Hail to the Chief!
As America prepares to commemorate its 250th anniversary later this year, travelers are increasingly seeking meaningful destinations that tell the story of our nation’ s past. With that in mind, we’ ve put together a list of some of the surprising and authentic places right here in Georgia where visitors can walk in the footsteps of our country’ s leaders, witness the moments that shaped their lives, and connect to American history in a personal way. From FDR’ s treasured retreat to Woodrow Wilson’ s boyhood home, Georgia’ s presidential sites offer immersive and often intimate windows into leadership, resilience, and some of the turning points that shaped our country.
On the eve of the nation’ s quarter millennium celebrations, we explore some of the most presidential sites across our state.
250TH
Explore the Early Life of Woodrow Wilson
At the Boyhood Home of Woodrow Wilson in Augusta, visitors can explore the childhood experiences that influenced America’ s 28th president during the turbulent era of the Civil War and Reconstruction. This National Historic Landmark offers guided tours that illuminate Wilson’ s upbringing and the Georgia setting that helped inform his worldview. wilsonboyhoodhome. org
FDR built his Georgia retreat a year before his inauguration, when he was still the governor of New York. | photo: Department of Natural Resources
Woodrow Wilson’ s boyhood home is now a National Historic Landmark. | photo: Destination Augusta
Dine Where President Warren Harding Was Honored
Also in Augusta is The Patridge Inn, where, in 1923, they hosted an elaborate dinner for President Warren G. Harding that was once described as“ the grandest in the history of the city.” Today, the hotel
Augusta’ s Partridge Inn was the site of an elaborate banquet for President Harding in 1923. | photo: The Partridge Inn
remains one of Georgia’ s most iconic heritage properties, offering a rare glimpse into the glamour and political culture of the early 20th century. partridgeinn. com
28 | NW GEORGIA LIVING MARCH / APRIL 2026
Visit Franklin D. Roosevelt’ s Personal Retreat
Perhaps the most emotionally powerful presidential site in the Southeast, Franklin Roosevelt’ s Little White House in Warm Springs captures FDR’ s search for healing and his deep ties to Georgia. Roosevelt first visited Warm Springs in 1924 after contracting polio and becoming paralyzed from the waist down. Swimming in the 88-degree hot springs didn’ t provide a miracle cure, but did offer improvement. The pools are still present and, along with the Historic Pools Museum, just underwent a renovation in 2025. Visitors can tour the home FDR built there and view personal artifacts, like his 1938 Ford convertible and the unfinished portrait he was sitting for at the time of his death. Nearby F. D. Roosevelt State Park invites visitors to enjoy scenic overlooks like Dowdell’ s Knob, which was one of the president’ s favorite places to reflect. gastateparks. org / littlewhitehouse
FDR lounging by the pool. | photo: Department of Natural Resources