The Big Oak was a nice place to stop. We took a photo with the tree, and the instructions were easy…read moreto follow. We stopped by on a Sunday, and there was no one around. Very easy to find and worth the stop! I was a little worried because Google Maps told us the tree closed at 5 PM, but that was not the case lol

This is a must see if in the Thomasville, GA area! I've never seen live oak tree branches of this…read moresize. They estimate the start of the tree around 1685. In 1936, it was registered as the 49th member of the National Live Oak Society. There's a brochure on the back of the oak tree statistics plaque with information on the Big Oak Cam. You can call a number and it will take a pic of you in front of the tree. You can then go to their website and download the photo for free! Kinda cool! Would highly recommend! Such a cool historic landmark.

Excellent source of southern Georgia genealogy. Wonderful location in downtown Thomasville. Arrive…read moreearly as parking can be a challenge. Although, supporting the library is extremely necessary the $1.50 per copy printing fee does seem questionable.

From the owner: A genealogical research library for those interested in researching and documenting their family…read morehistory. Our staff is knowledgeable and we enjoy assisting beginners as well as seasoned researchers. Whether you are just beginning your family research or you have been involved in genealogy for years, we have something to offer everyone. Patrons may access census records, military records, immigration records, cemetery survey indexes, church records, surname books, biographical sketches, funeral records, genealogical periodicals, Revolutionary War pension files, Confederate & Union Compiled Service Records, tax roles, marriage records, State and County histories, and much more. Researchers may access Ancestry.com and Footnote.com free of charge at one of the facility's computer stations or logon using a laptop via free WiFi access. The Library offers convenient parking, and handicapped access. Our facility is located in historic downtown Thomasville, Georgia.

Brochures, gifts, postcards and lots of personal info on Thomasville from a lovely lady (ex of PCB,…read moreyou know who you are). A good pitstop.

THE GREAT CITY OF THOMASVILLE, GA…read more The purpose of our visit to this area of Georgia was expressly for the purpose of attending the Victorian Christmas Festival. We arrived early on Thursday evening in order to get the lay of the land. We started walking toward the downtown area and BAM!! Suddenly everywhere I look I see these beautifully appointed historic buildings that just take my breath away and it just kept coming! Eventually, I was so distracted by my surroundings that I could not even focus on the festival. Yet, I still had a great time! If you love and appreciate historic architecture, this is one town you MUST visit. We took several pictures of the buildings and explored the downtown area as the workers continued to set up for the festival. When it comes to festivals, there are two things I need to see, a large banner at a primary entrance and an information booth or table that has t-shirts and souvenirs. I was disappointed because there was no banner, they simply had display boards that had the festival logo and social media symbols in very small print. I prefer the banner because when I arrive I photograph it and Yelp it in real time and it is also the primary photo for my review. So, where's my banner! The information table offered a visitor's guide but no souvenirs. When we attended a previous Victorian festival, I had an opportunity to purchase a commemorative mug to add to my collection. If not a mug, I love a t-shirt that is connected to my specific experience. I did not see anything available and just feel that this was certainly a missed opportunity to have visitors take a part of this great city with them. The downtown proprietors were ready for the visitors and put their best foot forward. There are a variety of shops downtown and I found myself drawn in by the beautiful buildings, great décor and overall ambiance. I am always drawn in by those shops that are different and unique: Enter the taxidermy shop. It was easily my favorite downtown shop due to its uniqueness and tasteful presentation. The employees were great as well. *** Not so great, the owner or employee standing in the doorway of "Kevin's" on Thursday night. I am going to need him to brush up on his "visitor's etiquette". In a city of roses, he was the only thorn! Bah Humbug! Prior to our trip, I bookmarked Jonah's as the place to stop for lunch or dinner. I was glad to see that they had an outside "Festival Table" so that we did not need to go into the restaurant. We wanted to continue to enjoy the festival atmosphere and eating outside on one of the benches was an ideal way to do so. The shrimp and grits served in a bowl were great and left me wanting more. On my next visit, I will definitely take time to further explore their menu. I would love to see a healthy casual restaurant, (Mediterranean, elevated Mexican), in the downtown area because much of what we saw was just too heavy and not quite casual enough. When I am shopping, I need to get it to go quickly so that I can keep it moving. Yet, I don't want to have to settle for a sandwich or something mediocre because I love prepared vegetables. Also, I believe that every small town should have a fine chocolate shop or a French bakery just to keep the people happy! If you are visiting, you must see the Old Oak Tree which is incredible and definitely my favorite landmark in Thomasville. Overall impression: This is a great city and that greatness is directly related to its residents and local visitors. I love a kind, engaging and well-mannered people and this town delivered in spades! Everywhere we went, we encountered nothing but kindness and politeness and that was certainly appreciated. Thomasville can be very proud of the great impression left with these visitors. In addition, I really appreciate all of those businesses and individuals who work so hard to preserve the historic buildings and homes that are a unique part of this community. When we visit small towns, we don't just stay in the common areas, we like to drive around and explore all areas of the community. Going off the beaten track tells us a lot about a community and we just loved driving around Thomasville and the surrounding areas, (Cairo, Tallahassee). Thanks Thomasville for a nice little "get-away" to help us refresh and gear up for the holidays. Merry Christmas to you all and may you all have a wonderful and prosperous New Year! *** A special shout out to the little Mennonite boy from Greigs Mennonite church. He was 10 years old and I believe his name was Joshua. This kid was adorable and a great ambassador for the city and his church.

