Since we were near Augusta, Georgia for 2 1/2 weeks while Vaughn and the bigs volunteered, the other kids and I had some time to check out some of the area. I knew on the night we pulled in that I would love this town – it has both a Costco and an Aldi!!! Seriously – LOVE Aldi (grocery store with inexpensive fruits and veggies). And the rest of the town wasn’t bad either 😉 We really enjoyed checking out the Augusta Canal and Discovery Center. We also explored Downtown Augusta, Georgia…
This beautiful building is the Sacred Heart Cultural Center…
Built in 1897, it used to be a Catholic Church, but now is used as a cultural center, and houses a small gallery and gift shop.
The sanctuary is enclosed by beautiful stained glass windows;
if you enjoy architecture, you can ask for a free tour.
The building is gorgeous.
Down just a couple of blocks from Sacred Heart (which is right by the Augusta Canal Discovery Center), is the boyhood home of President Woodrow Wilson…
As a child, President Wilson lived here for 10 years, from 1860 to 1870; his father was the pastor of a nearby Presbyterian church. Tours are available every hour, but we weren’t able to take one as the home is closed through 3/26/14 while they do some repairs. 
Right next door is another historical house –
it was the home of… (I’m just posting a pic of the sign instead of retelling it all! LOL!)
Downtown Augusta has some beautiful buildings!
There are several memorials, like this Confederate Monument…
Also, downtown, located near the river, and just across the street from the River Walk, is the Augusta Museum of History…
Just inside its doors is the Augusta Visitor’s Center, where you can find all sorts of information on where to go and what to do in Augusta (go here first and pick up a map of Augusta so you don’t miss anything). There is a cute little gift shop, and the ladies were super helpful and informative!
When you enter the lobby to the museum, you are immediately reminded of Augusta’s claim to fame…
Augusta, Georgia is the home of The Masters Golf Tournament. Apparently, the Augusta National Golf Club is one of the most famous golf clubs in the world. Who knew??? well, not me 😉 Anyway, the Masters happens sometime in the spring, and if you visit in the spring (or about now), you will be reminded of it on every other reader board and sign 🙂 They like their golf here!
The museum gives a concise overview of the history of Augusta, including a fullsize Petersburg boat like the ones initially used on the canal.
It was interesting to see how an old cotton gin worked…
Daniel and Joel spent some time checking out the Confederate/Civil War displays…
The museum does have some hands on things for the kids to do…
There is a trolly that they can climb in, and a fullsize steam locomotive with attached coal car and passenger car. You can go in the passenger car and check it out. There were other vehicles also, such as a mock fuel station, a fire truck, and this cart load of cotton (I love farm stuff)…
Upstairs are some more exhibits, including a couple of rooms dedicated to golf. 🙂
The singer James Brown grew up in Augusta, so there is an area dedicated to him. You can listen to some of his hits, and even watch dance lessons/music videos…
There is an area dedicated to the military, and a model of the USS Augusta, a cruiser…
The museum was really affordable – $4 for adults, $2 for kids 6-18, so the kids and I got in for $12 (Caleb and Molly were free), and it gave us some input on the city and area.
Downtown Augusta is a great place to visit if you find yourself in the area. If you want to do it all, there are other venues to stop and check out too, like the historic St. Paul’s Church and the 3-block long River Walk. On Saturdays, there is a Historic Trolley Tour that is offered that looked really interesting (you can check all of these out, and some other attractions, at the Augusta Visitor’s Bureau website).
The kids and I had a fun time exploring the downtown area – there is some really great history to discover here!
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