Stately Oaks

Kathy was my tour guide and she was like my long lost history teacher or one I wish I had. She knew so much about the history of the house, the old south, the civil war and Gone with The Wind. I loved visiting there. I was here for the Christmas tour and I am definitely coming back in the spring and August for two separate tours. Great place, take the family or a groups of friends. Wish I went back to the gift shop to look around. Totally coming back.

Jennifer, our tour guide made this visit so much more enjoyable. She was dressed in a period costume and she knew her history. As we walked through the plantation house she answered our questions and took as much time as needed so we could take everything in.
There are several outbuildings which are furnished pretty much in the time they were used. Some of them, as with the plantation house itself, were moved to the location… but you’ll hear all about that when you visit.
All in all, it was a fun, informative visit and I’d recommend it to just about anyone. Really young children won’t get much out of it, although there is a schoolhouse on the grounds, but pre-​teens and older should enjoy it.
A little disclaimer — I am terrible with names. I think our tour guide was Jennifer. If I’m wrong, I’m sorry. However, whatever her name, she was FABULOUS!

Excellent tour! Well worth the trip down from Atlanta. The tour guide, Ashleigh, was very informative and really brought life to the house and history.

I really enjoyed my tour. The ladies were great and gave us a lot of great historical information.

LOVED the tour of the Stately Oaks grounds. History is always interesting when it comes alive.
Our tour guide, Kathy, was perfect in her period dress and her southern accent was to die for!
Kathy gave a wonderful synopsis of the house and the history surrounding the period in which it was used. She gave several examples of where some of our sayings originated from, including: «Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water;» «sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite;» and many more.
The grounds have an old fashioned country shop, as well as the only standing one-​room school house in Clayton county. There is also an Indian reserve in the back that has also been reserved. Lastly, there is a «tenants» home that was reserved for sharecroppers on the land.
The home itself is reminiscent of the antebellum south, though not as large as the glacial plantation homes in Mississippi, but typical of the area. The freestanding log kitchen behind the home is original to the house and really just makes you thank God for modern conveniences — those individuals utilizing the kitchen certainly had skills above and beyond ours!

If you love history then you will love this place! The ladies that give you the tour are in time period dress and take you around the home. They are up front about letting you know this is not Tara from Gone With the Wind but that Clayton County is the the Gone With the Wind capital. Love their front porch! They have rocking chairs that you can wait in before the tour begins. There are also other buildings around the house to peep into and explore.

Well, I gotta say… Learning your Georgia history is making a comeback.
This place can teach you SO much about the civil war, Indians, the culture at that time, and even that little best seller «Gone with the Wind.» …you kids remember that quaint story with the handsome stud muffin Clark Gable???
My tour guide was Kathy and she very knowledgeable. She gave our group of a complete run down of civil war history, cultural behavior, and even was in period garments.
This is a great place for kids, tourists not from Georgia but are passing through, and big groups. The whole property is a fortress of knowledge.

If you’re from Jonesboro, you know about Stately Oaks. Day cares and schools alike — especially us Suder kids — came here more often than our homes it seemed. There’s some history preserved here, so for history buffs there’s plenty to see. If you’re into Civil War history, well, it’s an even bigger treat for you.
From time to time, craft fairs are run here, and the Battle of Jonesboro has staged fights on the land as well on the dates the battle originally took place. There’s also a variety of other events that take place, from spaghetti dinners (ah, the South!) to weddings and more.
It’s out of the way for tourists and most natives, and I wouldn’t recommend it over some of the other preserved landmarks out there in Atlanta. However, if you have time or are looking for another lost moment in time that you haven’t seen outside the city yet, Stately Oaks has plenty for you to see. Certainly off the beaten path, but it’s nice to see that Atlanta hasn’t mowed down all of it’s history quite yet!