Best things to do in Columbus

Emphasizing the values of the United States military, National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center presents historical artifacts and multimedia exhibits from the American Revolution to the Afghan war. See one of the greatest collections of military pieces in the world, and meet the soldiers face to face. The museum strives to help people understand how and why one becomes a soldier. The Cold War gallery is a particularly intense exhibit--you'll experience gunfire, explosions, rainstorms, and the destructive power of nuclear weapons. From tropical jungles of Vietnam, to frozen mountains of Korea, you'll see the real face of battle.

Take a stroll along scenic Columbus Riverwalk, which connects many top attractions in the area, including Golden Park, the Civic Center, Rotary Park, Rigdon Park, and downtown Columbus. The 40 km (25 mi) path started as an environmental engineering project in 1989, and the first section opened to the public in 1992. Explore the city on foot or by bike, plan a picnic, or visit a festival along the Chattahoochee River. The city prohibits the use of motorized scooters or other vehicles on the walkway.

The National Civil War Naval Museum tells the story of the Sailors, Soldiers, and Civilians, both Free and Enslaved as affected by the Navies of the American Civil War and provides a repository for relevant archives and artifacts on the subject, for all generations of the public. The Museum uses all available media systems/distribution platforms and live interpretation in furtherance of this mission.



Located in Columbus, Georgia, the National Civil War Naval Museum overlooks the Chattahoochee River. We house the largest surviving Confederate warship, the CSS Jackson, as well as the the wreckage of the CSS Chattahoochee. Other exhibits include a full scale ship replica of the USS Water Witch, a replica of the USS Hartford with its berth deck, ward room and captain’s cabin, an actual cutter or "ship's boat" from the USS Hartford, a full scale replica of the USS Monitor’s famous turret, and an emmersive panoramic dockside exhibit recreating Plymouth, North Carolina, complete with an exterior and interior view of the CSS Albermarle.



Among our many artifacts, we have the largest collection of Civil War Naval-related flags on display in the country. The collection includes various flags from ships and coastal forts, signal flags and Admirals’ pennants.



Our timeline exhibit takes you month by month through the war showing naval events and features many of the museum’s most rare artifacts, such as the uniform coat of Captain Catesby Jones and Admiral Farragut’s two-star hat insignia.



Exquisitely detailed Models of many famous Civil War ships are on the timeline including the CSS David, CSS Albemarle and the CSS Atlanta, which is located just opposite the huge 25-foot wide flag that was flying over the ship the day it was captured.



We host a range of events throughout the year with an emphasis on museum theatre and historic character interpretation. Additionally, there are living history events, tours, cannon firings, weapons demonstrations, local history projects and more.

Opened in 1995 as a collaboration among Columbus State University, Columbus Water Works, and the City of Columbus, Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center provides exhibits, displays and nature trails, and also offers formal and informal educational programs about the ecology and natural history of the region. Here, you can see alligators, fish, tortoises, bees, snakes, and much more! Contact us or stop by for a quick tour! Admission is free, but donations are welcome!

The Columbus Museum in Columbus, Georgia was founded in 1953. It contains many artifacts on both American art and regional history, displayed in both its permanent collection as well as temporary exhibitions. It is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Former curator and director, Joseph B. Mahan, Jr., was instrumental in the creation of the Institute for the Study of American Cultures in 1983.

At Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, see King's childhood home, the church where he and his father pastored, and the final resting place of King. Take a free ticket at the visitor center and join a guided tour of the house. Visit the museum that chronicles the American Civil Rights movements, and the "I Have a Dream" International World Peace Rose Garden--an artistic representation of King's life of non-violence. You can walk the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame, which honors those who fought for equality. On a brick island, at the center of a reflecting pool, you'll see the tomb of Martin Luther and his wife, Coretta.

Get an inside look at the creation and long-lasting legacy of one of the world's favorite beverages at World of Coca-Cola, which features interactive exhibits and more than 1,200 pieces of memorabilia. The 8 hectare (20 acre) complex includes the vault that guards the company's top-secret recipe. You can watch the bottling process, then move on to the tasting room and its 100-plus flavors of Coke. Don't forget your free commemorative Coca-Cola glass before you leave.

Covering more than 12 hectares (30 acres), Atlanta Botanical Garden offers the chance to walk among a large collection of rare plants. The garden complex splits up into multiple smaller exhibits, including a Japanese garden, a rainforest section, and a desert. View the most diverse orchid collection in the country, kept healthy by a special climate-control system that mimics the flower’s natural environment. Explore a forest from an elevated pathway 12 m (40 ft) high on the special 180 m (600 ft) long Canopy Walk. The entire complex is mostly outdoors, so dress appropriately.

With more than 100,000 creatures from 500 different species, Georgia Aquarium has more aquatic life than any other aquarium in the world. Stop at the entrance to note the times of the daily bottlenose dolphin shows, or arrange to swim with the whale sharks--the largest fish in the world. The aquarium features six galleries, each designed to represent a specific environment. You can visit touch tanks filled with sea stars, stingrays, shrimp, horseshoe crabs, and sea turtles. In the regional habitat exhibits, you can walk through a tunnel surrounded by water to observe fish from an underwater perspective. Consider a guided tour of the backstage area to learn the secrets behind the aquarium's popular exhibits.

The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, informally known as the National Lynching Memorial, is a national memorial to commemorate the black victims of lynching in the United States. It is intended to focus on and acknowledge past racial terrorism and advocate for social justice in America. Founded by the non-profit Equal Justice Initiative, it opened in downtown Montgomery, Alabama on April 26, 2018.
It consists of a memorial square with 805 hanging steel rectangles representing each of the U.S. counties where a documented lynching took place. It also includes several sculptures depicting themes related to racial violence.

The monument was positively received by architectural critics, activists, and the general public. Philip Kennicott of The Washington Post described it as "one of the most powerful and effective new memorials created in a generation".