Small Town Georgia
Weekend Getaways

Ready, set, let’s go – Small Town Georgia weekend getaways are perfect for a road trip with the family.  Here are historic and charming cities waiting for a visit. Located around Georgia from the mountains to the sea shore, there are weekend getaways with things to see, do and experience where the whole family will bring home memories.

Plains
What it’s about:
A tiny town that quietly changed the world. Plains isn’t just “Jimmy Carter’s hometown”—it’s a living example of rural Southern life, faith, service, and humility.

Things to Do:

• Jimmy Carter National Historical Park – His boyhood home, the train depot campaign headquarters, and visitor center.
• Plains High School Museum – Where Carter and Rosalynn went to school. A visitor’s center is there. 
• Boyhood Farm – where the president grew up helping his father grow corn, cotton, peanuts and sugar cane. 
• Plains Train Depot -the oldest building in Plains built in 1888. It was Carter’s campaign headquarters. 
• Walk downtown and talk to locals—Plains runs on conversation, not attractions.
• Take a day trip to Andersonville National Historic Site – A Civil War prison for Union troops.  Why it matters:
  It shows how leadership can grow from the smallest places

Darien
What it’s about:
Georgia’s oldest coastal settlement after Savannah, with deep Gullah Geechee and maritime history.

Things to Do:

• Darien Waterfront & Shrimp Boats – Watch working coastal life. Blessing of the Fleet takes place each Spring to start the shrimping season
• Fort King George Historic Site – Colonial outpost and museum.
• Explore salt marshes and nearby barrier islands.
• Known for its rich history as a former seaport, on the Altamaha River
• Founded by Scottish Highlanders in 1736, it was a vital lumber port before the Civil War, featuring historic churches, tabby ruins, 
• The Burning of Darien took place during the Civil War with most of the city burned to the ground. This event disrupted the commerce and shipping from the area. Before the war, Darien was a prosperous port, primarily exporting cotton and rice, with a strong waterfront commerce. 
• Tour historic churches and plantations like Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation.
• Kayak or boat the rivers and explore nearby islands like Sapelo.
• Visit the Old Jail Art Center or Ashantilly Center.

Why it matters:
Darien is where Black coastal culture, labor history, and maritime life intersect.

Fort Valley
What it’s about:
Agriculture, Peach Capital of Georgia HBCU pride, and Black educational legacy.

Things to Do:

• Fort Valley State University – One of Georgia’s historic Black land-grant universities.
• Peach Industry Sites – Learn about Georgia’s agricultural economy. -The popular tourist attraction, Lane Southern Orchards, operates a sprawling peach packing and retail facility just a short drive from the center of town.
• Visit Massee Lane Gardens – a 100+ acre botanical garden in Middle Georgia. The gardens are the historic home of the American Camellia Society and is home to their camellia collection. Massee Lane Gardens…
• Pearson Farm for peaches
• Downtown walk and campus tours.

Why it matters:
This is where education, farming, and Black excellence meet.

Hogansville
What it’s about:
Railroad heritage, brick streets, and classic small-town Georgia grit.

Things to Do:

• Downtown Historic District – Original brick streets, murals, and architecture.
• Heritage Park – Local history displays and community events.
• Depot & Railroad History – Learn how the rail lines built the town.
• Many architecturally and historically significant properties, including the outdoor amphitheater, train depot, the Royal Theater, and the Grand Hotel. 
• Friendly merchants with a love of history offer antiques, consignment clothing, used books and locally roasted coffee. 
• Brides throughout the South have tied the knot at the elegant Victoria Belle Mansion and Vintage White Barn.

Why it matters:
This is Georgia’s “working backbone”—not pretty for postcards, but rich in lived history.

Toccoa
What it’s about:
Mountain industry, railroads, and military training—tough, quiet, and proud.

Things to Do:

• Toccoa Falls – One of Georgia’s tallest waterfalls.
• Currahee Military Museum – WWII paratrooper training site.
• Currahee Mountain: Offers scenic drives (like the “3 miles up, 3 miles down” route) and hiking.
• Downtown Historic District – Old mills, rail heritage, and local shops.
• Main Street: Features specialty shops, art galleries, and the historic Stephens County Courthouse
• Paul Anderson: World-renowned strongman and Olympic weightlifting champion.
• DeForest Kelley: Actor famous for playing Dr. “Bones” McCoy in Star Trek.

