Atlanta: Plantations, Civil War & Civil Rights Tour

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/32

Duration4h–5h

GroupUp to 7

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Two Plantations, Martin Luther King's Church, and Atlanta's Civil Rights Story in One Morning

You visit two plantation homes (if open), tour Ebenezer Baptist Church where Martin Luther King Jr. preached, explore the Apex Museum on Auburn Avenue's Black business history, and walk through the Civil War Museum. Transport, water, and all entry fees are included; the route adjusts based on what's open that day, so you're not caught at a closed door.

4h–5h

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit plantations and civil rights sites

Tour Bullock Hall plantation
Tour Smith plantation
Pass by additional location if open
Learn about Atlanta's first black woman entrepreneur
Visit Ebenezer Baptist Church
Explore Civil Rights movement history
Visit Civil War museum

The Experience

The bus is already moving when you settle in—your guide is already talking about what you're about to see. Smith Plantation and Bulloch Hall, where Theodore Roosevelt's family lived, sit quiet on the edges of Atlanta, and the tour moves through them in sequence, no waiting around. On Mondays through Wednesdays the plantation homes stay closed, so the itinerary shifts to focus on the Civil Rights Center and the Civil War Museum instead, which means the day adapts to what's actually open. Either way, you're not arranging any of this yourself—pickup happens, the route is set, and the air-conditioned vehicle keeps moving.

Ebenezer Baptist Church is the centerpiece. This is where Martin Luther King Jr. preached, and standing inside it changes how you understand what you've read about. The guide walks you through the history of the Civil Rights movement with the actual building around you, not a photograph on a screen. After that comes the Apex Museum, which tells the story of Auburn Avenue—one of the most prosperous Black-owned business districts in the world during the early twentieth century. You learn about the entrepreneurs who built it, the women who ran it, and what it meant. The Civil War Museum rounds out the afternoon, filling in the layers of what Atlanta was and how it became what it is now.

Bottled water is included, WiFi works on the bus, and the vehicle is wheelchair accessible. The whole thing moves at a pace that lets you actually absorb what you're seeing instead of rushing through a checklist. You don't have to figure out which plantations are open on which days, whether the church allows visitors at that hour, or how to get between three separate museums across the city. The guide handles the timing and the route, and you handle the thinking.

What’s included

Your day includes pickup in an air-conditioned vehicle, entry to Smith and Bulloch plantations (when open and time permits), Ebenezer Baptist Church, the Apex Museum, the Civil Rights Center, the Civil War Museum, bottled water, and WiFi on board. The route adjusts based on which attractions are open on the day of your tour.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Explore Atlanta Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to understand Atlanta's role in American history—plantations, Civil War, and Civil Rights—without arranging transport between separate museums or worrying about which sites are open. The fixed itinerary and included entry fees mean you show up and the day unfolds.