Augusta Museum of History, Augusta, Georgia

When you think about the city of Augusta in the U.S. state of Georgia, the main thing that comes to everyone’s mind is ‘The Masters’.  For those who are not familiar with the sport of golf, :Masters© is the biggest golf competition in the Professional Golf Association and the only major professional golf event played at the same location each year.  Sadly, Augusta National, the golf course where this event takes place is not open to the public, but one great place the public can visit is the Augusta Museum of History.  When you visit the Augusta Museum of History, you will see everything about the city from the famous golf competition to some of its famous residents to include James Brown, a famous musician who was born in Augusta.

Some of you are saying, “This is great.  You come to the city of Augusta, Georgia to see the golf course where :Masters© takes place, but it is not open to the public, and you expect me to visit this museum.  Well, it is not a railroad museum.  Therefore, I am not at par to visit this place.”

So why should you visit the Augusta Museum of History if it is not a railroad museum?

As mentioned, the city of Augusta, Georgia, is mainly famous for the big golf event known as :Masters©, but, like many cities, Augusta has so much more.

The Augusta Museum of History is a museum with many exhibits.  One, of course, is dedicated to the sport of course to include, of course, :Masters©.  Another exhibit tells the story of Augusta from the city’s beginnings to its roles in the American Revolutionary War and the American Civil War and the city’s role in a region known as ‘The South’.  Other exhibits celebrates its famous residents to include National Football League running back Emerson Boozer who won a Super Bowl with Joe Namath with the New York Jets, (The National Football League, commonly called the NFL is a sports league with teams playing American football of which the championship game is called the Super Bowl) Light Heavyweight Champion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship Forrest Griffith, (Ultimate Fighting Championship is commonly called the UFC) plus singers Brenda Lee and Amy Grant.  There is an entire exhibit dedicated to James Brown, a soul music musician who was not born in Augusta but was raised here, who has been given many names such as ‘The Godfather of Soul’, ‘The Hardest Working Man in Show Business’, Mr. Dynamite’, Soul Brother Number 1’, and ‘The Minister of Super Heavy Funk’. 

Some of you are saying, “This is nice, but this does not make this a railroad museum.”

That brings us to the Transportation Gallery.  This gallery is devoted to the transportation history of Augusta which includes cars, and replica of a gas station, and the horse and buggy, but the very first thing you notice is a train.  Yes, it is a train with Locomotive Number 302 of the Georgia Railroad pulling a passenger car.  If that is not enough, there is also Trolley Number 415.

So you think that the Augusta Museum of History is all about golf and has nothing to do with the railroad, think again.  The history of the railroad in Augusta is on full display here.

The Augusta Museum of History is located in downtown Augusta at 560 Reynolds Street one block north of U.S. Route 25.  It is open Thursday to Saturday from 10:00am to 5:00pm and Sunday from 1:00pm to 5:00pm.  (It is closed on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  However, the museum is open the entire week when the :Masters© is being played which is in April.)  Parking is on Site, and the museum is wheelchair accessible.  Admission required to enter.  You can learn more about the museum at https://www.augustamuseum.org/.

When in Augusta, Georgia, visit the Augusta Museum of History.  It may not be :Masters©, but at least you can see one of the ‘masters of city museums’.