Fantasy in Lights at Callaway Gardens

Knowing I would be here in December I was looking for a place where I would experience a real US Christmas atmosphere. Naturally, across Georgia, there were many different events and shows. I came across the “Fantasy in Lights” special event at Callaway Gardens. The gardens are located a 2-hour drive from Cumming and passing Atlanta downtown, so I was planning a visit during the weekend. As the days passed the and weekend was approaching the weather forecast would predict heavy rain, which made me change my mind and make the visit Thursday instead. I managed to pass through Atlanta at a decent pace and reach Callaway Gardens while the sun was still up. Another perk was that during weekdays the entry was only half price.

I started a short walk as the sun was yet to set to get an impression of the garden itself in the daylight. It would have been a nice walk in the Gardens if I had more time, however I came across the path for the Jolly Trolley which I would board later. Besides the toy soliders this ride would go through several themes of Christmas. The ride took about 45minutes. At the end of the ride we would pass the magical field of lights. Two-football fields filled with lights and a Christmas tree over 10-stories high.

At the Christmas village there were different treats you could enjoy as well. A small food court and a walkthrough experience with many beautiful scenes as well.

It was a joy to walk among all the people at the “Fantasy in Lights”. As the sun set the temperature would drop so all which was needed was just a drop of snow.

Atlanta history center

The center is located in Buckhead and offers various exibitions on the American history and culture. There is also a special focus on the role which Atlanta had during the civil war.

Due to it’s strategic position the Atlanta Campaign was launched the Union upon the Confederate army. The victory by the Union has been described as a turning point in the Civil war.

Battle of Atlanta cyclorama

The centerpiece is the cyclorama of the battle of Atlanta. This was the first time I heard of a cyclorama, and was looking forward to seeing it. The view was quite impressive. You are standing in the middle and having a 360 degree panoramic view of the entire painting.

The painting was finished 22 years after the battle by a group af 17 German artists. A video was played using the image as a screen. Besides the history of the battle itself it also told how it had been altered to show Confederate victory. This was later changed back to the original Union victory. Figures have been added at the bottom of the painting, which played well against the original image. This was indeed an impressive view and learning about the development and progress from video did not make it less impressive.

Swan house

In the open space behind the center there were additional things to see and explore, one of them being the Swan house. This is a very nice kept manor with some original interiors and a few exhibitions in some of the rooms as well. The house has also been featured in a few movies, like “the Hunger Games”.