Be advised that the NPS has issued alerts for this park.
Carter Home and Garden Not Accessible to the Public
The Carter Home and Garden is not open to the public at this time. Please follow our official social media channels for updates on future access and opening plans.
Few U.S. Presidents have had such close ties with where they were born and raised. The rural southern culture of Plains, Georgia revolves around farming, church, and school, which had a large influence in molding the character and shaping the pol...
(Panel on Left) Jimmy Carter’s Boyhood Farm Just down this path is the shady, swept-sand yard where the 39th President of the United States played as a boy, during the years of the Great Depression. This plain white farmhouse, these tangled woods, and the broad fields were home to Jimmy Carter until he left for college. Surrounded by a close family, here young Carter developed the character and values that would carry him to success as a naval officer, engineer, author, governor, president, and world statesman. In the early years of my life on the farm… we always had enough to eat…but no money to waste. We felt close to nature, close to the members of our family, and close to God.Jimmy Carter, 1975 Why Not the Best? (Square picture of two African American children) Only a few neighbors lived nearby. Farther west along the railroad tracks, two dozen families of African American farm workers and one white family lived in a hamlet called “Archery.” Most of Jimmy Carter’s childhood playmates were African American. (Oval picture of a man in a chair) William Decker Johnson (left), a bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, had started the Johnson Home Industrial College not far down the road from here. When he built this school in 1912 for “the poorest of the poor,” there were no rural high schools for African Americans anywhere nearby. (large photo)Jimmy Carter, age 12, kicking a football in his front yard. (Map of Boyhood Farm with buildings labeled and the safety message) Map of Boyhood Farm For your Safety… *Watch out for small dirt mounds; the fire ants inside deliver a painful bite. *Poison ivy grows here- leaves of three, let it be. Be alert for snakes, and yield the right-of-way.Keep dogs on leash at all times. (Center Panel) A changing panel that tells about the animals, crops, and people who lived and worked on the Carter Farm. (Panel on Right) From Here to Plains Three miles is a long way to walk on railroad tracks in the hot sun- especially for a small boy. Even before he started first grade, Jimmy Carter would take a basket full of boiled peanuts to downtown Plains, which he later said “was for me a center of commerce, education, and religion.” During peanut season, he could sell enough to earn a dollar a day- by walking six miles round trip.Trips into Plains were young Jimmy Carter’s first steps off this farm and into a wider world. During my childhood I never considered myself a part of the Plains society, but always thought of myself as a visitor when I entered the “metropolitan” community.Jimmy Carter, 1975 " Why Not the Best?" (Picture of the upper right) Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter exit the Plains Baptist Church (right) in 1976. Every Sunday from childhood, the Carter family came into town to worship here, where Jimmy’s father taught Sunday School. With some 300 members, this was the largest church in the community.Today visitors to Plains can still see most of the other landmarks- the businesses, school, hospital, peanut warehouse, and depot-that made up young Jimmy Carter’s world. (Picture lower left) Visitors are welcome to visit the restored Plains Depot, found in the center of town. In 1976, this depot was the national headquarters for the Carter campaign. Exhibits there highlight the drive for the presidency. (picture lower center) Plains High School, where both Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Smith studied, now serves as the National Park Service visitor Center. Exhibits showcase President and Mrs. Carter’s lives and careers. (picture lower right) Built by the Carters in 1961, this ranch house on Woodland Drive is the only home they have ever owned. The Carter Compound is closed to private vehicles.
Always A Reckoning I had a pony then that lacked a way to work and pay her way, except that every year or two Lady had a colt we sold, but still for less than what was due to buy fodder, hay, and corn she ate at times she couldn’t be on pasture. Neither feed nor colts meant all that much that I could see but still there was a thing about a creature staying on our place that none of us could eat or plow, did not give eggs, or even chase a fox or rabbit, that was sure to rile my father. We all knew that Lady’s giving me a ride paid some of her debt, in lieu of other ways- but there would be some times I didn’t get around to riding in my off-work hours. And I was sure, when Daddy frowned at some mistake I might’ve made, he would be asking when he could “How long since you rode Lady?” Jimmy Carter’s 1995 poem, Always A Reckoning, reflects his childhood impression that, in his father’s mind, everything on the farm had to pay its own way. The title is a phrase Jimmy often heard his father say. Photo: Young Jimmy Carter on his pony, Lady. Visible is a dog and a colt of Lady's named Lady Lee.
