INUSA Tour Guide
Callaway Gardens
Pine Mountain, Georgia
Cason Callaway believed the most interesting ideas are
"conceived in superlatives, big in scope, impressive in appearance and
in some way connected with the improvement of mankind." He and his wife
Virginia had many dreams, and on May 21, 1952, when the gates of
Callaway Gardens opened to the public, one of their dreams came true.
Callaway Gardens is a year-round recreational haven and gardener's
delight with 2,500 acres of cultivated foliage. The John Sibley
Horticultural Center is one of the most advanced indoor-outdoor garden
and greenhouse complexes in the world. Callaway Gardens' walking
trails, 7-mile Discovery Bicycle Trail and 5-mile Scenic Drive showcase
the world's largest display of hollies, more than 700 varieties of
azaleas and a seemingly endless variety of wildflowers. Mr Cason's
Vegetable Garden produces more than 400 varieties of vegetables, fruits
and herbs and serves as the Southern filming site of the PBS television
series, "The Victory Garden." The Cecil Day Butterfly Center, the
largest glass-enclosed tropical butterfly conservatory in North
America, houses more than 1,000 free-flying butterflies in a lush
tropical garden.
In addition to many quiet garden spots, the Callaways envisioned a
place of beauty and serenity set aside for visitors' meditation and
worship. The realization of that vision is the Ida Cason Callaway
Memorial Chapel, built to honor Cason Callaway's mother whose life, he
thought, had been that of an exemplary Christian. Pipe organ concerts
are scheduled throughout the year in the English Gothic stone
sanctuary.
The Education Department, staffed by professional interpretive
horticulturists, interpretive naturalists and more than 500 volunteers,
helps to further Cason and Virginia Callaway's vision of having their
garden "provide better understanding of the living world." With a full
schedule of courses, workshops and demonstrations, the Education
Department offers a wide variety of programs each year.
Although the Callaways might not recognize their beloved
garden today, they would be proud of its impact on more than 20 million
visitors since 1952. Cason Callaway once said "Every child ought to see
something beautiful before he's 6 years old - something he will
remember all his life." Callaway Gardens has provided that first
glimpse of beauty to an endless parade of people of all ages.
Encompassing 14,000 acres, Callaway Gardens is also famous for
its
that attract over one million people annually to this magnificent
year-round retreat.
LOCATION: US Hwy 27 (PO Box 2000), Pine
Mountain, GA 31822. Phone 800-225-5292, web site http://www.callawaygardens.com
HOURS: Daily 7 AM to 5 PM.
ADMISSION: $13 for adults, $6.50 for
children 6-12.
DIRECTIONS: From Columbus, drive 30 miles
north on US Hwy 27. From Atlanta, drive 70 miles south on I-85 to
I-185. Exit I-185 onto Hwy 27 south.