Richmond: Augusta Canal, Museums and History
Accommodation in Richmond
Those interested in history, art, and water-based experiences will find a wide range of inspiration for planning a trip to Augusta. The Augusta Canal combines industrial history with guided history and nature tours aboard replica cargo boats. Museums and historic homes offer further points of interest, from the region’s history and life in the 19th century to art and the contributions of Black residents of Augusta.
Augusta Canal: Industrial Heritage and Tours on the Water
The Augusta Canal is the only fully preserved American industrial canal in continuous operation. The Augusta Canal National Heritage Area offers guided history and nature tours aboard replica canal cargo boats. The boats depart from the Augusta Canal Discovery Center, which is housed in a former textile mill. This makes it possible to combine learning about the canal’s history with a tour on the water.
A towpath along the north bank is open exclusively to pedestrians and cyclists. The canal’s first level stretches for about 7 miles. If you enjoy walking or cycling, you can make this path part of your itinerary; its restriction to pedestrian and bicycle traffic is an important factor in choosing your route. Another way to explore Augusta is on guided or self-guided tours of the area known as the Golden Blocks.
City History in Museums and Historic Homes
The permanent exhibition Augusta’s Story at the Augusta Museum of History presents 12,000 years of regional history. The museum also hosts annual events, including the Jimmie Dyess Symposium and Night at the Museum. If you are particularly interested in historical context, you can explore a long span of history here alongside recurring museum events.
Meadow Garden is a National Historic Landmark and one of the oldest house museums in the United States. Its tours cover American history. Tours of the Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson offer a different historical perspective, providing insight into the life of a Southern family in the 1860s and the era of the American Civil War. The focus is thus on both the history of a home and a particular family and period.
At the Guard House Museum, a timeline exhibition covers more than 200 years of college history and urban development in Augusta. The Main Gallery Exhibition features archaeological finds from earlier excavations on the Summerville campus. Tours of the museum are available by appointment. Plan this visit differently from an attraction with daily tour times specified here.
The Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History dedicates its permanent exhibitions to the contributions of Black residents of Augusta at the local, state, national, and international levels. The museum is surrounded by a butterfly garden and a historic garden. If you would like to include both the museum and the garden in your itinerary, this is a place where exhibitions and gardens sit side by side.
Art, the Riverwalk, and a Taste of Augusta
The Morris Museum of Art houses nearly 5,000 works of art: paintings, works on paper, and sculptures dating from the late 18th century to the present. Each year, the museum presents eight to ten special exhibitions and offers a variety of programs. For art lovers, this means a collection spanning a broad period, along with changing exhibition themes.
Along the Augusta Riverwalk, information panels tell the story of Augusta; there is a playground on the lower level. The Riverwalk is wheelchair accessible via access points at 10th Street near the Augusta Marriott, at a large parking lot near the entrance on 8th Street, and near the entrance on 6th Street by the Augusta Museum of History. These specific access points may be useful for finding your way around. The Sacred Heart Cultural Center offers free self-guided tours Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can also plan a tasting at the tasting bar at Augusta & Co. to sample flavors from Augusta.
When choosing your vacation rental, consider which focus best suits your trip: the canal and outdoor activities, city and regional history, or art and exhibitions. If you would like to add other places in Richmond to your itinerary, you can find Augusta and Hephzibah here.
For the broader travel overview: Georgia.
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