Callaway Gardens facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Callaway Resort & Gardens
Callaway Resort & Gardens Location in Georgia (U.S. state) Show map of Georgia (U.S. state) Callaway Resort & Gardens Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Harris County, Georgia, U.S.
Nearest city	Pine Mountain, Georgia
Area	2,500 acres (10.12 km2; 3.91 sq mi)
Designation	National Natural Landmark
Established	May 1, 1952; 73 years ago (1952-05-01)
Named for	Ida Cason Callaway
Visitors	1,000,000 (in 2006)
Governing body	Ida Cason Callaway Foundation
Building details
Callaway Gardens Lodge and Spa
General information
Groundbreaking	September 27, 2005
Opened	November 1, 2006; 18 years ago (2006-11-01)
Renovated	2016
Renovation cost	$2.5 million
Owner	Ida Cason Callaway Foundation
Technical details
Floor count	4
Lifts/elevators	2
Design and construction
Developer	Noble Investment Group
Awards and prizes	AAA Four Diamonds
Designations	LEED Certified
Known for	Spa Prunifolia
Other information
Number of rooms	149
Number of restaurants	4
Number of bars	2
Facilities	Conference center
Parking	valet, self

Callaway Resort & Gardens is a huge 2,500-acre (1,000 ha) resort and garden complex. It is located near Pine Mountain in Harris County, Georgia. This amazing place is home to the world's largest azalea garden. More than 750,000 people visit Callaway Gardens every year. In 2018, USA Today named it the Best Georgia Attraction.

On April 6, 2022, Herschend Family Entertainment bought many parts of Callaway Gardens. This included the areas that make money for the resort. The Ida Cason Callaway Foundation sold these parts.

Discover Callaway Gardens: A Special Place

How Callaway Gardens Began

Plumleaf Azalea

Back in 1929, during the Great Depression, much of the land in Harris County was worn out. It had been used for growing cotton for almost 100 years. Cason Callaway and his wife, Virginia, started buying large areas of this land. They eventually owned about 40,000 acres (161.87 km²; 62.50 sq mi).

Cason Callaway first thought of creating a garden in 1930. He found a rare type of azalea, called Rhododendron prunifolium (Plumleaf), growing there. To build the garden, they created 13 lakes by damming streams. Bulldozers helped fix eroded areas. They also planted special crops to make the soil healthy again.

Virginia Callaway worked with a famous landscape architect, Gilmore David Clarke. They planted over 20,000 trees, shrubs, and native flowers.

Opening and Growth

Callaway Gardens first opened on May 21, 1952. It was called the Ida Cason Gardens. It had 13,000 acres (52.61 km²; 20.31 sq mi), many lakes, a golf course, and pretty roads. The gardens were named after Cason J. Callaway's mother, Ida Cason Callaway.

The next year, in 1953, Robin Lake Beach and the Overlook Azalea Garden opened. In 1955, the gardens were renamed Ida Cason Callaway Gardens.

Map of Ida Cason gardens

After serving in the Korean War, Cason and Virginia's son, Bo Callaway, came back. He helped his parents develop and run the gardens. Cason J. Callaway passed away on April 12, 1961. His wife, Virginia, became the new chairman.

The gardens have grown bigger several times. The 3,000-acre (1,200 ha) Cason J. Callaway Memorial Forest opened in 1972. It was named a National Natural Landmark.

New Management and Changes

After Virginia Hand Callaway passed away in 1995, new leaders took over. In 2015, William R. "Bill" Doyle, III, became the President & CEO. He had a lot of experience in the Hospitality industry. He had worked at places like Wild Adventures and Dollywood.

In 2017, Hurricane Irma caused the gardens to close for a short time. Many trees fell, and there was no power. Cleanup took over a week.

A new restaurant, Casons' Tap Room, opened in 2018. It offers special drinks and food.

Bill Doyle later left Callaway Gardens in 2019 to go back to Herschend Family Entertainment. Garland E. Horton, III, became the new President/CEO in 2019.

The Lodge & Spa

The Lodge & Spa at Callaway Gardens

In 2005, work began on Callaway's resort hotel, the Lodge & Spa. It is 90,000-square-foot (8,400 m²) big. It has 150 large guest rooms, each with a balcony. The Spa is 13,000-square-foot (1,200 m²) and offers many relaxing treatments.

The Lodge opened on November 1, 2006. At that time, Callaway Gardens had 1 million visitors! Later, Callaway Gardens bought The Lodge & Spa in 2016. They spent $2.5 million to make it even better. The spa was renamed “Spa Prunifolia,” after the rare azalea found there.

