Warm Springs Things to Do

pictured are the warm springs pools that franklin d. roosevelt received therapy in the 1920's to the1940's. the first pools were built in 1832 by david rose. 88 degree water flows from a spring at the base of pine mountain at the rate of 914 gallons per minute. in order to preserve these historic pools they are rarely filled but they are open to the public for viewing.

pictured is the unfinished portrait of franklin roosevelt. on april 12th 1945 while sitting for this portrait roosevelt suffered a stroke and died a couple of hours later. his body was shipped to his home in hyde park new york were he was buried.

in 1932 new york governor franklin d. roosevelt built a home here in order to be close to warm springs georgia. roosevelt contracted polio in 1921 and from 1924 he would visit warm springs frequently as therapy for his condition. when roosevelt was inaugurated president in 1933 this house was nicknamed the "little white house". what i found interesting was how small and spartan the house is. i have visited roosevelt's mansion on the hudson river in new york and there is quite a difference. for those interested in FDR you might want to take a look at my rhinebeck new york pages to see the difference between these two homes.

Between the Little White House Museum and Roosevelt's house is a wide paved walkway with the state flags of all 50 states displayed. Beneath each flag is an example of the state rock. I found this very interesting. Do you know what the state rock of Georgia is? There are a lot of different types of granite which you discover looking at these. And did you know that the state rock of Louisiana is Ironstone which is a ferriginous limestone? Or that Michigan's state rock is Jaspilite which is a very pretty rock that is black with red banks of jasper in it.
You cannot see this without paying to see the Little White House which is $6 but it is an interesting thing to see while you are there.

Callaway Gardens is a beautiful private garden located near Warm Springs and also Pine Mountain, Ga. We visited here in April when the Azaleas and Dogwoods were at their peak. It is glorious then. There are whole hillsides of azaleas in many different colors which creates gorgeous vistas. In addition to the many trails through the gardens, there are also activities which appeal to adults and children alike. There is a butterfly house where you can walk amid tropical butterflies. There are also activities all during the day such as the Insect and Parrot encounters, Birds of Prey Show, and organ recital. Mr. Cason's Garden showcases vegetables and this is also where Victory Garden South is located. Plan to spend an entire day here. I suggest you bring a lunch. There are pretty picnic places and when we were here, early April, restaurants were not open and the snack bars had lines a mile long. Entrance price is $13 and it is often confusing trying to find places even though they do give you a map when you pay. But it is beautiful.

Roosevelt State Park has beautiful views of the surrounding countryside from up on the mountain. When Roosevelt was in Warm Springs, one of his favorite places to visit was Dowdell's Knob in this park. It is a wonderful picnic spot oerlooking a great view of the valley below. We visited it in early April and it was still quite cool with not many leaves on the trees yet. There are many trails in this park for hiking as well as pull outs to see the views.

Roosevelt State Park is located near the town of Warm Springs. This is a good place to see buildings that were built of the local rock by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) established by Roosevelt during the Great Depression to provide much needed jobs. It's amazing to see mountains in this area of Georgia but the views are wonderful. There are great hiking trails here. As an interesting note, the warm springs where Roosevelt went for therapy come from beneath the slope of Pine Mountain, located here. Rain seeps into the ground along the contact between a Hollis Quartzite and Woodland Gneiss formation, is warmed by the magma in the earth, then rises up in the warm springs.

The new museum behind Roosevelt's Little White House is wonderful. It begins with a film which tells you all about Roosevelt, his life and his presidency and his time at Warm Springs. It helps to explain all of the things you see in the museum and inside of the Little White House where Roosevelt stayed while here. His 1938 Ford convertible equipped with hand controls is here as well as a 1930's kitchen. It is very interesting. Open 9am-5pm daily. $6 entrance fee.
Between the museum and house is a pathway of flags and state rocks from the 50 states which is also interesting. Do you know the state rock of Georgia?
The springs pool at a nearby location is included.