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Historic Sites in Georgia
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Historic Sites
Tourist Attractions
Historic Sites
Chief Vann House State Historic Site
Called the "Showplace of the Cherokee Nation," this two-story
classic brick mansion was built by Chief James Vann in 1804.
Decorated with beautiful Cherokee hand carvings done in natural
hues of blue, red, green and yellow, the home features a
cantilevered stairway and many fine antiques. Although Vann was
"feared by many and loved by few," he contributed more to the
education of Cherokee leaders than anyone else. He was
responsible for bringing the Moravian missionaries to his people
to teach children, and he believed Christian civilization was a
means of progress for the Cherokee. Vann was a polygamist who
had three wives and five children. He was killed in 1809 for
having shot his brother-in-law during a duel the previous year.
Vann's young son, Joseph, inherited the house and his father's
various businesses. The Vann House passed out of the family's
hands when "Rich Joe" Vann unknowingly violated state law by
hiring a white man to work for him. The government seized his
properties, and the house was awarded to a white land lottery
winner in 1834. For information call: (706)695-2598
Dahlonega Gold Museum State Historic Site
Twenty years before the 1849 gold rush to California, thousands
of gold seekers flocked into the Cherokee Nation in North
Georgia, beginning the nation's first major gold rush. The towns
of Auraria and Dahlonega grew and prospered with this mining
activity. Between 1838 and 1861, more than $6 million in gold
was coined by the U.S. Branch Mint in Dahlonega. The Dahlonega
Gold Museum, formerly the Lumpkin County Courthouse, offers
visitors a look at the mining history of Georgia. Gold coins
minted in Dahlonega and nuggets - one weighing more than 5
ounces - are on display. A 23-minute film describes the mining
techniques and lifestyles of the prospectors through interviews
with members of the long-time mining families in the Dahlonega
area. In the town of Dahlonega, visitors can shop for gold
nuggets and pan for gold. For information call: (706)864-2257
Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site
Visit the fortified aboriginal center that was the home to
several thousand persons more than 400 years ago. Walk among the
mounds, the largest standing 63 feet tall and covering three
acres. Tour the museum where artifacts and exhibits interpret
daily life in this once self-sufficient Native American
community. The Etowah Indian Mounds symbolize a society rich in
ritual. Towering over the community, these flat-topped earthen
knolls were used between 1000-1500 A.D. as a platform for the
home of the priest-chief, temples and mortuary houses. In some
mounds, nobility were buried in elaborate costumes accompanied
by items they would need in their after-lives. Although the
Etowah people left no written records, artifacts help explain
their lives and culture. Many artifacts at the museum show that
the natives of this political and religious center decorated
themselves with shell beads, tattoos, paint, complicated
hairdos, feathers and copper ear ornaments. Well-preserved stone
effigies and objects made of wood, seashells, stone and copper
are also displayed. For information call: (770)387-3747
Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation State Historic Site
The culture of a forgotten empire comes alive at this historic
rice plantation along the Altamaha River. Visitors can walk
beneath live oaks to the antebellum home furnished with fine
antiques, then gaze from the porch past magnolias and camellias
to the marsh where rice once flourished. The museum features
fine silver, a model of a working rice plantation, and slide
show about the life of planters and slaves. Around 1807, William
Brailsford of Charleston began carving a rice plantation from
the virgin cypress swamps along the Altamaha River. His
son-in-law, James M. Troup, acquired additional land along the
river. By the time Troup passed away, he owned 7,300 acres of
land, 357 slaves and several homes. Until the outbreak of the
Civil War, the plantation produced rice steadily. War,
hurricanes and the lack of abundant labor led to the fall of the
rice empire in 1915. Brailsford's descendants converted the
plantation into a dairy that distributed high-quality milk in
Glynn County. Due to a combination of reasons, the dairy closed
in 1942. In 1973, the plantation was willed to the state of
Georgia by Ophelia Troup Dent. For information call:
(912)264-7333
New Echota Cherokee Capital State Historic Site
In 1825, the Cherokee national legislature established a capital
called New Echota. A thriving town, this governmental seat
became head- quarters for the small, independent Indian nation
that once covered present-day northern Georgia, western North
Carolina, eastern Tennessee and northeastern Alabama. A
remarkable development in the Cherokees' progress came in 1821
when a written form of their language was adopted. In 1828, New
Echota's resourceful natives began printing a newspaper, The
Cherokee Phoenix, in both Cherokee and English. Although these
Native Americans patterned their government and lifestyle after
the white man, they were uprooted from their land in 1838 and
removed westward during the infamous Trail of Tears. Today,
visitors can see several original and reconstructed buildings,
as well as a film in the site's museum. Guests can tour the
Supreme Courthouse, the Council House, the restored 1828 home of
missionary Samuel A. Worcester, Vann's Tavern and a Cherokee
homestead. In the reconstructed print shop, visitors can even
see a sheet of the Cherokee's bilingual paper printed on a
Washington hand press. For information call: (706)624-1321
Tourist Attractions
Atlanta Botanical Garden
30 acres of lush, landscaped gardens & woodlands. A conservatory
houses rare & endangered tropical & desert plants. Lunch is sold
April-Oct. Museum gift shop. Botanical Library. For information
call: (404)876-5859
Underground Atlanta
The city beneath the streets is alive with activity! A center
for fun, entertainment, dining & shopping. Authentic storefronts
and historic buildings below and above the streets. Open Daily.
For information call: (404)523-2311
Zoo Atlanta
One of "America's Favorite Zoos" is home to nearly 1,000 animals
living in naturalistic habitats. Visit four families of
gorillas, African elephants, black rhinos, lions, orangutans,
flamingos, zebra, ostriches and a great reptile collection. The
zoo is located in historic Grant Park, just east of downtown
Atlanta. Hours of operation: April-October, M-F 9:30am-4:30pm,
Sat-Sun 9:30am-5:30pm; November-March, M-Sun. 9:30am-4:30pm. For
information call: (404)624-5600
Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
Georgia's storied athletic heritage are featured in the 43,000
square foot facility. Educational and interactive exhibits honor
heroes from the state's top high school, collegiate,
professional and amateur athletic fields such as record home run
hitter Henry "Hank" Aaron and football legend turned sports
announcer Fran Tarkenton. For information call: (912)752-1585
King Center
The King Center is the official national and international
memorial dedicated to continuing the work of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. through education, training and research. For
information call: (404)524-1956
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