In 2017, about 11 acres (4.5 ha) of pine trees were cut down near Robin Lake. This created a clear view from the hotel to the water. The area will remain a green space with fire pits and hammocks.

Other Callaway Properties

The Lodge at Blue Springs was built in the 1930s by Cason J. Callaway. It was a vacation home for his family. Three US Presidents, including FDR, stayed there. It was later sold in 2019.

Another large piece of land, the 7,456 acres (30.17 km²; 11.65 sq mi) Cason Callaway Woodland Estate, was put up for sale in 2017.

Herschend Family Entertainment Takes Over

Herschend Family Entertainment started managing Callaway Gardens in 2020. This happened shortly after Bill Doyle, a former Herschend employee, returned to that company.

On April 6, 2022, Herschend Family Entertainment announced they would buy many parts of Callaway Gardens. This includes The Lodge & Spa, Conference Center, Golf Courses, and Robin Lake Beach. Herschend will also manage other popular spots like the Virginia Hand Callaway Discovery Center and the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center.

Fran Rogers, who leads the Ida Cason Callaway Foundation, said this sale helps the Foundation continue its good work. It also helps keep Cason and Virginia Callaway's dream alive. Their dream was to "create a garden so beautiful that it would make visitors want to go home and lead better lives."

Andrew Wexler, CEO of Herschend, said they are proud to continue the Callaway legacy. He also said Herschend plans to invest over $20 million in the next five years. This money will be used for renovations and other improvements at Callaway Gardens.

Fun Things to Do at Callaway Gardens

Explore the Trails

Callaway Gardens has many trails for walking and biking. The Discovery Bike Trail is a 10-mile (16 km) paved path. It winds through the gardens and connects to all the attractions. In 2017, Callaway spent $750,000 to improve its bike trails.

• Overlook (Azalea Garden) Trail
• Whippoorwill Lake Trail
• Mountain Creek Lake Trail
• Callaway Brothers Azalea Bowl Trail
• Holly (Meadowlark Garden) Trail
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Trail
• Rhododendron Trail
• Robin Lake Trail

Visit the Butterfly Center

The Day Butterfly Center

The Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center opened in 1988. It is named after Cecil B. Day, who founded Days Inns. The center is kept warm (about 80°F) and humid (74%). It is home to 1,000 butterflies from over 50 different types!

The butterflies arrive as pupae (chrysalis) from places like Malaysia and South America. A special blast of air at the door keeps the butterflies safely inside.

Golf and Tennis Fun

As of 2022, Callaway Gardens has two golf courses. The Lake View Course opened in 1952. The Mountain View Course was designed in 1965. It used to host a big golf tournament called the Buick Challenge.

TreeTop Adventure

This exciting attraction opened in May 2011. It combines a Zip line with an obstacle course. There are 25 "games" that stretch over 3,000 feet (910 m)! Before you start, instructors teach you about safety.

• The Sapling Course is for younger kids.
• The Discovery Course is more challenging.
• The Lake Course is the most difficult. It has two zip lines over land and three over water. These zip lines are between 200 and 700 feet (61 and 213 m) long. There's also a 70 feet (21 m) spiral staircase!

Amazing Birds of Prey Show

Barred Owl at Birds of Prey Show

The Birds of Prey Show happens several times a day at the Discovery Amphitheater. Callaway Gardens cares for birds that are injured or can't live in the wild. These birds are protected by law. Callaway uses them to teach visitors about different raptors.

During the show, a bird handler teaches you about the birds. You can watch them fly from their aviary to perches. The audience is asked not to stand up or raise their hands. This helps keep both the birds and people safe. The show usually features a hawk and an owl.

Peaceful Chapel

Ida Cason Callaway Chapel

Memorial Chapel (inside)

The Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel is located by Falls Creek Lake. It was built to honor Cason J. Callaway's mother. It opened on April 12, 1962.

The chapel is made with local materials like stone and pine beams. Its design was inspired by Gothic architecture. The stained glass windows show a forest through the four seasons. A large Möller pipe organ is used for concerts and services. The chapel is a popular place for small weddings, but it only seats about 50 people.

Seasonal Fun and Events

Callaway Gardens hosts many fun events throughout the year. Here are some of the main ones:

Images for kids

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  Boat House

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  Mountain Creek Lake

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  Pavilion by the lake at Overlook Gardens

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  Wildflower Trail Habitats

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  Robin Lake

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  Historic marker

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  Historic marker

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  Mr. Cason's Vegetable Garden

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  Inside Sibley Horticultural Center

See also

• List of botanical gardens in the United States