TOURS & ATTRACTIONS

     Columbus, Georgia is an authentic Rivertown.  The gently rolling waters of the Chattahoochee have provided food, energy, employment, and recreation for the citizens of Columbus throughout the years.  Also, Columbus is just a stones throw away from several unique and exciting attractions that will give you and your students an exciting and educational adventure in the great state of Georgia.  We have included a list below that will help you decide which events and attractions may interest you the most.

The RiverCenter for the Performing Arts is one of Columbus' newest feature attractions. The Rivercenter has included recent appearances from Yo Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Wynton Marsalis, B.B. King, and has featured touring Broadway shows, such as Chicago and Miss Saigon. It is also the home of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. This professional orchestra is one of the greatest achievements of our fine city. A pops concert will be held on April 21, 2006 featuring an evening of the greatest love themes in cinema history (and a little something thrown in for the guys). If interested, click here for ticket information.

Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga. (30 miles North of Columbus) offers a wide variety of interesting and exciting attractions including the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center where 1,000 tropical butterflies, representing more than 50 different species, flutter freely through the air. The John A. Sibley Horticultural Center at Callaway offers five acres of native and exotic plants within its tropical conservatory, rock wall garden, sculpture garden, fern grotto, main conservatory, outdoor garden, and an exhilarating 22-foot indoor waterfall. There are several mountain trails for nature walks, an authentic pioneer log cabin, and a birds of prey show. The park also offers programs specifically designed for teachers. Click Here to learn more.

Columbus Riverfest is an annual festival held alongside the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, Ga., which features arts and crafts, nationally recognized entertainers (past concerts have featured James Brown, Kacey and the Sunshine Band, Blue Oyster Cult, and Smashmouth.), local and regional music acts, and great food. The Greater Columbus Pig Jig Barbecue Cookoff is an area favorite. This year the Riverfest is being held April 28-30th, which coincides with the second part of the Columbus Invitational.

The Pine Mountain Wild Animal Safari is a unique way for kids of all ages to experience the majesty of nature. You can drive through the park in your own car or ride in the parks Zebra Bus. Animals such as giraffes, antelopes, and many other exotic species will walk right up to the vehicle! The Safari also includes a tradition zoo setting, "Old Macdonalds Farm, which consists of the Monkey House, Alligator Pit, Petting Zoo, Tropical Bird section, Georgia Wildlife Museum and Baby Land USA. You can view North American Black Bears, Wolves, Binturong, Muntjac Deer, Porcupine, Monkeys, Alligators, Ligers, and many other species while walking through the farm.

Westville is a living history museum which depicts an 1850's west Georgia village. The Columbus Invitational coincides with Westville's annual Spring Festival, which offers crafts, games, music, and fun. Visitors are introduced to the South's pre-industrial agricultural society as they watch mules, men and women demonstrate historical spring activities such as plowing, planting, and preparing the gardens. Westville is located in nearby Lumpkin, Ga. 

The National Civil War Naval Museum in downtown Columbus is another historic site which offers an interesting look into the role of naval troops and ships used during the civil war. The museum includes two original civil war ships and recreations of sections of three other ships. You can see what it was like to be inside one of these iron clad vessels.

Other nearby attractions include President Franklin Roosevelt’s Little White House located in Warm Springs, Ga., Providence Canyon (the Little Grand Canyon), the Coca-Cola Space and Science Center (the first in Georgia and one of only 32 in the United States), the National Infantry Museum at Ft. Benning, the Columbus Museum, and the Springer Opera House, State Theatre of Georgia, where notable performers like Will Rogers, Oscar Wilde, Ma Rainey and famed band leader John Philip Sousa once performed. Click on any of the links below to learn more about these attractions or go to www.visitcolumbusga.com.

Springer Opera House

National Infantry Museum, Ft. Benning, Ga.

Southern hospitality is alive and well in this vibrant community of 200,000.  Columbus is the corporate headquarters to many of the United States’ leading companies including AFLAC Insurance, Carmike Cinemas, Char Broil, Total Systems, and Toms Snack Foods. 

Columbus is a community that takes pride in preserving the past while maintaining a vision for the future.  Come to Columbus and let us share that vision with you.  For more information on attractions in Columbus and the surrounding areas visit www.visitcolumbusga.com.

Come join us at the COLUMBUS INVITATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL

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