54 Best Sights in Central and North Georgia, Georgia

Madison is the historic heart of Georgia, and although many of the lovely homes are privately owned, this Greek Revival mansion, circa 1811, is open to the public. Rooms are furnished in the 19th-century style and offer insight into the elegant lifestyle of an average well-to-do family. Combo tickets are available to tour Heritage Hall along with two other historic homes, Rogers House and Rose Cottage, within walking distance.

Buy freshly picked apples (usually early September to late November) at this 80-acre farm. Homemade jellies, jams, breads, and doughnuts are available at the farm's market and bakery. On September and October weekends, the Apple Pickin' Jubilee features live music, wagon rides, apple picking, and other activities. There's also a petting zoo and a picnic area.

One of the six lakes built by the Georgia Railway and Power Company, this 2,800-acre lake is in the Chattahoochee National Forest. On the lake, at Route 197, is the Lake Burton Fish Hatchery, alongside Moccasin Creek State Park, which offers a boat ramp, fishing pier, picnic spots, and shady campsites. It also has trout raceways (used to raise trout from fingerlings) and a kids-only trout-fishing area. In extremely hot weather, the hatchery is sometimes closed.

Built in 1915, the first of six lakes in the state built by the Georgia Railway and Power Company, Lake Rabun covers only 834 acres. Its small size is misleading, as its narrow fingers dart through mountain valleys. Lightly visited by tourists and populated with weekend homes and old boathouses, it has a low-key charm. The lake offers boating, fishing, and camping. There's a small beach at Lake Rabun Beach Recreation Area at the east end of the lake available for day use for a fee.

One of largest in the state, this museum offers a wide variety of art and science exhibitions, a planetarium, mini-zoo with live animals, interactive Discovery House, rotating temporary exhibits, and nature trails to explore outside the building. The 44-foot full dome Mark Smith Planetarium was recently rebuilt and expanded, and now features state-of-the-art digital projection that truly brings the cosmos to life. Check online for the latest programs and offerings.

This 1895 Romanesque revival building was one of the first brick schools in the area. A museum features a restored 1895 classroom and a replica of an antebellum-era parlor. There are also art galleries and other exhibits. Check the online calendar for performances and events.

Augusta's oldest residence, built around 1791, Meadow Garden was the home of George Walton, one of Georgia's three signers of the Declaration of Independence. At age 26, he was its youngest signer. Owned and operated by the Daughters of the American Revolution since 1900, it is one of the oldest house museums in the state of Georgia.

Flannery O'Connor, who suffered from lupus and died at age 39, is buried at historic Memory Hill Cemetery. Literary scholars from around the world come here to pay their respects. Because Milledgeville was the capital of Georgia from 1807 to 1868, there are many early Georgia governors and legislators buried here as well.

Once lost to time, this unique restoration and revitalization project brings back to life Capricorn Sound Studios, the Macon studio and record label responsible for launching Southern Rock artists like the Allman Brothers Band, Wet Willie, and the Marshall Tucker Band. Visitors can tour the Capricorn Museum to see historic artifacts and sort through Capricorn's discography with interactive kiosks, as well as tour the incredibly well-preserved, historic Studio A and the modernized Studio B which is still in use as a recording studio and features live performances frequently.

This family-owned apple orchard has been producing delicious apples and other fruits for more than 75 years. Apple season is typically from September to November, but even outside the season you can stop in at Mercier's huge farm market and bakery to pick up some of its famous fried apple pies and other homemade goodies. It's open every day of the week. You can also grab lunch in the deli and taste Mercier's own hard-pressed ciders in the farm winery. The orchard is especially buzzing with activity in the fall, when you can take a tractor ride and pick your own apples, and in the summer when blueberry season arrives. Call ahead to find out what fruits are in season and for the latest details on orchard events.

This is a splendid collection of Southern art, from early landscapes, antebellum portraits, and the Civil War period through neo-impressionism and modern contemporary art. The first institution dedicated to Southern art and artists, the museum also holds up to 10 special exhibitions each year bringing important, though sometimes little-known, artists to the forefront.