Why it matters:
Toccoa tells the story of how industry and war shaped small-town America.

Senoia
What it’s about:
Movie buffs will love a visit to Senoia.

Since its premiere in 2010, the hit AMC zombie apocalypse drama “The Walking Dead” has been filmed in and around the small town of Senoia. The streets and houses around town have been used as backdrops. 

Tour the many show’s filming locations on one of many tours, including those by Georgia Tour Company and Walkin’ Dead Tours & Events Haralson. 

Visit the Walking Dead-themed businesses, including The Woodbury Shoppe and The Waking Dead Cafe. Senoia has great shopping at cute boutiques and eating at restaurants serving unique fare. 

Don’t miss a stop at Starr’s Mill, a beautiful setting just outside of town that you might recognize from “Sweet Home Alabama.” Starr’s Mill – William T. Glower built the current building in 1907. The Starr’s Mill site also included a cotton gin and a dynamo that produced electricity for the nearby town of Senoia. The turbine mill ran up until 1959, and although not operating today, it is now restored and owned by the Fayette County Water System.

Why it matters: A look into the production of filmmaking and it’s influence on local economy and lifestyle.  

Washington (Wilkes County)
What it’s about:
Early Georgia politics, Revolutionary-era roots, and preserved Southern architecture.

Things to Do:

• Washington Historical Museum
• Robert Toombs House Historic Site
• History you may not know – In wartime and peace, Washington-Wilkes has enjoyed a long and colorful history. Wilkes County, founded in 1777, was named for John Wilkes, an Englishman who supported the colonists’ cause in the British House of Commons. The area played its part in revolutionary history at the Battle of Kettle Creek, where Patriot forces were able to push back Loyalists and break the British hold on upper Georgia. After the war, Washington, the county seat, was reportedly the first incorporated town in the nation to be named for General Washington, who later became our first president.
• Stroll the historic district—homes, churches, and courthouse square.

Why it matters:
Once one of Georgia’s most important towns. History here isn’t flashy—it’s foundational.

 McRae-Helena
What it’s about:
Two towns merged into one—industrial roots, rural labor, and community survival. Located in South Georgia

Things to Do:

• Telfair Museum of Art & History – Local culture and regional history.
• Downtown walking tour.
• Little Ocmulgee State Park: Offers camping, cabins, golf, boating, fishing, and hiking.
• Statue of Liberty Replica: A notable landmark in the downtown area. Built by the local Lions Club in 1986 for the original statue’s centennial, symbolizing local pride and freedom; it’s a 35-foot-tall, chainsaw-carved landmark from a swamp stump, serving as a popular roadside attraction and tribute to veterans in Liberty Square. Located at the crossroads of US Highways 280, 341, and 441, it’s become an iconic stop for travelers heading to Florida.
• Local Products: Unique jams (tow jam, frog jam) are available.

Why it matters:
This is a story of adaptation—how small towns change but hold onto identity.

Camilla
What it’s about:
Agricultural heartland with a powerful Black history and resilience through hardship.

Things to Do:

• Camilla Commercial Historic District – Walk the old business district.
• Camilla, Georgia, is known for its deep roots in agriculture (peanuts, pecans, poultry), 
• charming Southern downtown with unique shops 
• somber place in history as the site of the 1868 Camilla Massacre
• Explore nearby farmland and small-town markets.
• Known for the Gnat Days Festival. 
• Great history – the city is named after General Mitchell’s granddaughter

Why it matters:
Camilla represents Black rural Georgia—often overlooked, deeply foundational.

Greensboro
What it’s about:
Old Georgia courthouse culture, Black church networks, and rural political history.

Things to Do:

• Greene County Courthouse & Historic Square
• Visit nearby Old Salem Campground (historic African American religious gathering site).
• Explore back roads, farms, and community markets.

Why it matters:
Greensboro shows how faith, land, and law shaped Georgia communities.