Georgia Out of the Box: Our Favorite Attractions

Pasaquan

There is so much to see and do beyond Atlanta! Check out these out-of-the-box attractions and destinations.

Experiences

Charlemagne’s Kingdom. Helen. This model railroad is a detailed replica of Germany, with  hundreds of feet of track, an Alpine village with cable cars, a 22-foot Matterhorn, a working Autobahn and more.

BabyLand General Hospital. Cleveland. Tour the birthplace of the Cabbage Patch Kids, witness a “birth,” and find the perfect Original Kid or Cabbage Patch Kid to adopt.

Expedition Bigfoot. Blue Ridge. Reality or myth? See the evidence at this display of bigfoot artifacts, exhibits, photos, sighting maps and “Sasquatch Theater.”

Pasaquan. Buena Vista. This fascinating 7-acre complex, created by artist Eddie Owens Martin, features structures, sculptures and walls elaborately painted in African, Mexican and Native American symbols.

Old Car City USA. White. Stroll through the 34-acre junkyard and see thousands of classic cars, folk art and memorabilia. It’s a popular destination for amateur and professional photographers alike.

Tunnel Hill Heritage Center and Museum. Dalton. Explore Civil War history at the site of the Western & Atlantic Railroad Tunnel and see where the Civil War’s “Great Locomotive Chase” came through in 1862.

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir. Lilburn. This beautifully ornate Hindu temple was constructed with more than 34,000 hand-carved pieces. Visitors can take an audio tour or participate in the Abhishek prayer ritual.

Tree Spirits. St. Simons Island. Go on a one-of-a-kind treasure hunt to find the weathered faces carved into the island’s oak trees, or download a map that shows the location of each face.

Providence Canyon State Park

Nature

Go Fish Education Center. Perry. Learn about Georgia’s watersheds and aquatic wildlife, catch and release fish, try the interactive fishing and boating simulators and more.

Flint RiverQuarium Environmental Education Center. Albany. View fish, turtles, alligators and other creatures at the 22-foot Blue Hole Spring; explore hands-on exhibits, a hatchery, aviary and more.

Little Grand Canyon, Providence Canyon State Park. Lumpkin. Walk or hike the rim trail and explore the scenic canyons, formed by erosion in the 1800s, with their distinctive pink, orange, red and purple hues.

Rock City. Lookout Mountain. Amazing “7 States” views, natural rock formations, lush gardens and art installations have made Rock City a favorite destination since the early 1900s.

Toccoa River Swinging Bridge. Blue Ridge. At 270 feet long, it’s the longest swinging bridge east of the Mississippi. View the beautiful Toccoa River as you hike the easy one-mile Benton McKaye Trail.

Museums

Laurel & Hardy Museum. Harlem. Learn about the life of Harlem-born Oliver Hardy and how he and Stan Laurel became one of the most successful comedy teams of the 20th century.

Georgia Rural Telephone Museum. Leslie. Explore the museum’s collection of rare antique telephones and memorabilia – housed in a restored 1920 cotton warehouse – along with antique clocks and cars.

Savoy Car Museum. Cartersville. A must-see destinations for automobile enthusiasts, this newly-opened museum explores the history and diversity of the automobile.

Lunchbox Museum

Lunchbox Museum. Columbus. Take a trip back in time and see more than 1,000 metal lunch boxes, including pop culture favorites, rare original Western motifs and related items.

U.S. National Tick Collection. Statesboro. Where else can you see more than 1 million tick specimens? Visit the exhibit area during Georgia Southern University hours; view the collection by appointment only.

Dahlonega Gold Museum. Dahlonega. Visit the site of America’s first major gold rush, where more than $6 million in gold was coined, and see rare coins and artifacts. Try panning for gold at one of the nearby gold mines.

Elvis Museum. Cornelia. Fans of “The King” will love this museum tucked inside the historic Loudermilk Boarding House. With more than 30,000 pieces of memorabilia, it claims to be the world’s largest collection.

St. Marys Submarine Museum. St. Marys. Explore a fascinating collection of pictures, war patrol reports, artifacts, uniforms and exhibits, all dedicated to preserving the history of the “silent service.”

William P. Wall Museum of Natural History at Georgia College. Milledgeville. This earth sciences museum contains a trove of fossils up to 500 million years old, as well as a planetarium and science education center.

Jarrell Plantation

Go Back in Time

Jarrell Plantation. Juliette. Tour the buildings, furnishings and equipment of this 1847 farm,  including a cotton gin, grist mill and barn. Programs throughout the year demonstrate mid-1800s life in the South.

Georgia Museum of Agriculture. Tifton. Live interpreters and interactive exhibits explore agricultural innovations of the 19th century. Visit the historic village, nature center, steam train, art gallery and more.

Catch a Baseball Game: Georgia’s Minor Leagues

Savannah Bananas. When the Bananas play at Historic Grayson Stadium, it’s part circus, part sporting event, with dancing players, a dad cheering squad and plenty of craziness.

Gwinnett Stripers. Special nights at Coolray Field include fireworks, giveaways, Family Value Tuesdays and Funday Sundays. Recent upgrades to the field include new high-definition video screens.

Rome Braves. Catch a game at State Mutual Stadium; check the website for ticket promotions and giveaways, including all-you-can-eat Wednesdays and family fun days.

Macon Bacon. Historic Luther Willams Field is home to this summer collegiate league. Themed games include Southern Rock Night and Star Wars Night. Stop in the Pork Shop for souvenirs.