Margaret Mitchell House & Museum (Birthplace of Gone With the Wind)

Eight decades after it was first published, Gone With the Wind continues to fascinate people around the world. But until this attraction opened in 1997, after a 10-year effort to preserve the house from demolition, disappointed pilgrims found precious little evidence here of the famous book or its author. Now the house and museum are a must-see for visiting GWTW fans.

It's rather surprising that it took so long for restoration efforts to get underway on the dilapidated Tudor Revival apartment house where Margaret Mitchell wrote most of her epic novel and lived with her husband, John Marsh, from 1925 to 1932. The structure was built as a single-family dwelling in 1899, then moved to the back of the lot in 1913 and converted into a 10-unit apartment building 6 years later. It remained an apartment building until 1979, when it was abandoned and eventually boarded up. When the newlyweds moved in, they called it "the dump." It was not an affectionate nickname; according to a friend of Mitchell's, she disliked living here (finances left few alternatives) and would probably be offended by the notion of its restoration. But the house has attracted its share of visitors -- from all 50 states and more than 70 countries.

The house and museum tell the complex story of the famous novelist. Guided tours, which last 1 to 1 1/2 hours, begin in the visitor center. Before beginning the tour, guests enter the theater to see a 17-minute film titled It May Not Be Tara, featuring an overview of Mitchell's life, and interviews with some of her friends and family members. Also in the theater is an exhibit of photos taken of Mitchell in her teens and 20s. The tour of the house includes a visit to the Mitchell-Marsh apartment, which is furnished much as it was when the couple lived here. Mitchell wrote much of her novel in the front room, seated at a typewriter and desk below the beveled-glass windows in the small corner alcove. Like most writers, she preferred to keep her literary efforts private and would throw a towel over her typewriter when friends dropped in -- which was often.

The museum contains movie memorabilia and chronicles the making of the movie, its première in Atlanta, and the impact that the book and movie had on society. The tour concludes in the museum shop, which features a variety of GWTW collectibles. If you finish your tour around mealtime and you're ready for a real change of pace, walk a few blocks south on Peachtree Street to the Vortex, a rowdy burger joint and bar that serves some of the best hamburgers in town.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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