My son and I chose a beautiful Saturday in October to explore the Etowah Indian Mounds on the scenic north end of the Etowah River near Cartersville, Georgia. The site is an easy drive about an hour north of Atlanta, with plenty of free parking in a lot at the Visitor Center. The Visitor Center has restrooms and a small gift shop. The fee for adults to enter the 54-acre archeological site is only $6 per person. Built and occupied in three phases, from 1000-1550 CE, the prehistoric site is tranquil and calm. One can almost hear whispers of Native Americans as the breeze ripples through the tall grasses. There are three mounds (A, B, and C), that are accessible by wooden steps and hand rails. The mounds are well maintained and there were families picnicking on blankets at the summit of Mound A. Several picnic tables are also available near the river. The nature trail is tidy with signs educating the public on native woodland creatures and birds in the area. We saw many bluebirds and a couple Monarch butterflies lingering towards the end of fall. Definitely worth a peaceful morning or afternoon exploration and historical hike. The grounds are open 7am-5pm. Note: Plenty of dining options in Bartow County. We had brunch at the popular Doug's Place (about a 10 minute drive.) read more

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The best of a historical site. Easy to navigate. Specific and interesting signs and small museum. A piece of Georgia history work seeing. Bring some water. The mounds expose you to the sun with no shade. The river walk is all shade. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I'll never forget bringing my friend from out of town to visit. read more

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++ Ambiance is an underrated Native American historic site. The entrance building houses a little dated small museum and the historic mounds are accessed through easy nature trails along the Etowah River. While there was a steady flow of people with very young children, EIM was pleasantly underutilized, well maintained and clean. ++ EIM preserves the Mississippian (1000 A.D. to 1550 A.D.) culture on this 54 acre historic site. The tiny museum houses artefacts from digs around the mounds and nearby farmlands. This EIM excavated site is only about 10% of Mississippian village. There is a short ~15minutes video that provides an overview of the site and Mississippians that is worthwhile. Outside are 3 excavated ceremonial mounds, a defensive ditch and a replica of a hut. Along the paths to the mounds are tall native grasses that existed during the Mississippian time. The mounds are several stories high with flat tops that can easily be climbed via wooden stairs. In the Etowah River, they have a replica of how these Native Americans fished. There is also a short nature trail along the Etowah River and the perimeter. + Entry fee is $6 and discounts for seniors and children. + Parking is a free private lot. I decided to visit this while I was entertaining on visiting Mexican pyramids. It was definitely worthwhile and made me appreciate what's in our backyard. EIM is an underappreciated park as it is the most intact Mississippian culture site in the SE! read more

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I took the library pass and went with the family. It's just amazing to see what Indians have done and lived in this land long time back. The place is well preserved and maintained and we had a good time walking around the trail and knowing about the history. The whole walk and visit took us around 2-3 hours. Do not miss the river walk laid out in the map and the pathway under the bridge. read more

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This park is a must-see if you're in the area! Allow for 1.5-2 hours to really enjoy the sites and take in the museum. You can tell the park is a bit dated but it is considered the most intact Mississippian Culture site in the Southeast and worth a trip. The site includes a very tiny gift shop where you purchase your tickets ($6 for adults), a small museum containing artefacts recovered from archaeology digs around the mounds and history of the Mississippian Native American tribes. The true show-stoppers, of course, are located outside where you'll find a recreation of what the Etowah tribe's huts would have looked like and 3 unearthed and restored mounds. Once you're on the grounds, you can actually climb a moderate staircase to stand atop each of the unearthed mounds. It's worth the climb up at least the tallest mound where you'll find a bench and a nice breeze and wonderful views waiting for you. If you have time, you can even walk down to the Etowah River (which you can see flowing by when you're atop the mounds) to view an ancient fish catching trip constructed by the tribes. It's a gorgeous and interesting and culturally important historic site that should be on your "to-visit" list! read more

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Worth a stop & the $6 charge (Georgia State Parks usually charge a small fee to defray tax burden on citizens). Considering these earthen mounds were abandoned some 500 years ago, they are well preserved. Mound A is as tall as a six-story building! Even the Cherokee in the 1700s & 1800s considered them historic from a prior society, giving you a sense of their age & importance. While one smaller mound was completely excavated & rebuilt last century, less than 10% of the overall site has been explored. The lengthy defensive ditch & borrow pits are very evident. The attached museum has a nice display of materials & historical narrative. read more

