The bold strokes of Georgia’s heritage are forever written on American culture, from the pre-Revolutionary history of Columbus, Savannah and the Golden Isles, and the Civil War sites of Dalton and Macon to the enduring legacies of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and former President Jimmy Carter in Atlanta. Even Georgia music makes a difference: The state has produced such legends as Ray Charles, Little Richard and James Brown. It’s a rich, tantalizing mix of unforgettable stories and unexpected delights that makes it easy to enliven agendas and keep attendees intrigued.
Metro Atlanta
It’s fitting that a city that weathered the devastation of the Civil War and the uphill struggle of the Civil Rights movement enter the 21st century as a destination devoted to peace and creativity. Atlanta’s culture brims with dramatic history, musical heritage and natural wonders.
"We’re highlighting Atlanta as a center of civil and human rights," says Lauren Jarrell, director of communications for the Atlanta CVB. "We created a new section on our website that pulls assets together to help visitors explore, and we can also arrange for speakers on these topics for groups."
Atlanta has produced two Nobel Peace Prize winners, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and President Jimmy Carter. Their work forms the cornerstone of Atlanta’s cultural heritage; The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum wrapped a $10 million renovation last October with a new focus on the former president’s dedication to human rights. The Carter Presidential Center, part of the Carter Library and Museum complex, offers meeting and event space for up to 1,200 attendees.
Within the area known as the Sweet Auburn District are the attractions of the Martin Luther King site: the King Center; Ebenezer Baptist Church, which underwent a stained-glass window restoration last year; the restored King birthplace; and the burial site of both King and his wife, Coretta Scott King. Tours of the district are available by trolley or Segway. Beyond the historic site, a new attraction, the Center for Civil and Human Rights, will open adjacent to the World of Coca-Cola and Georgia Aquarium in 2012. The center will feature a special collection of Dr. King’s letters and will have meeting space available as well.
Attendees with strong legs and a powerful thirst for Civil War knowledge will enjoy the Battle of Atlanta bicycle tour, a 10-mile journey to the important battlefield sites. Although it normally takes three hours, the tour can be customized to fit a group’s time requirements.
Two attractions provide a completely unique Atlanta experience for groups: the Georgia Aquarium and CNN Atlanta, both within walking distance of Centennial Park and the Georgia World Congress Center. The Georgia Aquarium offers a 23,000-square-foot ballroom, or planners can rent the entire facility for a magical evening among the aquarium’s finned residents. For a tour through a different fishbowl, CNN offers varying spaces for 45 to 400 guests, and small group tours behind the scenes to meet on-air talent.
Near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the Georgia International Convention Center, with 150,000 square feet of exhibit space and 15,000 square feet of meeting space, has a stunning art collection with more than 35 works crafted by locally and internationally known artists. Attendees can download an audio art tour and appreciate each piece at their leisure.
Fresh air is key in nearby Peachtree City. There are more than 90 miles of recreational paths for hikers, joggers, bikers and even golf cart enthusiasts. Outdoor events like team-building basketball tournaments, picnics or Family Days are easy with an amazing selection of parks, including Kedron Fieldhouse, which offers two meeting rooms, a pool and basketball courts.
Attendees can experience the Civil War era with a trip through Cobb and DeKalb counties. A cable car ride at Stone Mountain Park zips guests 800 feet into the air past the massive Confederate Memorial Carving etched into the mountain itself, while the "Beauty and the Thieves" tour in Cobb County takes attendees into sites like the Gone With the Wind Movie Museum and the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History.
A day trip to Gwinnett County must include a visit to the largest Hindu temple in the U.S. Guided tours are available through the BAPS temple, which features 86 decorative ceilings and more than 100 archways, and required the skill of 1,500 craftsmen and over 1 million hours of work.
North Georgia Mountains
Natural beauty and America’s history run deep north of Atlanta. The communities of Lake Lanier and Dalton offer attendees plenty of outdoor fun and some intriguing historic sites.
Railroads are part of Dalton’s past and present. The Dalton Freight Depot and Visitors Center opened last summer after a complete restoration that includes meeting space and a train-viewing platform. The area is rich with Native American history, including the Chieftain’s Trail and the Chief Vann House, a rare example of a Cherokee home. Civil War sites like Tunnel Hill and Prater’s Mill round out the experience, and the Dalton CVB can arrange step-on tours, shuttle buses, a cycling tour and speakers on northwest Georgia history for group sessions or events.
Lake Lanier offers any kind of outdoor sport a planner can wish for, from hiking to golf to sailing. The lake hosted several water events in the 1996 Olympic Games and is a natural for team-building activities or just a day of downtime fun. The 1,100-acre Lake Lanier Islands Resort hosts concerts and craft festivals along with a number of amenities, and the nearby Chateau Elan Winery and Resort evokes the cultural vibe of the French countryside with a full winery, lush landscapes, golf and a 25,000-square-foot conference center.
Southern Rivers
The cities of southwest Georgia all have unique cultural attractions, from military exhibits in Columbus to the Ray Charles Plaza in Albany. Valdosta rounds out the area with vibrant murals celebrating its history, as well as unique architecture and shopping.
Boasting one of the longest contiguous historic districts in the Southeast, Columbus has much to offer planners seeking history and local culture.
"Columbus was one of the last planned cities of the original 13 colonies," says Peter Bowden, president and CEO of the Columbus CVB. "Much of that history has been preserved. People are amazed at the buildings that have been adapted for modern use."
Indeed, even the Columbus Convention and Trade Center was once a munitions factory during the Civil War. A $25 million renovation converted the historic structure into a modern wonder for meetings, with more than 180,000 square feet of space.
