A Walk through History – Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Atlanta…This great city evokes scores of images, from
Coca-Cola to the 1996 Olympics and the Atlanta Braves.  But as a child,
the first thought that Atlanta always brought to mind for me and I’m sure
many others was about the movie “Gone with the Wind.”  It
should not be surprising, then, that one of the first places I ran to on my
trip to Atlanta was the Road to Tara Museum.

This museum, located in a little train depot in Jonesboro, is
a little girl’s paradise and has taken great strides to live up to all
that Margaret Mitchell’s epic story meant for the history of cinema and
the impact it has had on children and adults alike for years.  For anyone
who is interested in exploring the museum and learning more about the Old South
during the Civil War, this is a great place to start.  You will also
discover some lesser known facts about Margaret Mitchell, who wrote the
Pulitzer Prize-winning book that the movie is based on.  One of my favorite
displays was of some of the dresses that the main character Scarlett
O’Hara wore in the movie.  Although they are reproductions, they
bare such a striking resemblance to the originals that you would never know the
difference.  There is also an area that showcases some of the remaining
relics from the movie premiere at what was once the Loew’s Theatre.

For anyone who is a mega-fan like I am and wants to soak up
as much as they can about the movie and visit some of the areas it was shot in,
there is a tour package called the Southern Belles & Whistles which takes
you all around the streets of historic Jonesboro and gets you into the museum
to see some of the most recognizable props from the movie.  You also get a
chance to get your hands on some of the keepsakes that you have always wanted
to own but didn’t know where to buy.  Behind the scenes photos and
miniature versions of Tara will hold your interest from the moment you enter
the museum until you take your last step out.

As an added bonus – because, really, the museum is
more than enough to satisfy on its own – you have the chance to take a
mini-bus tour that stops at Cleburne Confederate Cemetery, Warren House, and
Stately Oaks Plantation.  Interestingly enough, you will also ride through
the intersection of Rhett and Scarlett Streets, which the biggest fans of the
story will appreciate.

Just in case you haven’t been to Atlanta before, or it’s been a while since you’ve visited, Atlanta Tours is a great
resource to steer you in the direction of something that will meet your interests. They are definitely up to the task.
While you’re brainstorming about your trip, keep the Atlanta City Pass in mind for your visits to places like the zoo and aquarium.

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1 comment on this article

Nemerson

14 July 2009

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