Whether you are a Gone With The Wind fan, Civil War buff or lover of history, you will find something to enjoy at the Road To Tara Museum, located in Jonesboro’s 1867 Historic Train Depot.
The spirits of Mitchell, Clark Gable’s Rhett Butler, Vivien Leigh’s Scarlett O’Hara, and a host of other Hollywood characters color the exhibits that include such treasures as Margaret Mitchell’s china; detailed and accurate reproductions of the costumes worn by Leigh, Hattie McDaniel (Mammy), Ona Munson (Belle Watling), Ann Rutherford (Careen O’Hara), and Cammie King Conlon (Bonnie Blue Butler); numerous foreign translations of the book; and many items from the personal collection of Herb Bridges, the largest private collector of Gone With The Wind memorabilia.
The antebellum years and the Civil War make their presence felt through such exhibits as an authentic “Sherman’s necktie” (a section of rail twisted into a loop so as to be useless to a railroad company); and the depot’s original Fairbank Scale, used to weigh cargo, specifically cotton.Through sound stations located throughout the museum, the voice of Fred Crane, the actor who played the role of Brent Tarleton in the movie version of Gone With The Wind, will recount his memories of the movie set, the grand premiere, the writing of the book and the making of the movie.
A highlight of the museum is a 16’ x 8’ original oil mural depicting near life-sized renderings of Rhett and Scarlett as portrayed by Gable and Leigh. Surrounding them are five separate oil paintings depicting movie scenes in the story’s progression—truly a sight to behold!
Want even more of Scarlett? Don’t miss the Southern Belles & Whistles Tour or Peter Bonner’s Gone With The Wind Tour, both of which will immerse you in the area’s history and its connections to Margaret Mitchell and Gone With The Wind. Both tours run daily, Monday through Saturday, from the Road to Tara Museum. Call (800) 662-7829 for tour times and reservations. Tickets for each tour are $24.95 adults, $21.95 seniors, and $13.95 for children 12 and under.
After you’ve experienced the museum, you can take a piece of it home with you with a treasure purchased at the museum’s gift shop.
