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Located on the western edge of Georgia on
the banks of the Chattahoochee River
close to the border of Alabama, Columbus is rich in culture,
history and heritage. It is also a city with a spirit of youthful
vitality. Pictures taken on a vacation in Columbus will easily fill
several albums, and each will be a souvenir to treasure.
Columbus is a port at the head of navigation
on the Chattahoochee River, directly across the river from Phenix City,
Alabama, to which it is connected by bridges. The city is a regional
transportation, trade, cultural, and manufacturing hub. It has many
textile, food-processing, and metalworking industries and a sizable
credit card processing operation. Also important to the city's economy
is adjacent Fort Benning, a large United States Army Infantry post.
Local points of interest include the
Confederate Naval Museum, which features remains of two vessels from the
American Civil War (1861-1865) recovered during the 1960s; the Columbus
Museum; and the restored 1871 Springer Opera House. Heritage Corner, the
city's26 block historic district, includes several historically
significant antebellum houses, including the home once occupied by Dr.
John S. Pemberton, who produced the (still secret) formula for Coca-Cola
syrup.
Columbus is
a great place to get out and walk. One of the most popular areas is the
Chattahoochee Riverwalk. The Riverwalk is a 15-mile linear park that
hugs the banks of the Chattahoochee River and stretches from
Columbus to the National Infantry Museum in Fort Benning.
The trail is perfect for an afternoon of
carefree journeying.
Through a tour of Heritage Park, visitors
can travel from the past to the future going from Historic Columbus
Foundation’s Heritage Corner to the Coca-Cola Space Science Center. From
1850 until 1910, Columbus, Georgia, changed from a trading town to a
booming manufacturing city. Heritage Park is designed to recognize the
entrepreneurs and workers who harnessed the river and created industries
that laid the foundations for this modern city.
The outdoor sculptures and historic elements
of the park are representative of the textile, gristmill, brick and
foundry industries that shaped the area, as well as agriculture and
forest products, dams and bridges, river trade and travel, and
Coca-Cola.
Spectacular Springer Opera House is the
State Theatre of Georgia and has been a leading Southern cultural
institution for 131 years. As you move from the gas lit street into the
splendid Edwardian Grand Lobby, you can easily imagine the 19th Century
merchants, tradesmen, farmers, steamboat passengers and patrons of the
arts streaming into the theatre through the same doors.
The Columbus Symphony Orchestra, founded in
1855, was the third orchestra formed in the nation. The CSO has long
been considered one of the southeast's premier musical ensembles. In
2002, the CSO became a tenant of the new River Center for the Performing
Arts. The Bill Heard Theatre seats 2,000 and provides a
state-of-the-art visual and acoustical experience.
Situated just a little over 100 miles
southwest of Atlanta, the city is easily accessible via Interstate 185
from the north. Once there, most sites and attractions are easy to
find. If you happen to be fortunate enough to be visiting the first
week in November, be sure to take in Steeplechase at Callaway Gardens.
Known as the "event of the season", it brings family and friends
together to watch thoroughbred horses race over timber and brush
hurdles. It’s a must see for any visitor.
The Greater Columbus Pig Jig Cook off is an
annual spring event of Riverfest Weekend (the principal fundraiser for
the preservation of local historic buildings). The Pig Jig hosts eight
barbecue contests throughout the weekend and also offers an opportunity
for the public to sample what is advertised as “ the best barbecue in
the Mid-Southern and Southeastern United States”.
The pig jig winner ( Grand Champion) goes
on to represent Columbus in the World Championship Barbecue Contest held
each May in Memphis, Tennessee which attracts over 90,000 spectators
from around the world.
Whether you are visiting this western
Georgia city as part of the military, visiting friends and relatives, or
just passing through, there is something to occupy every minute of the
day.
“So much to do; so little time”, the saying
goes. This definitely applies to a visit to Columbus, Georgia. |
