Columbus

Class IV and V rapids roar right through downtown. After two old mill dams were removed, the Chattahoochee River became home to one of the longest urban whitewater courses in the world. A trip to Columbus, Georgia, combines rafting and ziplining with Civil War and military history and a well-kept historic center.

A Mill Town on the Border

Columbus was founded in 1828 as a trading post at the last navigable point on the Chattahoochee, which forms the border with Alabama here. The waterpower of the falls drove textile mills that made the city an industrial center of the South. During the Civil War, Columbus was an important Confederate arms manufacturer, and on April 16, 1865, a week after the surrender at Appomattox, one of the war's last battles was fought here. The pharmacist John Pemberton, who later invented Coca-Cola in Atlanta, lived and worked in Columbus for many years. South of the city lies Fort Benning (temporarily called Fort Moore from 2023 to 2025), one of the largest training centers of the U.S. Army.

Things to See in Columbus

The Chattahoochee RiverWalk stretches for miles along the river and is ideal for walking and cycling. If you're after adventure, book a rafting trip through the whitewater course or fly across the river to Alabama on a zipline. The National Infantry Museum on the edge of town tells the story of the U.S. infantry with impressive exhibits and re-creations. The National Civil War Naval Museum displays the remains of Confederate warships. In the Historic District, with its 19th-century mansions and the Springer Opera House, Georgia's official state theater, you can sense the prosperity of the mill era. The Columbus Museum has a fine collection of American art.

Eating and Going Out in Columbus

Southern cooking dominates: fried chicken, barbecue, collard greens, and peach cobbler made with Georgia peaches. A local curiosity is the Scrambled Dog, a hot dog smothered in chili, onions, and crackers, said to have been invented at a long-established diner. In Uptown Columbus, around Broadway and Front Avenue, restaurants, bars, and breweries have settled in, often in restored brick buildings. In the evenings, concerts take place on the RiverWalk and in the city's squares.

Military History and Mills

The National Infantry Museum has exhibits ranging from the Revolutionary War to deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan; the grounds include a re-created World War II barracks area and a memorial park. On many Fridays, you can watch graduation ceremonies for young soldiers on the neighboring parade field. The city also preserves the memory of its textile workers: the Eagle & Phenix Mill on the river has been converted into apartments and restaurants.

Getting Around Columbus and the Best Time to Visit

The small Columbus Airport has few connections; Atlanta's international airport is about an hour and a half away by car. Buses run within the city, but you'll need a car for excursions. The best times to visit are spring and fall; summer is hot and humid, although the waters of the Chattahoochee offer relief. Day trips lead to Pine Mountain and Callaway Gardens, to Roosevelt's Little White House in Warm Springs, where Franklin D. Roosevelt died, and to Providence Canyon, Georgia's "Little Grand Canyon."