Historic Sights

Madison’s downtown is an appealing cluster of little shops, flowering trees and attractive architecture, centered around the intersection of Jefferson, Washington and Main Streets. Parking should be easy to come by.

Highlights include the shaded old town square, northeast of Washington and Main Streets; the beautiful and impressive Morgan County Courthouse; and the nearby Madison Town Park.

A map of Madison’s shops and restaurants plus some of its historic attractions is available here, and a free self-guided walking tour of the city’s history and sights is available here.

Madison has four historic cemeteries, two of which (the imaginatively-named Old Cemetery and New Cemetery) date from the 19th century. A map and brief guide to the cemeteries’ highlights can be downloaded here.

Museums In Madison

Madison-Morgan Cultural Center (434 South Main Street) This 1895 Romanesque Revival building (worth seeing for itself) was once a schoolhouse (famous students include Oliver Hardy, of Laurel and Hardy) but today it is a museum and performance space.

Things to see at the museum include a restored 1890s classroom, exhibits on the history of Georgia’s Piedmont region and 19th century furniture, plus occasional art exhibitions. The school’s original auditorium is also used for concerts and theatrical performances. Allow an hour for your visit. The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-5pm and Sunday, 2pm-5pm. Adults $5, seniors $4, children $3.

Morgan County African American Museum (156 Academy Street) This small museum, located in the 1895 Horace Moore House, is devoted to local African-American history. The museum is open Tuesday-Friday, 10am-4pm and Saturday, 12pm-4pm. Adults $5, children $3, seniors $2.50.

Madison Museum of Fine Art (300 Hancock Street) Madison’s Museum of Fine Art has a collection of fine art from around the world, surprisingly good for a city of its size, plus occasional special exhibitions. It also features an outdoor sculpture garden and an auditorium showing art films. General admission is free (donations are requested), but fees will often apply for special exhibitions.

Historic House Tours in Madison

Madison’s three historic houses – Rogers House, Rose Cottage and Heritage Hall – together create a portrait of 19th-century life in this small Georgian city for people from across the social spectrum.

The Rose Cottage and Rogers House are now located side by side on Madison’s town square. Admission to the two homes is $7. Heritage Hall is a few blocks away. Separate admission is $10 per person, or combined admission with the other two houses for $15. Allow 90 minutes or so for a visit to all three, which are seen by guided tour.

The Rogers House (179 East Jefferson Street) represents the middle class experience in Madison. It is also the oldest house in the city, built by Reuben Rogers around 1809-1810. The two floors of the house, together with their period furnishings, can be seen on the tour.

For almost 7 decades, the Rose Cottage (next door), built in 1891, was the residence of Adeline Rose. An African-American woman born into slavery, Rose worked as a laundrywoman, building the house in which she raised her children through the fruits of her own labor. This modest house provides a contrast to the other historic homes, and an illustration of the relentless hard work that typified the lives of many of Madison’s citizens.

Heritage Hall (227 South Main Street), a large Greek Revival home dating from 1811, reflects the lives of Madison’s well-to-do. The house is Madison’s most visited attraction, and offers an opportunity to see inside of one of the city’s many beautiful historic homes.