Following the Greek Revival style, the Georgia Governor’s Mansion on West Paces Ferry Road features 30 rooms on three floors. Designed by Georgia architect A. Thomas Bradbury, the 1967 residence actually first opened on January 1, 1968, with Lester Maddox as the first governor to call it home. The 24,000-square-foot residence is open for free tours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between 10 and 11:30 a.m.

To prepare for Christmas tours, the home generally closes to the public in mid-November and reopens at the beginning of December. Check the website for a current tour schedule.

Long before Atlanta was named the state capital for Georgia, Milledgeville held that honor. As such, an official governor’s residence was in order. Hence, Georgia’s Old Governor’s Mansion was completed in 1839. Designed by architect Charles Cluskey, the High Greek Revival home remained in service until 1868.

Tours are available Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m. It does close for holidays, so check the schedule before going. Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for seniors age 60 and older, $2 for students, and free for children younger than 6.

Located in Buckhead at the Atlanta History Center, the Swan House continues to be an iconic destination for history and architecture buffs. Built in 1928 as the home of Edward and Emily Inman, the home was a notable project in the portfolio of renowned architect Philip Trammell Shutze.

It’s open for tours Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. A behind-the-scenes tour also is offered daily at 4 p.m. for $10 per person plus general admission to the Atlanta History Center. General admission tickets to the Atlanta History Center are $21.50 for adults, $18 for seniors ages 65 and older, $18 for students ages 13 and older, and $9 for children ages 4 to 12.

Completed as it stands today in 1916 by Fuller E. Callaway, HIlls & Dales in LaGrange actually stands on the same grounds as the home of the property’s previous owner, Sarah Ferrell. It was “Miss Sarah” who started the gardens here. After her death, Callaway bought the property, replacing the previous house with the grand design you see today. His wife, Ida Cason Callaway, would carry on Sarah’s legacy in the gardens as would her daughter-in-law, Alice Hand Callaway.

Tours are available on a seasonal schedule, with tickets available for both house and garden admission as well as garden-only admission. See the website for full details.

Home to author Joel Chandler Harris from 1881 to 1908, The Wren’s Nest in Atlanta actually began as a circa-1870 farmhouse. The Harrises would change that after they purchased the property, remodeling it in the 1880s to incorporate the current Queen Anne Victorian style. The home was converted to a museum in 1913, and was named a National Historic Landmark in 1962.

Tours are available each Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with storytelling every Saturday at 1 p.m. Weekday tours are available by appointment. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children, seniors, and students.

Located in Augusta, the 1859 brick home that would serve as a future president’s residence didn’t start with such a lofty purpose. It was actually built by Aaron J. Jones, who would sell it after completion without ever living here. It then went on to become the manse for the First Presbyterian Church, which brought The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Ruggles Wilson and their children, including son Thomas Woodrow Wilson, here in 1860. During their tenure, the Wilson family would witness the Civil War and Reconstruction.

Guided tours of the Boyhood Home are available Thursday through Saturday on the hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $3 for K-12 students, and free for kids younger than 5.

Located in Midtown, the Margaret Mitchell House actually was subdivided into apartments when the famed author lived here. In fact, her apartment, which she called “The Dump,” was located in the basement. It was in this shabby apartment where Mitchell would write her most famous work, Gone With the Wind. Today, when touring the house, visitors will learn about Mitchell’s life, including stories of her marriages and why she wasn’t accepted by the “good girls” of Atlanta society.

Tours are offered Monday through Saturday every half hour from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and on Sundays every half hour from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $13 for adults, $10 for students (13+) and seniors (65+), $5.50 for kids ages 4 to 12, and free for children age 3 and younger.

Construction on the Johnston-Felton-Hay House in Macon lasted four years, but, upon its completion in 1859, it would become an outstanding example of the Italian Renaissance Revival style. The 18,000-square-foot home encompasses four stories, including a two-story cupola. At the time it was built, it included modern features unheard of at the time: hot and cold running water, central heat, gas lighting, a speaker-tube system, an in-house kitchen, and a ventilation system.

Tours are available Monday through Saturday at the top of the hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $11 for adults, $10 for seniors ages 65 and older and military with ID, and free for kids younger than 6. Behind-the-scenes tours are offered twice a month for $25 per person. See the website for schedule and full details.