Winds of change: From the Civil Struggle to civil rights, Atlanta has seen all of it | State
In 1936 Margaret Mitchell wrote her famous novel “Gone with the Wind”. Today, 85 years later, the history and history of Atlanta’s Gone with the Wind is portrayed in detailed and colorful details that depict key historical locations in the city’s Civil War experience.
The trail begins in Marietta north of Atlanta and starts at Gone with the Wind Museum, which is housed in a converted cotton warehouse from 1875. The collections display hundreds of artifacts and memorabilia, including the original Bengaline honeymoon gown Vivien Leigh wore in her role as Scarlett O’Hara in the 1939 film.
The trail then heads to Midtown Atlanta and Margaret Mitchell House on the Atlanta History Center campus. The museum includes the restored rooms where the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel was written, with the author’s desk, antique furniture, and original stained glass windows. (The center is currently closed, but keep an eye out for updates at atlantahistorycenter.com.)
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Mitchell is buried in the historic Oakland Cemetery, the final resting place of more than 3,000 Confederate soldiers and 16 Union soldiers. The cemetery has a park and a botanical garden.
The self-driving tour ends in Jonesboro, 15 miles south of Atlanta, and the Road to Tara Museum. Here visitors step back in time to learn the backstory of this great American novel. You can see Scarlett’s most famous dresses, such as the green velvet dress, the Parisian hat and pantaloons. Brochures are available in 13 different languages.
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights in downtown Atlanta pays homage to the American civil rights movement. It focuses on current global human rights issues and is particularly important as an educational tool for children and families. The center is a perfect base from which to explore other parts of the city.
Also in the city center is the famous Ebenezer Baptist Church. Since its founding in 1886, the church has hosted instrumental figures in the history and civil rights of Atlanta. In the 1960s, Martin Luther King Sr. and Martin Luther King Jr. served as co-pastors, providing spiritual guidance and activism for African Americans.
View of the Eternal Flame with the Martin Luther King mural as a background at the Martin Luther King National Historic Site. The site includes the MLK youth home, the MLK burial site and the Ebenezer Baptist Church where MLK was pastor.
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Atlanta is called the cultural capital of the south. The city’s vibrant arts scene is at the Woodruff Arts Center, which is made up of the High Museum of Art, the Alliance Theater, and the Grammy-winning Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. A new wave of visual art and street murals has adorned parks, walls, tunnels, and sidewalks.
Mary Mac’s Tea Room is a Midtown landmark. The restaurant has served Mediterranean specialties for more than 70 years and is popular with Atlanteans and visitors alike. Delicious starters like chicken and dumplings, country fried steak, sweet potato soufflé, and fried green tomatoes are traditional dishes.
Two bustling food markets are popular hangouts, offering a taste of southern and ethnic varieties. The Ponce City Market along the Atlanta Beltline Eastside Trail features retail stores as well as restaurants. In the heart of Inman Park, Krog Street Market is a busy food hall in a restored factory.
The Ponce City Market has both retail stores and restaurants.
The city hosts more than 20 food festivals annually, including Cabbagetown Chomp & Stomp and Attack of the Killer Tomato. COVID-19 affected last year’s festivals. So check out this year’s updates on social media.
History buffs will appreciate The Georgian Terrace, an icon of Midtown. The hotel is located in the heart of Atlanta’s cultural district across from the historic Fox Theater. Under the grand staircase in the hotel, Margaret Mitchell attended the after-party for the Atlanta premiere of “Gone With the Wind”.
Downtown, the Candler Hotel Atlanta is next to the former Loew’s Grand Theater, where Gone With the Wind premiered in 1939. On Peachtree Street, the hotel is within walking distance of Centennial Park, the College Football Hall of Fame, and Georgia Aquarium.
For information on Atlanta’s COVID-19 regulations, visit Discoveratlanta / Coronavirus. For more information on activities and attractions, please visit removeatlanta.com.
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