5 Best Sights in Columbus, Southwest Georgia

Located outside the gates of Fort Benning, this museum examines the role of the U.S. infantry for every war in the nation's history through interactive, technology-rich displays. A must for military buffs, the facility holds more than 70,000 artifacts, including weaponry, uniforms, and equipment from the Revolutionary War to the present day, including a re-created World War II Company Street, which includes General Patton's sleeping quarters. On the museum grounds is the moving Global War on Terrorism Memorial, which is rededicated every year to honor service members who have lost their lives. The center also features a Giant Screen theater that shows both documentaries and Hollywood blockbusters.

Columbus State University's Coca-Cola Space Science Center, part of the Riverwalk, houses a multimedia planetarium with several showtimes offered daily, an observatory, a replica of an Apollo space capsule, a space shuttle, and other NASA-related exhibits, including cool flight simulators.

The state's largest art and history museum focuses heavily on American art ranging from colonial portraiture to provocative contemporary works. Other permanent exhibits showcase the history and industry of the Chattahoochee Valley. There's always something new and different to see in the temporary exhibit galleries.

Those interested in the nation's Civil War past should make it a point to visit this innovative military museum that focuses on the Confederate navy and its influence on the U.S. Navy's subsequent development. Columbus's riverfront location made it a major player in river transport prior to and throughout the Civil War. Interactive exhibits tell the story of shipbuilding and major Civil War ship battles. You can even walk the decks of partially reconstructed Civil War ships and get a glimpse of what combat was like in a full-scale replica of the CSS Albermarle. The museum also boasts the largest collection of Civil War naval-related flags on display in the country.