Wonderful informative walking tour of an equally historic town. The variety of local eateries is…read moreamazing. Mike was our guide today and was very much aware of my mobility issues. He told entertaining tales about the history of both Thomasville and each place we ate.

My boyfriend and I came across the Taste of Thomasville food tour when we were searching for things…read moreto do on a day trip and it ended up being the highlight of our day! This was our first ever food tour, and it was more than worth every dime! Debra, our tour guide, is one of the sweetest people we have ever met and she is very well educated on Thomasville's history. The food was phenomenal and the stories were fascinating. More so, Debra made us feel like we've been living in Thomasville our whole lives. Everyone was so kind. We could not have asked for a better way to spend our time in the town. Needless to say, we will definitely be back for another tour!!

Didn't realize there was a Black History Museum in Thomasville! A planned trip to some museums in…read moreMontgomery was canceled and I was looking for something closer to home - and voila! I called to verify the hours of operation and Ms. Wills was so very pleasant. In calling back to inform them that a group would be coming, we were informed that there is a scavenger hunt available for the kids - which they loved! Before we started the self-guided tour, there was a video to explain how Mr. Hadley's passion came to life via the museum. Then we were told of the various sections, with some history given on a few of the exhibits. There are loads of paraphernalia packed in the space; so many sentimental items. Good news - the museum is moving to a larger space soon, which is great because everything will be more spread out to view. This tour would be wonderful for student/school related field trips (small groups). Kudos to Mr. Hadley and his staff for sharing this history and keeping us reminded. If we don't know the history, however "ugly" it may be, we will certainly repeat it - horrors and all. Of note, only $5 entrance fee for adults, $3 for kids (discount applied if there is a group).

I want to be clear from the very beginning. Visually this is not a 5-star museum, but it IS a…read more5-star effort by a man with a passion spanning more than two decades. Jack Hadley Black History Memorabilia, Inc. (a non-profit organization) was founded in 1994. It was birthed from his son's desire to continue the yearly tradition of Black History Week after local teachers dismissed hosting it one year. Jack helped his son put together a rudimentary poster board presentation with a few clippings from magazines such as Jet and Ebony. What Jack discovered by this desire to help his son was the need for black history to not only be preserved in their area, but celebrated and proclaimed. Thus his quest began to collect artifacts, stories and collectible memorabilia, amassing over 4,669 pieces of African American artifacts with emphasis on Thomasville's First Black Achievers. Originally he would partake in traveling shows before eventually landing a facility of his own located at the former campus of Douglass High School. The current set-up is in what I assume was the old gym, but as Jack explained in his brief tour of the museum, he does have full access to the rest of the school and will someday (with proper funding) expand. [ THE EXPERIENCE ] I'd only come to Thomasville to see the 400-year-old tree known as The Big Oak. While there I discovered a town loaded with history, some of which is featured here in Jack Hadley's Museum. I was intrigued since my heart's desire is to return to Washington, DC to experience the National Museum of African American History & Culture. I arrived to what looked like an abandoned school with a few men painting the doors. I wasn't sure if I was in the right place or if they were open, but one of the men pointed me towards the correct entrance door. A young gentleman greeted me and informed me it was a $5 surcharge for adults, to which I initially said, "we'll come back another time." I could see a portion of the museum and it honestly looked too cluttered for me. I'm a 'less is more' person as well as EXTREMELY detail-oriented, so places like this overload my senses. I prefer larger, simpler displays and here it felt like I was looking at 1,000 open books. Just as I was turning away, Jack came into the room and encouraged me to stay to take a tour. He was particularly interested in having my 14-year-old son come inside. He told me to forget about the admission fee, he would waive it if we would take the tour, which started with a 5-minute video. What I REALLY appreciated about his collection were the local stories you most likely will not hear about anywhere else. One story was personal to Jack, of how the plantations were taken over by investors from the north whom built homes for local blacks, one of which Jack grew up in. He told of how one woman by the name of Pansy Ireland Poe would send black children to college and pay for it herself. He also told of stories of slaves that were actually PAID for their work, something I'd never heard of! The museum also touched on sports, politics, poets, musicians and other artists but inevitably cannot escape the darker parts of our past such as slavery & the Jim Crow era. After our tour, I promptly paid double the admission fee, even though Jack had waived it upon entry. I wanted him and his staff to know I appreciate what they are striving to achieve. [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] I can't speak for all African-Americans, but I will shamefully say as for me, I've bounced back and forth being both proud and dismayed of my skin color. Not ashamed mind you, just not as proud at times as I should have been. But how could I be? Pride often comes from knowing who you are. So much of our history has never been told, lost or deleted altogether. Only in the last decade or so I've begun to discover the history that was hidden from schoolbooks and common publications. History that would have made me walk a little taller, stand a little firmer and climb a little higher had I known of the achievements of my people dating back beyond biblical times. Recent movies such as The Help, Green Book and Hidden Figures were a complete surprise to me as well as discoveries of my own. I have a passion for covered bridges, and through my quest to discover the remaining bridges still standing in the south, I came across the story of Horace King; a slave whom earned his freedom building bridges that still stand over 100 years later. He even engineered the floating staircase in an Alabama courthouse that remains in use today. It makes me think of the current term Make America Great AGAIN, to which I think "again" should be dropped. How great we would have been if all men & women of all races had been allowed to freely explore their talents, abilities and been uninhibited in their contributions. So I APPLAUD YOU Jack Hadley for what you have managed to accomplish here in Thomasville, GA. May it continue to grow, improve and spread for generations! 2019/60