After his father's death in 1953, Jimmy Carter left the U.S. Navy and returned to Plains to take over the family peanut business. The Carters and their three young sons moved into unit 9A of the Dura Apartments, one of six Federal Housing Projects built by the Americus Housing Authority in 1953 in Plains and the nearby towns of Leslie and Andersonville.
A small red brick building with black wrought iron supports for the front porch. The right side of the door has a 9A sign. The left side of the door has a historical marker.
a low building, painted white with large windows all around the building. In front of the building is a large metal roof that provides shade and shelter to the gas pumps. A vintage Coke machine, painted bright red, sits on the front porch. To the left of the building is a large covered picnic area. All the wood on the structure is painted white.
A small wooden building with a split shingle roof. In front of the building is a pedal powered grinding wheel. To the left of the building is a wooden wheelbarrow. Rising from the left side of the building is a black metal chimney.
The chicken coop was an essential part of farm life, providing eggs and occasional meals for the Carter family. Young Jimmy was responsible for feeding the chickens and gathering eggs.
A wood-shingled building with small ramps and nesting boxes attached to the outside. To one side, a fenced area holds wooden feed boxes and chickens. Grass surrounds three sides of the coop, while sand covers the fourth. Overhead, a large tree provides shade for most of the day.
The Burial Site of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter at Jimmy Carter National Historical Park is a place of reflection and remembrance, honoring the legacy of the 39th President of the United States and the former First Lady.
Two simple gray headstones side by side, surrounded by gardens of trees and flowers, overlooking a pond. The first reads: James Earl Carter, Jr. (October 1, 1924 – December 29, 2024). Georgia State Senator, Governor of Georgia, President of the United States, Co-Founder of the Carter Center. The second reads: Rosalynn Smith Carter (August 18, 1927 – November 19, 2023). First Lady of Georgia, First Lady of the United States, Founder of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, Co-Founder of the Carter Center.
The Carter family maintained a vegetable garden to provide fresh food for their meals. Though primarily for the family, they often shared extra crops with neighbors.
Rows of vegetables grow neatly within a fenced garden space. The plants are arranged in tidy lines. A wire fence surrounds the garden marking the boundary of this cultivated area.
The Carter home, part of the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site
The Carter Home Overlook offers visitors a view of the Carter Residence, surrounded by a charming split rail fence and accessible via a red brick path. At the path's end, two interpretative signs provide historical context and insights into the area. Beyond the fence lies a landscape featuring open grassy areas, trees, flower beds, and a serene pond. To the left, a wrought iron fence encloses the Carter Home and the Gnann House, where the Carters' neighbors once resided. The United States Secret Service now occupies the Gnann House, providing continuous protection. Behind this historic house, barely visible through the trees, stands the Carter Home, a modest, brick ranch-style residence built in 1961, which has been the family's home for many years. While the overlook allows visitors to appreciate the beauty and significance of the Carter Residence, both the Carter Home and the Gnann House are closed to the public, as the family values their privacy and security.
A two story tall building of light beige brick. The upper floor of the building on the right hand side has a large window and a door visible. The most notable feature is a large red, white, and blue sign that says " Plains, Georgia Home of Jimmy Carter our 39th President." The lower portion of the building has large windows and two doors. In the small windows above the left hand door it says "Carter Whse." Supported by the awning is a sign that says" Plain Peanuts from Plains, Georgia." Supported by the awning are several American flags. The doorway on the right is painted dark red and is next to large picture windows with a sign that says "Main Street Antiques."
Catch the Mules Here, at the barn, the day started early. "All the workers arose each morning at 4:00 a.m…, wakened by the ringing of a large farm bell. We would go to the barn and catch the mules by lan-tern light, put the plow stocks, seed, fertilizer, and other supplies on the wagons, and drive out to the field where we would be working that day… and wait for it to be light enough to cultivate." - Jimmy Carter, 1975 Why Not the Best? Before World War II, mules—not a gasoline-driven tractor— provided the “horsepower” needed to farm in South Georgia. Early forms of transportation were by foot, horse, mule, and wagon. Photo: Ben Turner and family in their wagon with mule team. Flint River Farms, Georgia. May 1939.
