Things to do in W. Ga. | Frontier Village

What: Frontier Village
Where: Fort Gaines, Ga.
When: Whenever
Cost: Free

Part of the fun of traveling is discovering new things. I especially like the off the beaten path “finds” that aren’t front and center on any brochure. Such was the case with Frontier Village. While in Albany, Ga., perusing the brochures at the visitor’s center, I struck up a conversation with a women who told me not to miss the village in Ft. Gaines, a collection of 1800’s houses assembled from all across Clay County. Seeing my three boys, she said they’d love the lookout tower of the old fort.

Frontier Village is located on a bluff overlooking the Flint River and literally at the end of a residential street. Formerly the location of a civil war fort, the lookout tower and one cannon are all that remain. Since then, several historic 1800’s era buildings have been moved to the site including: a toll house, homestead, smoke house, grist mill, cane mill and out house.

There is no entry fee or costumed interpreters, just buildings and historic markers letting you know the history. The village had a bit of a ghost town feel, as we were the only people there, but my boys had a blast playing in the lookout tower while I walked around. Frontier Village was a great diversion on our tour of west Georgia and only a few minutes from George T. Bagby State Park where we were staying.