Gold history, an exhibit featuring Creek artifacts and a canoe trail on the Tallapoosa River reveal three very different sides of Tallapoosa. Other attractions include a 30-foot-long T. rex at the West Georgia Museum, historic walking tours and annual festivals. Deciding which of these facets should shape your stay is a useful first filter when planning your trip and looking for a vacation rental: festival dates provide specific dates, while the museum, history and river trail offer different areas of focus.

Gold History and Local Cultural History

The Historic Tallapoosa Marker is located at the intersection of East Atlanta Street (U.S. 78) and Freeman Street. In 1842, local farmer William Owens discovered gold in Tallapoosa; about 100,000 pennyweights were subsequently mined. Tallapoosa was also a place of great ceremonial significance to the Indigenous population. The gold discovery and ceremonial significance represent different historical perspectives on the area.

The West Georgia Museum adds further perspectives. Its extensive dinosaur collection includes a 30-foot-long T. rex. The museum also features a large exhibit of Creek Indian artifacts and a special exhibit about Tallapoosa’s historic gold mine. Dinosaurs, Creek artifacts and local gold history are thus presented as distinctly different subjects.

Historic Walking Tours and The Homeplace

The historic walking tour of Tallapoosa follows a one-mile route through the historic downtown area and the neighborhood of historic homes. The Homeplace offers tours of a 19th-century house museum. Visitors can observe and take part in life as it was before the turn of the century. The formats are different: a walk through two historic areas, or a tour of a house museum where visitors can observe and participate in life in the past. Confirm visiting and tour dates for The Homeplace before your trip.

Two Annual Festival Dates

The Tallapoosa Dogwood Festival takes place every year on the second Saturday in April. The annual Possum Drop is a New Year’s Eve celebration featuring live music, food stalls, fireworks, carnival rides and games. The two events fall at clearly different points on the calendar: a specific Saturday in April and the New Year’s Eve celebration. If you’re planning your trip around one of the festivals, check the current event dates before booking.

The Dub Denman Canoe Trail

The Dub Denman Canoe Trail is on the Tallapoosa River, is about 27 miles long and runs through Buchanan and Tallapoosa, Georgia. Three access points in Tallapoosa are located at these addresses: 2122 Poplar Springs Rd., 1085 Broad St. and 4689 GA Hwy. 100. Comparing it with the one-mile walking tour highlights the difference in scale: a walk through historic areas of town versus a much longer canoe trail along the river.

Discover more destinations: Buchanan, Bremen.

Return to the main travel overview: Haralson County.