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MADISON, GEORGIA
A magical southern city just an hour east of Atlanta, Madison is the town Sherman
refused to burn on his infamous March to the Sea. Its National Register Historic District is
one of the state’s largest collection of 19th century architecture, earning it a place on
Budget Travel’s 2012 “16 Most Picturesque Villages in the World” and Travel Holiday’s
2001 “#1 Small Town in America.” Madison combines with nearby Rutledge to house more
than 170 antiques dealers, 40 boutiques and 20 unique eateries.
Aristocratic from its 1807 founding, Madison keeps its cultural edge with offerings from
the visual and performing arts to epicurean delights served in an array of venues, whether
very fine dining or riverside outings at area farms. Art, food, music and agricultural
festivals abound throughout the year.
AGRITOURISM
Morgan County and its surroundings are fast becoming the hub of Georgia’s local
food movement, supporting both commodity farming as well as the production of
local and organic meats, eggs, vegetables and associated products. The Morgan
County Conservancy welcomes visitors to explore area farms, get to know the farmers
and delight in the food produced among its natural, agricultural and historic
resources. Three highly acclaimed inns, plus newly approved “farm stays,” complete
the experience.
ROMANTIC GETAWAYS
Cozy and elegant Bed & Breakfasts, shady streets lined with boutiques, and gourmet fine
dining set the perfect backdrop for a getaway in Madison. From antiquing to a round of
golf; touring magnificent mansions of the Old South to spending an afternoon on a picture
perfect working farm, it’s easy to get lost in the romance of Madison.
REGIONAL RICHES
Madison is perfectly situated for exploring several of Georgia’s top regional highlights:
Georgia’s Antebellum Trail, a 100-mile trek through seven communities that escaped the
Civil War; Georgia’s Antiques Trail, offering delightful shopping in 18 beautiful communities;
Georgia’s Lake Country, a honey hole of exceptional entertainment, values and adventures
in the historic towns and private retreats surrounding Lakes Oconee and Sinclair; Heartland of the Confederacy Trails,
combining the drama of Civil War battles and the lives of the people who lived in the state which, outside of Virginia,
witnessed more military action than any other; Georgia’s Heritage Highway 441, winding its way from Georgia’s mountains to
the coastal plains; Georgia’s Historic Heartland, a feast for the senses with a heaping helping of southern hospitality, shopping,
fishing, scenic byways and festivals, and Treasures Along I-20, a plethora of finds along 60 miles of Interstate between
Conyers, Covington, Social Circle, Rutledge, Madison, Lake Oconee and Greensboro.
TRIVIA & FAST FACTS
Madison hosts Georgia’s two largest annual historic home
tours each Christmas and May
Georgia’s largest private collection of work by
German-American artist Steffen Thomas resides in a
Buckhead museum bearing his name
Open daily for touring – three antebellum house museums, an
African American museum and the Madison-Morgan Cultural
Center
The 1895 Romanesque revival Madison-Morgan
Cultural Center was built as one of the South’s first
graded public schools (famous comedian Oliver Hardy
attended here)
Rutledge beckons with the beauty of Hard Labor Creek State
Park, Creekside Farm’s Icelandic horses and festivals like July’s
Sunflower Farm Festival
Visitors from around the world flock to Southern
Cross Guest Ranch in Madison, named “One of
America’s Best Dude Ranches” by Travel & Leisure
Bostwick showcases one of America’s few remaining full time
running cotton gins (as seen in the remake of Footloose).
5,000 plus visitors attend its Annual Cotton Gin Festival
Buckhead, GA, not to be confused with the Atlanta suburb, is
an idyllic former boom town - population 171 - and the
county’s gateway to Lake Oconee’s Blue Springs Marina
FARMeander is the Madison-Morgan Conservancy’s
map and guide to the area’s farm-based tours,
markets, eateries, festivals and inns. The only tour of
its kind in Georgia, FARMeander gives new meaning
to “Farm to Table.”
The Farm House Inn at Hundred Acre Farm – Solar power
combines with organic gardening and a bevy of animals on
100-plus riverside acres and the finest in Southern
Hospitality at this pristine inn and farm.
Coming Soon…
Farmview Market – Set for a Fall 2015 opening, Farmview Market
will house a specialty grocery, a full-service butcher shop and a farm-totable café. Also on site will be an open air farmers market to open next
spring. Located on 4o acres just South of Madison on Hwy 441, the facility is being constructed around two historic barns from the
mid-1800s, purchased in the northeast U.S. and being reconstructed on site. The construction will lend to the ambience of the
venue, telling a story and enriching the Farmview Market experience to visitors.
The Georgia Zoo & Safari Park – Set to break ground in 2016, this 405 acre attraction will include themed animal habitats and
botanical garden, as well as nearly 300 acres of safari park. Safari adventure guides will take guests on interpretive tours throughout
the park’s “savannahs” and forests aboard specially outfitted safari vehicles. There, they may experience close encounters and even
feed some of the animals, including zebras, camels, giraffe, water buffalo, rhinos and more!
TOP ANNUAL EVENTS
February – Antiques Show & Sale
April – MadisonFest in Town Park
May – Madison in May Spring Tour
of Homes & Gardens
June – Madison Chamber Music Festival
July/August – Summer Music Series
October – Chili Cook-Off & Fall Festival
November – Bostwick Cotton Gin Festival
December – Madison Holiday Tour of Homes
Media Contact:
Madison - Morgan Convention & Visitors Bureau
Director: Ellen Ianelli, [email protected]
Madison - Morgan Convention & Visitors Bureau
115 East Jefferson Street ● Madison, GA 30650
706-474-8103 | www.madisonga.com