This museum at Robins Air Force Base has an extraordinary collection of 85 vintage aircraft and missiles, including a MiG, an SR-71 (Blackbird), a U-2, and assorted other flying machines from past campaigns. For a small fee, you can also take a ride on a virtual reality simulator as you navigate through outer space. The 51-acre campus also includes the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame.

Made up of a dozen original and reconstructed buildings, this significant historic site allows visitors to explore the capital of the Cherokee nation on the land where the city once stood. It was here that the Treaty of 1835 was signed by a small group of Cherokee leaders, setting into motion the Trail of Tears. The only original building remaining is the Worcester House, a home and Presbyterian mission station. The Cherokee Council House and Supreme Court are reconstructions, as is the print house, where thousands of books translated in Cherokee and the weekly Cherokee Phoenix were published. Other buildings, including the 1805 Vann Tavern, were relocated to the site. A museum and film provide more insight on the rich history of the Cherokee in Georgia.

Dedicated to Martha Berry, founder of Berry College, the museum includes exhibits on the history of the college (located just down the street) and a tour of Berry's 1884 Greek Revival family home, Oak Hill. Berry founded the college in 1902 to help impoverished mountain children gain an education and life skills. Today, it is recognized as one of the top small liberal arts colleges in the country. Oak Hill is preserved as it was when Berry died in 1927. Be sure to stroll the picturesque gardens and outbuildings. If time permits, drive through Berry College for a look at the Gothic-style stone Ford Complex built between 1925 and 1931 and donated by Berry's friend, Henry Ford.

Located 3 miles east of downtown Macon, Ocmulgee is a significant archaeological site as it's been occupied for more than 17,000 years; at its peak, between AD 900 and 1100, it was populated by the Mississippian peoples, who were renowned mound builders. There's a reconstructed earth lodge as well as displays of pottery, effigies, and jewelry of copper and shells discovered in the burial mound. There are 8 miles of paved and unpaved trails around the key sites, so be sure to wear your walking shoes. Call or check the park's online schedule for special Lantern Light Tours and other educational opportunities.

This grand 1838 Greek Revival mansion became Sherman's headquarters during the war. His soldiers are said to have tossed government documents out the windows and fueled their fires with Confederate money. Home to eight Georgian governors, and the founding building of Georgia College and State University, the mansion underwent a painstaking $10 million restoration in the early 2000s. Guided tours of the building are given daily on the hour. Specialty tours can be arranged in advance for an additional fee.

Beginning and ending in Helen, the Russell-Brasstown Scenic Byway is a 41-mile loop through some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in northeastern Georgia. Start the counterclockwise drive from Route 17/74 north of Helen, turn left on Route 180, left again at Route 348, and another left at Route 75 Alternate back to Helen. The loop passes the Raven Cliff Wilderness, wildlife management areas, the headwaters of the Chattahoochee River, and a section of the Appalachian Trail, and goes near the state parks of Vogel, Unicoi, Smithgall Woods, and Brasstown Bald Mountain.

Originally opened in 1955, this is one of only five drive-in movie theaters operating in Georgia. You can take in a movie under the stars and fill up on corn dogs, onion rings, funnel cakes, and popcorn from the concession stand.

This museum honors Harriet Tubman, the former slave who led more than 300 people to freedom as one of the conductors of the Underground Railroad. The museum's signature piece is a large mural depicting several centuries of black culture. Permanent galleries are focused on African American inventors, Middle Georgia history, and folk art. Rotating exhibits showcase African American arts and culture.

Eatonton is the birthplace of celebrated novelist Joel Chandler Harris, of Br'er Rabbit and Uncle Remus fame. This museum, built from authentic slave cabins, houses countless carvings, paintings, first-edition books, and other artwork depicting the characters made famous by the imaginative author. It's on the grounds of a park. Note the museum closes for lunch from noon until 1 daily, so plan your visit accordingly.

Athens has several splendid Greek revival buildings, including two on campus: the university chapel, built in 1832, just off North Herty Drive, and the university president's house that was built in the late 1850s. Easiest access to the campus in downtown Athens is off Broad Street onto either Jackson or Thomas Street, both of which run through the heart of the university. Maps are available at the visitor center in the Four Towers Building on College Station Road.