America 250 Augusta History Trail
Expiration: 365 days after purchase
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This preserved home belonged to George Walton, just 26 when he signed the Declaration of Independence. After being wounded and captured in battle, he returned to Augusta to serve as governor and help rebuild the new state he helped found. Visitors can step inside and experience Revolutionary-era life through the eyes of a young Founding Father. (Open for tours Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.)
Standing tall along Greene Street, this marble obelisk honors Georgia’s three signers of the Declaration of Independence: George Walton, Button Gwinnett, and Lyman Hall. Walton and Hall are laid to rest beneath the monument, while the resting place of Gwinnett remains unknown. This site serves as a powerful reminder of Augusta’s lasting role in the founding of American democracy.
Here, Augusta’s fight for liberty reached its peak. The British seized the old Fort Augusta in 1779, renamed it Fort Cornwallis, and held it until 1781 when Patriot forces reclaimed the site after a fierce siege. The churchyard holds the graves of Revolutionary soldiers who fell during the battle, along with a cannon from the Revolution that still stands on the grounds as a tangible link to that struggle. When the river is low, the wooden pilings that once supported the fort’s riverfront walls can still be seen, offering a lasting glimpse into Augusta’s earliest defenses.
Augusta’s story comes full circle at Augusta’s visitor center, where guests can explore America 250 Augusta exhibits, discover local makers, and pick up an America 250 Augusta Happy Button.
Location notes: During downtown Augusta's major construction project, this site may be hard to navigate from time to time.
A gateway to the city’s full story, the museum connects every era from the Revolution to James Brown and beyond. Exhibits highlight the people, industries, and moments that shaped Augusta’s identity.
Location notes: During downtown Augusta's major construction project, this site may be hard to navigate from time to time.
This preserved home offers a look into Augusta’s Reconstruction era and the early life of Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States. Visitors can see the world through the eyes of a boy who would one day lead a nation. Open for guided tours Wednesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Reservations are encouraged,
Location notes: During downtown Augusta's major construction project, this site may be hard to navigate from time to time.
Built in 1845, the Augusta Canal transformed the city into an industrial powerhouse. Visitors may explore the Augusta Canal Discovery Center, or take a boat tour to learn more about how the canal powered industry and innovation. The canal trail is also open to the public for walking or biking. Along the trail are the towering Sibley and King Mills that fueled Augusta’s economy in their heyday.
Housed in the home of Lucy Craft Laney, one of the South’s pioneering educators, the museum honors her lifelong fight for African American education, equal rights, and empowerment.
Visitors will experience the history and art of our local region via either self-guided or guided tours through the exhibits and galleries. Groups are welcome to the Center and all ages can enjoy the hands-on exhibits.
This preserved home is one of Augusta’s oldest residences and once served as the center of a working tobacco farm. It offers a glimpse of post-Revolution life and commerce as Augusta grew from a frontier settlement into a thriving river town. (Open for tours on Saturdays from 10 a.m.–5 p.m.)
Springfield Village Park marks one of Augusta’s most historic African American communities and the birthplace of Springfield Baptist Church, founded in 1787 by free African Americans. The neighborhood developed on land once confiscated from Loyalist James Grierson after the American Revolution and later became a center for Black education and leadership. The Augusta Baptist Institute, now Morehouse College, began at the adjacent Springhill Baptist Church in 1867. Now, a reflecting pool, bronze historical plaques and a 45-foot stainless-steel sculpture by Richard Hunt highlight the park.
Long before Augusta was a city, this land was part of a vast network of Indigenous trade routes connecting communities across the Southeast. These paths along the Savannah River later shaped the routes of travel and commerce that defined early Augusta.
In May 1773, naturalist William Bartram came to Augusta with his father, John Bartram, to witness the Treaty of Augusta, where Creek and Cherokee leaders ceded land to British officials to forgive trade debts. The agreement marked a turning point that spurred Augusta’s growth from a trading post into a permanent colonial town. Bartram’s observations of the land and its people, later published in Travels (1791), captured the landscape that shaped Augusta’s earliest beginnings.
Along the Riverwalk, this marker recalls Augusta’s rise as a manufacturing hub powered by the Savannah River and the Augusta Canal. Here, water once drove the wheels of progress that reshaped the South.
African Americans have served in the U.S. military since the Revolutionary War and continue to serve in all branches today. This new mural honors Augusta’s African American soldiers from 1898 to 1945, recognizing their service and sacrifice both abroad and at home. Part of the Golden Blocks Project, a public art series celebrating Augusta’s historic Black business district, it joins other works highlighting faith, education, music, and entrepreneurship, transforming the area into a vibrant tribute to Augusta’s Black heritage.
This vibrant downtown mural celebrates the Godfather of Soul and Augusta’s influence on American music and culture. It’s a photo-worthy stop that bridges history with rhythm and pride.