The CVB plans to launch a driving tour of the city’s historic architecture this summer and can tailor tours to any group’s interest, from historic sites like the home and lab of the inventor of Coca-Cola to a military heritage program spotlighting Fort Mitchell; the National Civil War Naval Museum, featuring two actual ironclad ships; and the new National Infantry Museum, which opened last June.
Two Albany cultural attractions have renovated in the last two years. The Albany Civil Rights Institute opened a new building that includes a multipurpose room for meetings, and the Thronateeska Heritage Center, an interactive science and history museum well-suited for receptions and special events, unveiled a new planetarium with high-def projection and digital surround sound. Music fans stop by Ray Charles Plaza, a park featuring a life-size statue of the artist at the piano, and the Albany Welcome Center now has a miniature hands-on version of the statue for visitors who are sight-impaired.
Best known for the Wild Adventures Theme Park, the Valdosta area also has a rich history. It was a mill town from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, and that time is preserved in murals decorating the downtown district. Historic buildings and mill houses have been preserved and repurposed as shops and restaurants. The city has four districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places and offers a customizable driving tour for each one. Valdosta was also the boyhood home of legendary gambler and gunfighter Doc Holliday. A unique way for groups to enjoy the heritage of the region is to have a dinner at the Crescent House & Gardens while being entertained by a Doc Holliday look-alike. Planners can also arrange dinners at the Lowndes County Historical Society and Museum, complete with bluegrass musicians.
Historic South
Music is the heartbeat of central and eastern Georgia. The region has produced such icons as James Brown, Little Richard, the B-52s and R.E.M. While the towns of Augusta, Athens and Macon have a wealth of historic sites and attractions, it’s all set to a uniquely Southern soundtrack.
Planners can find a diverse selection of cultural activities in Augusta. The CVB will arrange behind-the-scenes tours of the Morris Museum of Art and Augusta Museum of History, or a James Brown tour of special sites such as the James Brown statue, the church where he practiced piano and the radio station steps where he danced for change.
"We also offer a history of golf tour, since Augusta is the home of the Masters Tournament," says Peggy Seigler, vice president of sales and marketing for the Augusta CVB.
The tour includes a Museum of History exhibit featuring items on loan from the Augusta National Golf Club.
With four house museums comprising Museum Mile, 16 historic districts and the 2009 honor of being selected by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations, Athens is a history lover’s dream come true. Guided custom tours are available through Classic City Tours, which also offers some offbeat programs in this vibrant college town. The Athens Music History Tour covers homegrown acts like R.E.M. and the B-52s, along with renowned venues like the 40 Watt Club and the Georgia Theatre. The CVB has a special "Hire an Athens Musician" program to bring live, local music to any event. Other local culture options include artist studio tours, downtown walking tours and special tours of historic building interiors.
Macon offers a variety of intriguing tours, including a roster of historic homes in the memorable "What Sherman Didn’t Burn" Civil War era tour; a musical heritage journey with stops at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, featuring Little Richard, Lena Horne, Chet Atkins and more; and the Douglass Theatre and Rose Hill Cemetery, resting place of two members from the Allman Brothers Band. Other tailored options for groups include visits to historic downtown churches and the unique tour-within-a-tour called "In Oprah’s Footsteps," which documents all the attractions and restaurants the television star visited during her time in Macon.
Coastal Georgia
Natural beauty, irresistible history and coastal cuisine are the top draws in Brunswick and the Golden Isles and Savannah.
The mainland city of Brunswick offers several historic sites, including Holfwyl-Broadfield Plantation and the Old Town National Register District, filled with Victorian-era elegance. On St. Simons Island, the Fort Frederica National Monument tells the tale of British and Spanish battles in the 1740s, while the Maritime Museum and Moore Methodist Museum illustrate the area’s history and plantation culture. For something more lively, dolphin watch cruises are available, or attendees can venture out on the Lady Jane shrimp boat and watch fisherman bring in the freshest seafood around. Afterwards, the guests can enjoy a meal of Georgia shrimp prepared and served by the ship’s crew.
More history can be found on Jekyll Island, which was the private playground for powerful men like Joseph Pulitzer, William Rockefeller and J.P. Morgan. Their winter escape is now the Jekyll Island Historic Landmark District. Tours are available of the historic area and museum, which covers archeological finds from Native Americans, British settlers and more.
Food, art and music are the mainstays of life in Savannah. The city is home to the Savannah College of Art and Design, which has 10,000 students who infuse the local culture with a love of life and creativity. Custom gallery walks can be scheduled for attendees, and the Telfair Museum of Art offers tours of special collections as well as event space.
"We’re an ideal destination for cultural travelers," says Joseph Marinelli, president of the Savannah CVB. "We have haunted tours, an emerging arts scene and coastal culinary experiences tailor-made for groups."
The coastal cuisine tours are extremely popular, partly because of the fresh Georgia wild shrimp and also because celebrity chef Paula Deen has a restaurant in Savannah. The Savannah Music Festival, held each spring, is a month-long celebration of every musical genre, while the city’s autumn Film Festival brings such luminaries as Michael Douglas and Peter O’Toole. During the rest of the year, attendees can enjoy the Savannah Movie Tour, which includes location sites for such classics as Forrest Gump, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and The Legend of Bagger Vance.
Founded in 1733, there’s also an amazing amount of history in Savannah, from the Civil War site of Old Fort Jackson to First African Baptist Church, once a safe house in the Underground Railroad. Any destination with this much history is bound to have a few spirits, and the city’s ghost tours thrill spook-hunters with cemetery walks and mysterious tales.
Beth Bartlett hopes to see the Ray Charles statue in Albany someday because she has Georgia on her mind.