The Clark House The nearest house to ours, between the barn and the main road, was the home of a special family. Jack Clark was in charge of the barn, the mules and horses, the equipment and harness, and rarely worked in the field… For me and the other boys…he seemed to be in charge of everything. His wife Rachel was also special…there was something about her character and demeanor that set her apart…her skill as a field worker, hoeing, picking cotton, or shaking peanuts was legend… Rachel was the one who took me fishing…and taught me… the names of trees and wildflowers, the habits of animals, hot to avoid getting lost in the woods and swamps. Whenever both my mother and father were away from home, I stayed with Jack and Rachel. Perhaps because of this, I felt at ease in the homes of the other black families in the neighborhood. My childhood world was really theirs. Jimmy Carter, 1999 The Clark home originally set in the curve of the highway to your right. Road work in the 1960s moved the house here. Just up the road was the whistle-stop community of Archery, consisting mostly of African American families. Some of the people who lived there were employed by Earl Carter to work on his farm. A green wooden building surrounded by a dirt yard.
Looking out from the flagpole to the north and west you see small trees, not more than twenty feet tall, planted in straight rows. These are pecan trees and these are grown on private property next to the Historical Park. The tree stretch into the far distance where they meet a line of large trees. In the foreground is a silver flagpole with a U.S. flag flying.
A wooden building painted white. It has a long porch sticking out the front of the building with native rock columns that have posts on top to support the roof. On the roadside of the store there is a hand operated gas pump painted dark green.
Jimmy Carter Boyhood Home is where President Carter was raised from the age of four until he went to college at age seventeen. The Carter family owned this house until 1949, when Earl Carter sold it. The National Park Service received the home in 1994, and after a multiyear restoration to its 1937 appearance, opened the home to visitation in November of 2000.
The Jimmy Carter Boyhood Home is a wood framed house painted white. The front porch is screened in and serves as an extra room to the house. The house is surrounded by white sand and has a sidewalk in the front. A large Magnolia tree dominates the front view of the house on the right, while a Jessamine bush dominates the view on the left. In front of the Magnolia and next to the road is a silver mailbox on a wooden post.
a colorful patchwork quilt covers the bed where a young Jimmy Carter would have slept. On its surface are a pillow and a page from a magazine. In the corner of the room stands a wooden baseball bat. Next to that is a four drawer dresser.
The living room was the central gathering place for the Carter family. Music was played on the piano by Jimmy Carter's sisters, the family listened to radio programs, and read books and newspapers in this room. This is also the room where company was received by the Carter family. Not visiable in the picture is the table where Jimmy Carter's mother, Lillian, would leave notes for the children.
Maranatha Baptist Church is a one story red brick building with a large white spire. On the front of the building is a large pediment painted white and serving as a cover for the porch of the church. The front door to the church is painted white and has two large gas lamps on either side of it. The church sits amongst a grove of pecan trees and a large grass lawn.
The Old Bank Building in Plains, Georgia. The Old Bank Building was built in 1901 and started off as a bank. In 1921 it closed and has served a number of uses: sandwich store where Jimmy Carter and his cousin sold hamburgers and ice cream, a post office, a worm farm office, and is once again a sandwich store.
The Old Bank Building is a red brick building with 1901 in the upper part of the face of the building. Two large windows with white curved "eyebrows" face the street. The main door to the building sits to the left of the windows. An awning with wooded supports, painted green, is in front of the building. A large sign that says " The Buffalo Cafe at the Old Bank" with a picture of a buffalo head on it hangs from the awning support next to an American flag.
The park store is operated by Eastern National, an official non-profit partner of the National Park Service dedicated to supporting the educational mission of Jimmy Carter National Historical Park. The park store has a wide range of books, post cards, educational games, and other items available for retail sale. These products complement the interpretive themes you experience when visiting the park. The park store is located at the Plains High School Visitor Center and Museum. The park store is located in Plains High School Visitor Center and Museum. The store is off the main lobby in the old library. For those unable to visit Plains High School in person, Eastern National has an online store called America's National Parks. The Jimmy Carter store is https://shop.americasnationalparks.org/store/home/5481/Jimmy-Carter-National-Historic-Site/
A white clapboard building rises from a red dirt parking lot. Large stained glass windows face the parking lot. A large steeple rises from the end of the building, equivalent to three stories tall. Framing the building in the parking lot are several large trees.
Plains City Hall, a red brick building that has served as a cafe, barber shop, bus station, and now serves as city hall for Plains, Georgia.
Plains City Hall, a red brick building with white trim around the doors and windows. The front of the building faces the road at a slant, tracing its origins as a gas station. The building is surrounded by white concrete.
Plains Depot-1976 Presidential Campaign Headquarters is the location of Jimmy Carter's 1976 Presidential Campaign. Now a self-guided museum of all of Jimmy Carter's campaigns for public office.
