Things to do in Georgia, Georgia: The Best Historic Sites

Savannah's picturesque historic district brings the traditional southern atmosphere to life.

Hills & Dales Estate is the historic home and garden of textile magnate Fuller E. Callaway. Located in LaGrange, Georgia. The centerpiece of the estate is a beautiful Georgian-Italian style home built in 1916. Designed by the noted architectural firm of Hentz & Reid it is one of the finest homes built toward the end of the country house era. The home was occupied by two generations of the Callaway family and contains all of the families' original furnishings. Formal gardens surrounding the home and were created by the original owner of the property, Sarah Coleman Ferrell prior to the Civil War. Within the gardens visitors will see many of Sarah's religiously inspired planting including a large planting of the word "God" and her personal motto "God is Love." The extensive formal boxwood garden also feature an herb garden, greenhouse, fountains and garden sculpture. The 35-acre estate, complemented by a Visitor Center containing family artifacts and displays, opened to the public in 2004. In May of 2010 twenty additional rooms on the second and third floor of the home opened for tours.

This Greek Revival mansion was built 1853 to 1855 by Benjamin Harvey Hill for his wife, Caroline Holt Hill. Senator Hill served in the Georgia Legislature, Confederate Congress, and U.S. House and Senate. One of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in the state. The exterior features ionic columns across wide porticoes.Located in the heart of LaGrange, Georgia the mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.Open for ToursTuesday through Saturday10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.and 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.Closed Sunday, Monday, & holidays

President Franklin D. Roosevelt built his "Little White House" in Warm Springs, Georgia, in 1932 while serving as governor of New York.

Hay House is a historic house museum and National Historic Landmark that is owned and operated by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. Guided tours of this antebellum mansion are offered daily.

The Atlanta History Center was founded on the big ideas and relentless fascination of 14 Atlantans who were emphatic about our city’s historical relevance in society. In a sense, our organization was created by Atlanta’s biggest fans, and we love that detail. In 1926, these founding members introduced the Atlanta Historical Society into the world with one mission: to help preserve Atlanta’s history. In 1990, after decades of collecting, researching, publishing and celebrating the early stories of our great Southern community, the Atlanta Historical Society and all of its holdings officially became the Atlanta History Center.

Start at the visitor center and then work your way around the three main sites in this historic park: the home in which the leader of the Civil Rights movement in America was born, the church where he preached and the memorial site where he is buried. A major Atlanta attraction, the park draws some 500,000 visitors each year.

Pebble Hill Plantation is an estate of 3,000 acres located in Thomasville, Georgia. With two distinct eras, Pebble Hill Plantation is rich in its history and its beauty. Established in the 1820's by Thomas Jefferson Johnson, it survived the Civil War and Reconstruction. Johnson's daughter Julia Ann Mitchell continued to own the historic Pebble Hill until the 1890's. Pebble Hill's modern history begins with its acquisition by Howard Melville Hanna from Cleveland, Ohio in 1896. At that time Thomasville had become a resort area frequented by northern visitors. Hanna's daughter, Kate Hanna Ireland Harvey was given Pebble Hill in 1901 by her father. She enjoyed the site as a winter home and shooting plantation and developed Pebble Hill as it is today. After Mrs. Harvey's death in 1936, the property passed to her daughter, Elisabeth Ireland Poe, who died in 1978. Through her generosity, a private foundation was established so her beloved Pebble Hill could be enjoyed by the public.

This beautiful park was the site of one of the first British colonies.