Discover Locust Grove

Locust Grove is located in Henry County, south of Atlanta, along Interstate Highway I-75. When looking for a hotel, it helps to first decide what kind of stay you want: Should the city’s history be the main focus, are you interested in train traffic, or would you like to include parks, animals, and shopping? The city offers several distinct themes to consider, which you can prioritize according to the reason for your trip.

City History and Train Watching

The academic building of the Locust Grove Institute was built in 1904. The institute was among the first schools in Georgia to be accredited by the Association of Schools and Colleges of the Southern States. These two details highlight different aspects of history: the construction date refers to a building, while the early accreditation speaks to the institute’s standing among Georgia schools. This offers a way to explore the history of education through a specific building and the institution’s development.

Historic Downtown includes more than 100 buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The historic downtown area is therefore defined not by a single building, but by a larger number of registered buildings. This provides a different perspective on Locust Grove than the history of the Locust Grove Institute.

The Locust Grove Train Watching Platform is in the historic downtown, just a few steps from shops and restaurants. From there, you can watch more than 40 trains pass through Locust Grove each day. Train watching and downtown history come together in one specific place, with shops and restaurants also just a few steps away.

Parks, Animal Sanctuary, and Mural

Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary was founded in 1978 and is a nonprofit animal shelter. Animals there include horses, bison, deer, cougars, parrots, and monkeys. Visitors can explore nature trails and animal enclosures. The grounds therefore offer both trails through nature and a variety of animal groups to see.

The parks each have their own distinctive features. Chase Maddox Park has two fenced dog parks and a rubber-surfaced walking track. Locust Grove City Park has a small playground and a Little Free Library. Mayor's Walk Park is home to the restored Snowdrift Shortening mural. The parks offer a range of features, from dog parks and a walking track to a playground, a book exchange, and a mural.

Shopping and Planning Your Stay

Tanger Outlets Locust Grove offers open-air shopping with a selection of 70 brands. This offers a different focus from the downtown’s historic attractions or the Sanctuary’s nature trails and animal enclosures: here, shopping itself is the main draw. So when considering Locust Grove as a destination, you can first decide whether history and train watching, a park or animal experience, or shopping is most important for your stay.

Discover more destinations: Stockbridge, Hampton, Mcdonough

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