Buildings & Grounds

Goizueta Gardens

From curated gardens to native Piedmont forest, no other place in Atlanta captures the variety of landscapes that have shaped our city’s history.

Goizueta Gardens is a 33-acre landscape encompassing nine distinct gardens—including preserved woodland, diverse plant collections, and heritage-breed animals. 

Distinct. Gardens.

  • Olguita’s Garden

    Honoring the life of Goizueta Gardens namesake Olga “Olguita” C. de Goizueta, this ornamental garden is designed for the enjoyment of flowering and fragrant plants—a place of beauty for quiet reflection amid the hectic pace of city life.

  • Quarry Garden

    This native garden contains herbal medicinal plants, the mysterious lost camellia, quiet waterfalls, and what is Georgia’s largest native plant collection in one place—25 feet down.

  • Smith Farm Gardens

    Explore a variety of heirloom plants, flowers, and animal breeds at Smith Farm.

  • Swan House Gardens

    Gardens of the spectacular Inman estate was designed by Philip Trammell Shutze from 1926-1928, the latter years of the Country Place Era.

  • Rhododendron Garden

    An abundance of rhododendrons, small flowering trees, and eclectic ground covers.

  • Asian Garden

    East meets West in the plant world at the Sims Asian Garden.

  • Swan Woods

    Meander robust forest surrounding the Swan Woods Trail and consider yourself free to explore around the cabin.

  • Veterans Park

    Within steps of the Atlanta History Center Museum, reflect on the men and women who have served—and continue to serve—the United States of America.

  • Entrance Gardens

    The Entrance Gardens and 60-foot Tree Table are the newest additions to our campus and span eight acres, welcoming guests all year long.

Historic Houses. Explore.

  • Swan House

    Designed by Philip Trammel Shutze in 1928 for Edward and Emily Inman, Swan House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

  • Smith Farm

    Smith Farm tells the story of Georgia farm life and enslavement at Atlanta’s oldest surviving farmhouse.

  • Wood Cabin

    Wood Cabin is a noteworthy example of a log structure built when North Georgia was the frontier.

Join us every Saturday at 2pm for the unique experience of seeing one of our heritage breed animals on their weekly stroll across campus.

Learn More

Related events. Join us.

Garden stories. Get the dirt.

  • The Bee’s Needs

    For GivingTuesday, we’re asking for donations from the community to help our bees thrive. With your help, we can continue to support Georgia’s pollinators and educate the community about their importance. The annual GivingTuesday celebration of generosity is on November 29, 2022.

  • Loblolly, Pine of the Piedmont

    A short walk around the woods on the History Center grounds will reveal many large loblolly pines with their tops above the surrounding deciduous trees. These pines reveal that the land preserved within Goizueta Gardens began to reforest shortly after the end of the American Civil War, between 1862 and 1872. The forest that covers much of the campus today is the forest that began to grow at that time.

  • Summer Resident Birds Return to Goizueta Gardens

    The diverse botanical landscapes and healthy forests of the Goizueta Gardens are perfect for producing insects and caterpillars and are perfect for summer birds. These are just a few of the birds that are found here in spring and summertime; take a moment in the gardens and you may hear or see them yourself.

  • Smith Farm: 50 Years of Preservation, Education, and History

    On April 10, 1972, Smith Farm opened to the public in a highly publicized event during Atlanta’s Dogwood Festival. A unique project, especially in its time, Smith Farm attracted widespread media attention in both local and national press. 50 years later, Smith Farm is many things: historical time machine to discussing Georgia before, during, and after the Civil War for people both enslaved and free, a story of historic preservation and women’s volunteer efforts, and most of all, an educational cornerstone of the Southeast’s largest history museum.

Learn. More.

  • Buildings & Grounds

    Cherokee Garden Library

    The Cherokee Garden Library collection holds over 32,000 books, photographs, manuscripts, seed catalogs, and landscape drawings.

  • About Us

    Sustainability

    Sustainability initiatives at Atlanta History Center.

  • Learning & Research

    Fulton County 4-H

    In partnership with Fulton County and UGA’s Cooperative Extension, Atlanta History Center established a 4-H and UGA Extension office for the Buckhead community.

  • Podcasts

    Listen to podcasts featuring experts from the Atlanta History Center.