ATHENS, GEORGIA (April 13, 2011) -- Athens' rich historic pedigree will be on full display during the third annual Antebellum Trail Pilgrimage April 27-May 1, 2011. Georgia's first heritage tourism trail, the Antebellum Trail spans seven historically significant communities including Athens, Watkinsville, Madison, Eatonton, Milledgeville, Gray/Old Clinton and Macon. Pilgrimage weekend opens the door to the past through a wide array of museum tours and special events. A $25 Antebellum Trail Pilgrimage Pass provides admission to all participating events and attractions in any or all communities along the Trail, including Athens.
Special tours of Athens' heritage will be featured throughout the Pilgrimage. Classic City Tours will present a walking tour of UGA's North Campus at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday through Friday as well as an Oconee Hill Cemetery Walking Tour at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Athens Heritage driving tours will be offered at 2 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. In addition, Rose of Athens Theatre will present theatrical vignettes at the T.R.R. Cobb House on Saturday and Sunday as part of the 10:30 a.m. Athens Heritage tour.
Athens' four house museums are a must-see, as they feature four architectural styles from four different time periods. Patrons can trace historic and architectural developments throughout the 19th century, starting with the ca. 1820 Church-Waddel-Brumby House, influenced by the Federal style. The T.R.R. Cobb House was first built in the 1830s in Plantation Plain Style before evolving into Greek Revival through additions made in the 1840s. The Taylor-Grady House, ca. 1844, is a Greek Revival masterpiece and a National Historic Landmark as collegiate home of acclaimed newspaper editor Henry W. Grady, credited with establishing the view of the New South after the Civil War. At the Ware-Lyndon House, ca. 1856, patrons will discover one of the few antebellum homes with Italianate elements reamaining in the area. Special Pilgrimage hours for Athens' house museums are posted at www.atpilgrimage.com.
The Pilgrimage Pass provides admission to all of these Athens events. as well as to events in other Antebellum Trail communities. In neighboring Watkinsville, patrons will be treated to guided tours of Eagle Tavern, Ashford Manor Bed & Breakfast, and Historic Downtown and the cemetery. Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation's annual Southworks Art Festival will also be on display. Just a few more miles down Highway 441 in Madison, stately homes such as Heritage Hall and Hilltop will be open for tour.
For more information on these Antebellum Trail Pilgrimage events, as well as events in other participating communities and online ticket purchase, please see www.atpilgrimage.com.
Tickets may also be purchased at any of the Welcome Centers along the trail prior to and during the Pilgrimage, including the Athens Welcome Center at 280 E. Dougherty St., 706.353.1820. Tickets are $25 and include access to all participating attractions and events. Groups of 10 or more receive discounted tickets at $20.
