Heritage Celebration Day & Exhibits Grand Opening

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Georgia’s Old Capital Heritage Center at The Depot, Inc. (GOCHC) is opening its Native American and Frontier Georgia Cottage Exhibits, located in the “Just Imagine Cottage” on the campus of Central State Hospital. These smaller-scale exhibits revisit two cornerstone displays from the original Georgia’s Old Capital Museum, which served more than 90,000 visitors between 2004 and 2016. The exhibits will be open for free on Heritage Day Celebration, May 17th, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The collegiate interns responsible for resurrecting these exhibits will be there opening day to welcome attendees!

The Native American exhibit explores the early history of the region, beginning with the Ice Age and moving through the Paleo, Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian periods. Artifacts on display include tools used for hunting and gathering, as well as items related to games and daily life. The exhibit concludes with the era of European exploration and its impact on Indigenous cultures.

Complementing this is the Frontier Georgia exhibit, which traces Georgia’s post-Revolutionary War westward expansion along the Oconee River Basin. The display follows settlers from the founding of Savannah through the establishment of Baldwin County and Milledgeville as the state capital in the early 1800s. Highlights include replica land grants, a Fort Wilkinson trading post facade, and a period Georgia hearth scene.

The grand opening coincides with the Heritage Hustle 5K & 1K Fun Run and Depot Deals. Heritage Hustle Sponsors will have vendor booths in the parking lot that we encourage everyone to visit and support the businesses who support the Heritage Center.