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In Emerson for baseball wanted to find nice spot to walk - we found it. They charge a 6.00 cover which included museum but it was worth it. Beautiful nature trails and opportunities to see wild life . We climbed the mounds and walked the perimeter- we were there about 2 hours. Glad we found . read more

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Haunted Rating: 9/10 there's a vibe here that can't be described. Something is watching you at all times and you constantly feel like you can see someone or something in the distance ... that just isn't there! I'm not a ghost expert but as I left the nature trail headed behind the mounds I felt like I was being watched and didn't feel comfortable. What a cool experience to have at such a unique place! The mounds themselves were so unique and so cool, the pictures themselves don't do them justice. A once in a life time experience and the staff do an amazing job of keeping the grounds manicured and able to explore. Most people don't realize that there is a nature trail behind the mounds that is beautiful and gives you a beautiful view of the river. The staff were super friendly and nice! The park is dog friendly! I would love to visit again! read more

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Don't waste your money. Very few artifacts. While you don't pay a lot of entrance $6 is too much

Keith was there to walk us through the information and helped my group to learn about the land, its people, and the history. It was both beautiful and informative read more

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Take a walk through local history. Do not skip the chance to hear about it from the guide. read more

Etowah Indian Mounds - Museums Near Me - Cartersville, Georgia

An awesome day trip with tons of historical value. We walked the mounds and visited the museum and really enjoyed ourselves. If you are walking the mounds, some places have high grass and there's lots of steps. Wear comfortable closed toe shoes. Bring a bottle of water. The museum inside is well air conditioned and has a ton of recovered artifacts and lots of information. Admission is $6 but you learn a lot. Also people walk their dogs here and don't clean up so look out for dog poop. Wear sunscreen and bug spray. Hubby took my photos. read more

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Please come visit the Etowah Indian Mounds and see history in person. This historical site has three mounds that you can climb, a museum with lots of artifacts and many other examples of life in this indian city. I recommend packing a lunch and making a day trip out of it. They have shaded picnic tables outside the museum and benches to enjoy the view of the river. read more

My son probably had the most concise review: lame. The museum was closed for renovations, which was not mentioned on their website. Without any context, what's there are a few piles of dirt to climb in a field. Peaceful field, though. read more

The Etowah Indian Mounds were built beside a slow moving laz-z-z-z-y river. When you visit the mounds it is easy to see why early inhabitants of this country built here. I would have. Lush green trees and vegetation beside a slow moving river that is shallow in this area and filled with good fishing. The river snakes and winds and widens here providing great places for building mid-stream rock barriers - fishtraps to net and capture dinner. As you wander about one of Georgia's State Parks & Historic Sites you can almost hear the drums and see the dancing. These were very sophisticated people with beautiful basketry, pottery and carvings. They lived a good life here. Resources were readily available for food, shelter and tools. Wildlife. Shade from the heat. Water. The mounds were built by carrying the soil and rock by the basket load from nearby areas. Just imagine building your own "hill" one basket load - on your back - at a time. There are six earthern mounds here - all built by hand basket. No wheel barrrows, no backhoes, no shovels. The largest mound is 63 feet high. That is a hell of a lot of dirt and a lot of really sore muscles! Inhabited by Native Americans, known as the Mississippian Culture, from 1000 AD to 1550 AD this site was just 56 acres in size and it is estimated that several thousand citizens lived here at one time. A small town by today's standards. Today this wonderful historic park includes a visitors center and a museum of artifacts that tell the story of these people and their life in this beautiful setting. Only a small portion of this site has been excavated. The rest of the site remains intact for future generations to learn from and for past generations to continue to rest in peace. The grounds include a picnic area and facilities for small classes. The last time I was here it was a "flintnapping" class day. I wanted to whip out my leather thigh guard and my novaculite and chip away with the rest of the students; but, sadly, my traveling companions were not flintnappers and were not willing to cut up their beautifully manicured hands just for what I thought was "fun." Besides, they wanted to know, what would we do with a knife or arrowpoint, even if we made one? They had me there. So, off we went to climb the 88 steps to the top of the mound. The State Park offers classes / workshops in flintnapping, flutes & storytelling, bird walks, tools & weapons, torch light tours, Indian Heritage and more. On the website you can find directions, hours and days the workshops are offered. www.gastateparks.org/info/etowah This is a wonderful weekend trip just a few miles NW of Atlanta. Pair it with a trip to the Booth Western Art Museum in nearby Cartersville and you will have a complete early American weekend adventure. So many wonderful places to go, people to see, history to learn. Get up off that couch and you can see the many WONDERS of our country that are right under you nose! read more

