This is one of Augusta's most rewarding museums, a place that manages to tell a 12,000‑year story…read morewithout ever feeling overwhelming. The Augusta Museum of History is the city's oldest historical institution, founded in 1937 and now the only accredited museum in the Central Savannah River Area, which gives it a level of curatorial depth you can feel as you move from room to room. The museum's signature exhibition, Augusta's Story, begins with the region's earliest Indigenous cultures, including artifacts from the Stallings Island people, and then moves through the Colonial Era, the antebellum period, the Civil War, and the city's twentieth century reinventions. You see everything from slave‑made pottery to a 12‑pounder bronze Napoleon cannon tube and an 1869 steam fire engine tied to the devastating 1916 fire that reshaped parts of the city. It's a rare chance to see Augusta's full arc laid out in a way that feels comprehensive. The museum also excels at capturing the city's cultural identity. The James Brown gallery is a highlight, celebrating the life and global influence of the "Godfather of Soul" with photographs, stage pieces, and biographical context that show how deeply he shaped Augusta's modern identity. Several media options to watch him performing and to hear other leading figures discuss his influence. The golf and Masters Tournament section offers a thoughtful look at how the sport became intertwined with the city's reputation, and the medical history exhibit includes an impressive wall of antique medicine bottles that gives you a sense of how local healthcare evolved over generations. One of the most enjoyable parts of the visit is the Transportation Corridor, which brings Augusta's mobility story to life with a 1914 steam locomotive, a 1917 steam trolley, a reconstructed 1930s gas station, and a range of early vehicles. Walking through the restored streetcar and stepping into the rail car for photos adds a tactile, playful element that balances the more traditional exhibits. Upstairs, the museum's radio history exhibit traces the rise of WBBQ, one of Augusta's most influential stations, including a "then and now" section installed for its 60th anniversary. There are also exhibits on local law enforcement and firefighting, as well as a gallery of regional legends that highlights entertainers, athletes, writers, and other notable Augustans. The entire museum is comfortably explored in about two hours, which makes it an easy and rewarding stop whether you're spending a full day downtown or pairing it with the Morris Museum of Art or the Riverwalk. It's the kind of place that leaves you with a clearer sense of Augusta's character, from its earliest settlements to the voices and industries that shaped the city you see today. Don't miss it. [Review 203 of 2026 - 904 in Georgia - 25392 overall]

We were in town for the weekend and decided to pay this place a visit. The admission price was…read moreonly a dollar so you really can't go wrong with that price. The first floor has a pretty extensive history of the city and was very interesting. The second floor has about five other sections including golf, James Brown, medical, and locals.

Great museum that doubles as a welcome center…read more --Location/Parking-- Plenty of free parking around in the area. Since the building is located on Milledgeville Rd you might have to walk a bit since the lot next to the building can only hold about 10-15 vehicles total. --Ambience-- Museum with many display case that shows the history of Harlem, Georgia and the comedy duo of Hardy. Great tour through history and a bit of the comedy duo rise to stardom. --Service/Staff-- Friendly staff that were knowledge about Harlem and how this museum became the dedication of the birthplace of Oliver Hardy. --Products/Service-- Recommended for history nerds and people who love to pay their respects to the comedy duo. --Capacity-- Indoors can hold 50 plus people, but can get crowded. I believe the auditorium can hold over 75+ people, but the actual museum and welcome center can be crowded if all 50 people were there at once. --Overall-- Recommend stop if you are in the Augusta area and our a fan of the comedy duo.

The Laurel and Hardy museum was nice and we enjoyed the visit here. We stopped here while on the…read moreway to Myrtle Beach. This was a nice stop.

We drove to the Mule Day Festival at Calloway Plantation on a whim and we had a great time. The…read morehome was open for tours and there were lots of craftspeople demonstrating lost arts from years gone by. This suburban girl really enjoyed seeing the mules too!!

While driving Hwy 78 from Athens, GA to Augusta, Ga I was looking for a tourist stop. My GPS found…read moreme the Callaway Plantation. Has 56 Acres of History. Modest cost of $4.00 with a docent to talk about the history of the plantation. Has picnic grounds available so take your time.

I understand that this is a small town museum, and the day that we went it was free, which was…read morenice, but there was no cohesion to the museum. There was an exhibit on World War II but no explanation of why. I have to assume it was because someone in the town had gone to the war and come back. A gentleman who worked there seemed knowledgable about most of the things that were in the museum, but not everything, but that did not stop him from telling us about it. A woman who worked there did not know a few things about the museum, but did not try to pass off information as fact, which I preferred. I was bothered by the fact that their website says that they want to present history in an unbiased way, but when asked about some photos from WWII, they stated that it would not be ok for the ladies to see. I suppose this is the south, and that to be expected.

This was a great experience!! Great tour with a ton of history and information about the history of…read moreDime Museums, circus life and sideshows. Highly recommend if you are in the area. It is literally a "one of a kind" attraction.

Cannot recommend this place enough!! Worth every penny…read more Peter was an amazing guide & talked after with us after our tour and gave us so much good information. If you need something to do in Augusta, make your appointment and GO.

