all would have been impossible. In this article I have tried to give a first general idea of what you can expect visiting Georgia.
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Atlanta
Welcome to the capital of the state of Georgia and of Coca Cola! The city obtained international fame also thanks to the Olympics of 1996 that focused the eyes of the whole world on it for weeks.
Don’t miss a visit to the particular State Capitol with a fully-gilded dome. Atlanta is also one of the most important centers for the history of Afro-American civil rights. Also not to be missed, a visit to the house where Martin Luther King was born, as well as a tour inside the Center for Civil & Human Rights.
Are you a fan of television series? Then you may already know that Atlanta was used as a location for The Walking Dead. If you want to discover all that the city has in store for you, read our article completely dedicated to what to do in Atlanta.
Savannah
A true pearl of Georgia, Savannah is a town with an ancient charm that has known how to maintain intact its character despite the passage of time. A short walk around the pleasant Victorian district, in the Historic District, and along Forsyth Park where the shade furnished by the great oaks offers a little bit of shelter even on the warmest days, are well worth it.
You’ll also have a chance to get your picture taken at the iconic Forrest Gump bench located in Chippewa Square, one of the city’s many quaint squares. If you want to have a more detailed idea of what awaits you in this city, you can read our incoming in-depth article dedicated to what to see in Savannah.
Macon
This town is found practically halfway between Savannah and Atlanta and can therefore be considered a perfect strategic point from where to plan your itinerary. It has many buildings that go as far back as the period before the civil war, some of them very well preserved and that can be visited thanks to special tours. Of them all, I recommend the tour to Johnston-Felton-Hay House.
Macon, however, is not just buildings with beautiful historical architecture but also a real cradle of southern music. The city was the birthplace of Otis Redding, Little Richard and saw the birth of one of the most influential groups in American music: the Allman Brothers Band. If you’re a fan, a tour of the band’s home, known as the Big House, is highly recommended, as is a visit to the Otis Redding Foundation.
Wormsloe Historic Site
Known more simply as Wormsloe Plantation, this is one of the most famous and photographed historic plantation houses in Georgia even though the plantation itself is no longer there! How is that possible? Well one answer to that question is when you drive down the scenic tree-lined driveway over two miles long. The oak trees on either side of the road form a panorama that is hard to match.
The land belonged to Noble Jones, one of the first English settlers to come here in the first half of the 1700s, in what would become the state of Georgia. Today you can visit a museum dedicated to the history of the plantation and the early years of Georgia’s development, as well as take a trail that will take you to see what remains of the plantation.
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Pebble Hill Plantation
After having mentioned a plantation that no longer exists, let’s visit a real one that has been able to wonderfully resist the passing of the years. Built in 1826, Pebble Hill Plantation has been perfectly preserved to this day. You can tour the interior and take a walk along the property. So get ready to take a real trip back in time. Due to its undeniable charm this plantation is chosen as a location for many exclusive events and weddings.
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Providence Canyon
One of the most spectacular natural attractions of the state, so much so that it is known as the Little Grand Canyon of Georgia. Unlike its more famous alter ego in Arizona, however, this canyon was not formed by the erosive force of a river, but for agricultural practices that did not go well. In fact, the farmers of this area never took any kind of precaution to avoid soil erosion; what we can see today is the result. Not all evil ends badly, however, because it is only thanks to this error of judgment that we can admire this particular natural beauty.
The name comes from the Providence Methodist Church that still stands within the park. You can admire the Canyon from observation points along the road, or you can choose various scenic routes. If you have time, the best advice is to take the most famous one, the Canyon Loop Trail, which is about 5 miles long. Walking inside the park you will also find the carcasses of old cars, owned by a local farm, which it was decided not to move because they are now considered in some way to be “an integral part of the ecosystem.
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Stone Mountain Park
Halfway between an amusement park and a nature park: this is the best way to summarize what awaits you at Stone Mountain Park. It is the most visited attraction in Georgia and certainly one of the most unique. What immediately attracts your attention is in fact the gigantic “monadnock” (a giant boulder that stands out in an otherwise surrounding flat environment) on which the largest bas-relief in the world was carved. It depicts three Southern leaders of the War of Secession (which is why there has been so much controversy lately), Jefferson Davis, Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee.
You can reach the top of Stone Mountain via a walking trail or, more conveniently, by cable car. But the things to do at Stone Mountain Park do not end here, in fact you will find a real Amusement Park, a dinosaur theme park, a 4D cinema, a panoramic train line and what is perhaps the most interesting attraction, the Historic Square: an area where the intention was to recreate the atmosphere of Georgia in the 1900s using original buildings of the time.
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Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park
Behind this high-sounding, and almost unpronounceable, name lies one of the most important historical sites of the American Civil War, that recalls the battle of Chickamauga and Chattanooga. The park can be divided into two large parts: the one spread on the heights of Lookout Mountain (located in Tennessee) and the one that is located in the great expanse where the battle of Chickamauga was fought (in the territory of Georgia).
There are numerous trails, but nature lovers will prefer to choose the ones that go up Lookout Mountain since they can reward you with beautiful panoramic views of the entire surrounding area. There are numerous memorials, statues, and artifacts from the War of Secession at both locations, as well as a well-maintained museum that chronicles the events of that period.
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Rock City
It is located on the same Lookout Mountain that we just mentioned, but on the side that is still part of the state of Georgia. Rock City owes much of its notoriety to the fact that from the top of the promontory called Lover’s Leap, it is claimed that you can clearly see seven states! We don’t know how true this is, but you can see for yourself.
The attractions of Rock City do not end here, you can walk the Enchanted Trail that branches off on narrow passages between the rocks and manicured gardens and visit the Fairyland Caverns that are literally populated by gnomes and goblins.
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Okefenokee Swamp
You can’t say you’ve visited a southern U.S. state without going to a typical swamp with crocodiles and lush vegetation. In this case, we are in southern Georgia, right on the border with Florida, and taking a boat tour along the water channels that have formed over time to see the local wildlife in its natural habitat is definitely an experience not to be missed.
The peculiarity of this swamp is that you can also visit it on a means of transport that is a bit ‘unusual for this type of attraction, by train!
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Saint Simons Island (bonus)
Georgia is not just plantations and historic cities, but it also boasts a remarkable coastline. That’s why we decided to add an 11th attraction to this top 10. The Golden Isles are “barrier islands” that are located on the Georgia coastline and offer popular tourist attractions. The most important are Sea Island, Jekyll Island and St. Simons Island.
This peculiar island is the largest of the Golden Isles and its town has been voted by magazines specializing in tourism as the most romantic in America and the best of those facing the sea. Historic buildings, picturesque lighthouses, coastlines and natural parks will satisfy all the tastes of those who decide to spend a few days by the sea.