Etowah Indian Mounds - Mound - Museums Near Me - Cartersville, Georgia

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Truly a great place to see A wonderfully preserved bit of Native American history. I personally recommend it for anyone who has never been. read more

Came here about a week before they started the museum renovation. It is a must see! They are currently remodeling and excited to see the changes. Many artifacts and a beautiful setting. Seeing the mounds in person is a super cool experience. read more

This place is awesome! The historic value is fantastic and worth more than the ticket price to get in... The film about the history is amazing and the museum is wonderful... Please go read more

This seems off the beaten path, but an excellent place to learn about the Etowah Indians and there life. The mounds are very impressive. You can easily walk to 3 of them and even walk to the river. Our 2 grandsons age 2 and 6 enjoyed it. Probably will stay 1 to 3 hours. It is hot and there is little shade walking to the mounds. The indoor museum is nice and it was cool in there. read more

Interesting museum. Th e mounds themselves are fascinating but there is nothing there. I wish they emphasized the excavation and archeological aspect more. Basically, you are walking up onto several hills...very little in the way of interest or historical significance. Interesting most the Indians hand dug read more

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This Indian site is incredible! A definite must see if your close by I highly recommend driving out of your way to stop. On entering the staff where so friendly and so safe about everything and super knowledgeable about the history there. The museum part is so worth it so don't skip that part. You can see so much history about everything that happened there and there's a movie area where you can sit down and watch a short 20 minute video that shows a lot more of the history. The shop does have a gift shop with some cool stuff. You can climb on all the mounds and walk over by the water and see a well preserved area. This place is huge so definitely bring some waters and be prepared to cover some ground to get the full experience. I've always loved the history of the Indians and this was just such a cool experience that I can't stop raving about! Overall i would definitely come here again when I'm in town next. read more

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I came here for a nice hike. Other than the mounds, there isn't much to see here. Walking up the mound stairs was a nice workout. The top of the Mounds were not mowed and the grass was super tall and hard to walk around. The mounds weren't really trimmed on the edges and looked really sloppy. While I was there, it looked like they were in the process of landscaping. The little museum inside was okay. They need to take care of the landscape alittle better to make it alittle bit nicer. I prolly won't be back as it was sorta boring. $6 was a nice donation for them to up keep the land. read more

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My parents used to take me here all the time when I was younger. Now that I have a family I try to take them. I love learning more and more about the mounds every time I come. The history is amazing. The mounds are so fun to climb and look at the views. There is also a river beside the mounds that is nice to sit and watch. This has always been one of my favorite places to revisit since childhood. I recommend everybody to go and learn about the Etowah Indians. read more

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If you're looking to enjoy a nice peaceful day in nature, learn some history of Native Americans, and/or to catch up with some friends and family, this is the place to be. Restrooms are located outside of the building. Once entering the front building, there's a fee to pay. Rates: Seniors (62+): $5.00 Adults: $6.00 Youth (ages 6-17): $4.50 Child (under 6): $2.00 Youth Groups (ages 6-17): $3.50 Inside the building they have a glass case displaying a visual of the Etowah Indian villages. They have a museum full of information and artifacts, if you are interested in more of the history. Exiting the back doors of the building towards the mounds, you will see a hut and a stage like area. There will be signs telling all visitors to return back to the building by 4:30pm because they close at 5pm (make sure you turn an alarm on because the employees there are not pleasant when you get back at 5pm closing time, time will fly when you're enjoying the scenery). There are 3 mounds to climb and admire, ranging from large to small. If you have bad knees, wear a brace, because the largest mound's stairs will take the breath out of you (but so worth it). Also if the sun is out, wear some comfortable cool type clothing because you will start to heat up from all the walking you will do. Now to my favorite area on the site, the large flowing river. There's a trail you can explore, but if you want to relax and take in the air and the scene, there's benches along the river that you can mingle and take beautiful photographs. The little kiddos loved running around and playing hide and seek behind the large trees and eating snacks (just make sure you clean up after yourselves). Overall, my family loves this place and will continue inviting family and friends to enjoy with us. Highly recommend for all the nature lovers. read more

