Stately Oaks — Attraction in Jonesboro

The Stately Oaks Plantation depicts life around the time of the Civil War. The site includes the home, a school, a store and a kitchen among other buildings. The home is not as large as some the plantation homes we visited in Louisiana; rather, it is the home of a cotton farmer of more modest means. Regardless, the home is filled with numerous period correct artifacts. (Note: This is not the original site of the home. The original location became too valuable as commercial property, so the last owner of the home arranged a sale which required that the home be move to another location where it would be preserved as a historical site.)

We took the guided tour; it is modestly priced at $9/person (senior rate). Joyce was our guide; as manager of the site, she is a wealth of knowledge. She gave us a detailed history of the house and the families that occupied it. She nicely described the many artifacts and how they fit in home and the time period.

If you’re in south metro Atlanta area and would like to tour a plantation setting, take in the Stately Oaks Plantation in Jonesboro. The people there are welcoming, knowledgeable and provide a...

I visited Stately Oaks after the Road to Tara Museum as they are located only a few minutes’ drive from each other. The house has no direct affiliation to the movie Gone with the Wind but it represents what a plantation home in that era would’ve looked like. I was a bit disappointed to learn that the home had no direct affiliation to the movie, as for some reason that is what I assumed (as did others who were touring with me). I recall seeing it advertised somewhere as the “official Gone with the Wind home,” when it really isn’t.

The home was originally located nearby but was physically moved to this location. During the tour you learn about the original owners of the home and you are able to view different rooms in the home (upstairs and downstairs), as well as the outside grounds.

No photos are allowed inside, and tours are given only certain days of the week and at specific times of the day. Be sure to call prior to visiting and do not assume that it is always open. I just happened to arrive as a tour was beginning and was able to join without issue (and with no wait). There is a fee...

Stately Oaks is a piece of Jonesboro history with top guides and a rich site full of buildings to take you back to the past and the way life was lived in the area. As a former volunteer and a guest alike, I highly recommend this as a field trip or a half day adventure. It's tucked away in a heavily wooded area full of live Oaks. It has a period one room school house, servant's quarters and I'm not sure if they still do civil rwar reinactments and exhibits for local native American cultures. Plus, if you are a Gone with the Wind movie fan, this is a must...