Columbus, Georgia - Historic City on the Chattahoochee

Columbus, Georgia, has been visited by untold thousands of Americans over the years, many of them because they were stationed at the U.S. Army's famed Fort Benning.

Thousands of new visitors, however, are learning the Columbus is realizing its potential as a major heritage tourism destination. Noted for its multiple historic districts, Riverwalk, museums and more, the city has placed major emphasis on its historic resources and the results are stunning.

From its revitalized downtown area with the River Center for the Performing Arts and allegedly haunted Springer Opera House, the city spreads out along the Chattahoochee River from Lake Oliver on the north to Fort Benning on the South. Founded in 1828, Columbus was a major riverboat port and manufacturing center during the antebellum era.

The Confederate Navy built the ironclad C.S.S. Jackson here and the city was home to one of the South's few major industrial complexes during the Civil War. The Battle of Columbus, fought on Easter Sunday in 1865, was the last major land battle of the war.

Columbus rebounded from the destruction dealt it by Union troops following that battle and today is a progressive and modern city. Its past, however, remains very much alive. The main Columbus Historic District preserves a stunning area of historic and restored homes, including two that once housed the family of Dr. John Pemberton, the inventor of Coca-Cola. The Columbus Riverwalk links a variety of historic sites and points of interest, among them the National Civil War Naval Museum, which houses two original Confederate warships as well as reconstructions of the U.S.S. Hartford, U.S.S. Water Witch and C.S.S. Albemarle. Near the entrance to Fort Benning is the National Infantry Museum, which relocated last month into a stunning new facility.

To learn more about historic Columbus, Georgia, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/gacolumbus1.