Top 8 Budget-friendly Things to do in Kennesaw, Georgia (GA)

Site of a crucial Civil War battle offers a modern visitor center and a number of hiking trails on its grounds.

Swift-Cantrell Park serves as one of the premier recreation, relaxation and central gathering places for area residents. Park hours of operation are from 7 am to 10 pm. At 42 acres, the City's largest community park features: two age appropriate playgrounds, a dog park, a skate park, a splash pad, three picnic pavilions, three restroom buildings, a one mile perimeter asphalt trail, a half-mile inner-loop ashpalt trail, shade structures, acres of open turf for passive recreation, drinking fountains and restrooms.

Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History As a prestigious Smithsonian Affiliations member, the Museum provides visitors with a unique perspective on the strategic and economic use of railroads during and after the Civil War. The Museum, conveniently located near downtown Kennesaw, Georgia is home to the General locomotive, made famous during the Great Locomotive Chase of 1862, an impressive Civil War collection, and the Glover Machine Works, a restored early 20th-century belt-driven locomotive assembly line. The Jolley Education Center offers numerous hands-on and interactive exhibits that are fun for the entire family, and the Cobb Energy Gallery features traveling exhibits from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), as well as other sources! The Southern Museum’s educational programs reinforce classroom learning by connecting historical information with actual artifacts.

With a variety of plantings, the Hiram Butler Home (ca. 1880) and 31 sculptures, Smith-Gilbert Gardens has something for everyone. At the center of Smith-Gilbert Gardens is the historic Hiram Butler House, dating back over 150 years. The house was once owned by Mr. Butler, a Confederate railroad man, who worked the lines most of his life and was present during the "Great Locomotive Chase." In 1970, Mr. Richard Smith and Dr. Robert Gilbert bought the Hiram Butler House and surrounding acreage in Kennesaw, Georgia. Over the following 35 years, they realized their dream of developing the house and grounds, with an emphasis on unique plantings and thoughtfully positioned sculpture. Now open to the public, Smith-Gilbert Gardens is 16 acres of serene setting with over 3,000 species of plants, several rare in American gardens. United by woodland paths, the Gardens consist of separate groupings with individual elements of fascination. These include the Bonsai Exhibit, Palladino Camellia Garden, tea house and waterfall area, Rose Garden, and Conifer Display. Our Garden is a proud member of various horticultural groups including the American Conifer, American Daffodil, American Hosta and the Southeastern Camellia societies. We are also a designated wildlife habitat by the Atlanta Audubon Society. Both our Rose Garden and the Conifer Collection have received special recognition as places to visit by their respective societies.