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If you love archaeology, anthropology, and/or American history, you must visit this place. It's a work in progress, and it is fascinating. The museum has a cool model of the village and a nice display of artifacts. Our grandchildren enjoyed running up the 132 steps of the main mound. (133 if you count the top step. I walked.) Standing six stories above the former plaza, you can look over the landscape and get a true impression of how big this village really was. As for the complaint "there's nothing to do," there are plenty of other activities in the surrounding area. After you've gotten your exercise and a little education, you can drive back down the road, go to Lake Point Station, play a round of glow-in-the-dark mini-golf, and get some great pizza at St. Angelo's. There's also outdoor mini-golf, climbing walls, an arcade, and more. And the nearby town of Cartersville has at least two more historical museums. So when you're in Atlanta, hop in your car and head north for a fun family day trip. No pizza until you read every sign at Etowah Mounds! read more

We have always loved the Indian mounds and exploring/learning. As of yesterday, you must pay to see the mounds and the small museum. $6adults, $4 kids 6 and up, and $2 kids 6 and under. It was always free when we came in the past. So the fees were new to us. Lots of homeschool families as well, it was more crowded that we have ever seen it. Walking trails and lots to explore! It was a great field trip read more

Knowledgeable staff, history at hand. Never knew about his part of American history before. Nice spot by the river as well and picnic tables under shade trees by the parking lot. read more

I've been to a number of Native American mound sites in Ohio, IN, IL and NC so I wanted to view more variations to the mother of mound sites Cahokia. The famous carved granite pair male and female drew me to this location, they were held by the Smithsonian Institute and only recently allowed to return "home." In the museum were a number of other objects which grabbed my attention. If you have an interest in the Mound Builders, then this is another to see site. read more

Etowah Indian Mounds - shell gorget worn as necklace - Museums Near Me - Cartersville, Georgia

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Beautiful state park well kept and dog friendly! Well worth the visit full of Indian History and Culture! The Etowah River adjacent offers a cool bridge after your climb to the top of the three mounds! read more

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Nice for pictures. Kids will have fun running in the area but there isn't much to do here. U can have a picnic and enjoy the small history area. They play a short video on the projection but if you love to explore this is a good placem . Bring some toys for the children and play at the picnic area or near the river. It's beautiful and cool near the lake. I don't know if you can feed the ducks but I didn't see signs saying don't feed them. read more

Etowah Indian Mounds - Upon entering - Museums Near Me - Cartersville, Georgia

Everyone should at one time or the other stop by the Etowah Indian Mounds and see the sites of this park. The information you learn and sites you see,will stay with you for years...... read more

We travel along I-75 a lot, and always see the sign. Today, we were kidless and decided to stop by. Very well marked and easy to get to from the interstate. The clerk was super nice and knowledgeable -- He has a passion for this site and history. We arrived 45 minutes before the mound area closed (definitely check the hours before visiting - oops). We took a quick tour of the outside area - Very peaceful, beautiful views. We made it to the top of one mound and down to the river. Plenty of benches and shade near the water. Lots of walking, lots of stairs - wear comfortable shoes! The museum is well kept. Lots of interesting artifacts. read more

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I have been going here for nearly 40 Years Nice place for an afternoon stroll especially if you have kids definitely do not go in the heat of the summer some real interesting artifacts and history of the American Indians read more

This site provided a very interesting history of the Mississippian culture and a fascinating look at their society. It was incredible to think that the trenches and mounds were created all by hand over hundreds of years. This place gave me a very informative look at a culture that I was not at all familiar with before. read more

Not a lot to see outside of climbing the mounds...but a beautiful peaceful location. Nice little museum. Bring bug spray...you're probably in tall grass. read more