I really enjoyed the tour at the Fine Mess Old Car Museum in Harlem Georgia. Alot to see if you are…read moreinterested in the works of a craftsmen. Mr. Gary Russeth and his wife Jean have put in the work to show what can be created, with skills. AMAZING!

Is it in this building? Yes, despite the "Office Building Parking Only" signs, the Morris Museum of…read moreArt is on the second floor of this otherwise boring office building in downtown Augusta. I don't know about parking. Mrs. K. and I found ourselves lingering longest in the glass gallery, where the craftsmanship becomes almost hypnotic the more you study it. Some pieces feel impossibly delicate, others bold and architectural, and tucked among them was the one name I recognized immediately, Dale Chihuly, whose museum we last wandered through in Seattle. Seeing his work here, in a completely different context, gave the whole collection a sense of continuity across regions and styles, almost like running into an old friend in a new city. Beyond the glass, the museum opens into a thoughtful survey of Southern art that moves easily from landscapes to portraits to sculpture and even furniture, each room offering a slightly different rhythm. The landscapes in particular have that quiet, atmospheric quality Augusta does so well, while the portraits feel intimate without being fussy. Sculptural pieces and period furnishings round things out, giving the galleries a sense of depth and texture rather than a single through‑line. It's the kind of museum where two hours pass without you noticing, and you walk out feeling like you've had a conversation with the region rather than just looked at objects on walls. [Round number review 25400 overall - 211 of 2026 - 912 in Georgia]

Beautiful art museum along the Riverwalk in downtown Augusta. Admission was five dollars a person,…read morewhich was very reasonable. The front desk receptionist gave us a map and instructed us which way to go to see the art pieces in a chronological order. We really enjoyed the newer colorful items. The museum store was also beautiful with a very friendly lady working there.

At the beginning of the day, I was not even sure that we'd visit here. However, their website noted…read morethat you had to make an advanced reservation to be admitted (per my understanding), so I dutifully made a reservation for 2. As it happened, we were able to make it here around 2:15 p.m. or so on a Saturday. We had visited once before over a decade previously, so I had no real recollection of it. The museum is located within a mile of the loop highway around Athens. We arrived and parked in the covered deck. To access the museum, you then walk down away from where you entered. I found the front desk and offered to show the young woman staffing it our tickets. She said that she did not have a way to actually scan those, so we were waived in... I liked a wall-exhibit as you enter: large letters spelling 'WELCOME' but formed from several types of mounted security cameras (none or some of which may be active...). You ascend a long stairway. to your left is some temporary exhibits. These were more of the 'modern art' variety. A series of rooms about Hiroshima and another room with sensory nausea-inducing video. In the opposite direction are the more static galleries. These are laid out roughly in accordance with art styles or time periods. There is a room devoted to colonial / antebellum Georgia, one devoted to Impressionism, one to 1930's Depression-era works, etc. I enjoyed these more than I did the modern wing. We finihsed up and headed out within an hour. The exhibit is free. Unless there is some travelling exhibit that is of particular interest, I don't think I'll likely be back within another decade, though.

You may head to Athens because of UGA sports. (Go Dawgs!) Perhaps you have kids attending the…read moreuniversity. Possibly you take the drive to eat at chef Hugh Atcheson's acclaimed "Five & Ten" restaurant. But are you familiar with the Georgia Museum of Art? Reason in itself to visit Athens. With a diversity of exhibits in galleries filling the second floor, you're bound to view something -- perhaps many things -- that stops you in your tracks. Representation by the de Koonings, Renoir, Cassatt, Okeefe and other acclaimed artists, you will also be turned on to talent you likely haven't heard of. I was captivated by the photography of Jim Fiscus as well as the gallery featuring work of black artists. Regarding logistics: the museum is open every day except Monday. Check their website for hours. Parking is free, as is the museum. But if you can, consider putting a few dollars in the kitty to help defray expenses.

Aiken is a pleasant moderately sized town, but this museum is bigger than anything one could…read morereasonably expect here. The building is really a complex, a repurposed residential estate, with multiple levels. I arrived with an hour and a half before closing and used most of that time just skimming all the rooms, even though some areas were closed for installation. And it was free! The result is a lot of very specific content, from entries on food to war history to the nuclear facility nearby. Aiken County is surprisingly large and includes not only the town of Aiken but a broad swath of land that stretches to the river across from Augusta, and exhibitions here do focus on North Augusta and other towns in the area. Even one of the bathrooms had some information on military latrines as a sort of exhibit. The museum covers a lot of big historical events from a local perspective, so you'll get a window into the Civil War and a sense of the Colonial era and Native American history. I did not receive a tour as there was only one person working there, but it would likely be an interesting tour.

Spent the weekend wandering around Aiken, SC looking at history. The Historical Museum was closed,…read morebut I did take some pics for my memoires. Hopefully I will go back for the Banksia tour soon. The mansion grounds are well maintained from the outside. Free parking is available. Will update once I actually do the tour.