Plains Depot is a single story structure painted white with dark green trim around the doors and windows. Next to the large door opening on the upper level is a sign that says "Jimmy Carter for President" in white letters on a dark green background. The lower level on the end facing town has two signs. The small sign says "Plains, Georgia' in green lettering on a white background with a green wooden frame. The larger sign says "Jimmy Carter Presidential Campaign Headquarters" in white letters on a dark green background.
Plains High School was constructed in 1921 at a cost of $50,000.00. Student attended grades one through eleven in the building, there being no twelfth grade until 1952. Both Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter graduated from Plains High School, Jimmy Carter in 1941 and Rosalynn Carter in 1944. Jimmy Carter quoted Julia Coleman: teacher, principal, and superintendent of the school system, in his inaugural address as President of the United States.
Plains High School is a red brick building, the center portion being two stories tall. At the top of the concrete entrance stairs are six large beige colored columns. All of the exterior trim of the building is the same beige color of the columns. At each end of the building there is a set of concrete stairs leading to a single entrance door.
Plains Historic Inn and Antiques Mall was constructed in 1901 as the Oliver-McDonald Store. Later it became a furniture store, a funeral home, and antique store, and an inn.
Plains Historic Inn and Antiques Mall is a red brick building with green painted trim. The building is two stories tall and it is the only building in town with a porch on the second floor. Upstairs there are two large windows and a door onto the porch, all trimmed in green. The lower part of the building has two large picture windows separated by a door, all trimmed in green. A large sign hangs from the supports to the second floor that says "Plains Historic Inn and Antiques. The letters are white and the background of the sign is green.
In the early 1900s, this was a two-story brick building erected by the Wise brothers for their first hospital in Plains. Plains Pharmacy was located on the ground floor of the building. Eventually, the hospital was relocated, and the second floor became a beauty shop owned and operated by Mrs. Anne Gay Dodson, as well as offices for Dr. Bowman Wise.
a one story brick building made of beige brick. The red and white stripped awning is over the angled entrance door, pained dark red. The side of the building facing the Depot has large display windows. The side facing M.L Hudson street has a large mural with scenes from Plains life along whit a Presidential Seal painted on the bricks.
A two story red brick building. The upper floor has 4 large windows. The lower floor has large picture windows with a sign that says Plains Trading Post. political memorabilia, souvenirs, and Carter Discount Books.
Plains United Methodist Church is a one story red brick building with a large stained glass window facing the highway. The roof is a metal roof and it is painted silver. The addition to the church is two stories tall and the lower portion has stained glass windows. A two story bell tower rises from the back of the building and is framed by white columns on the upper half. The roof is painted silver and has a ball spire at the peak.
Winds of Change Purchased from a catalog in 1935 for about $100, a steel windmill like the one reconstructed here provided the Carters a welcome reprieve from the drudgery of pumping water for both the family and the livestock by hand. Windpower drew water from a deep well and raised it to the wooden tank on the tower. Pressure from that tank made it possible, for the first time, to have running water inside the house, supplying the new conveniences of lavatory, commode, and a cold shower. Experiences here on the farm and in the nuclear navy gave Jimmy Carter insights about energy resources not dependent on oil. As president he stresses the nation’s need for innovative energy solutions, such as this California windmill farm.(small picture at bottom left)A row of windmills on steel towers set against a blue sky. (large picture on right) Family photos, such as this snapshot of Lillian Carter with Jimmy Carter and his sister Ruth, helped guide the reconstruction of this windmill.
Jimmy Carter Slept Here Our lives then were centered almost completely around our own family and our own home…Jimmy Carter, 1975 "Why Not The Best?" This is the homeplace-hot in summer and cold in the winter- of a Georgia farmboy who would someday sleep in the White House. Here young Jimmy Carter ran, dodging dogs, chickens, geese, and guinea fowl. The yard was swept white sand, weeded to keep snakes and bugs away from the house. Behind you, a woodpile stacked high with hickory, oak, and pine for the fireplaces and kitchen stove took up much of the back yard. A chinaberry tree near the house held a treehouse where Jimmy Carter played. As you step onto the back porch, listen for the echoes of his father, “Mr. Earl” Carter, hurrying out on some farm business, and his mother, “Miss Lillian,” banging the screen door on her way to help someone with her nursing skills. You’d have found the back door unlocked.(Picture) Jimmy (far left) and his sisters pose with two friends and Annie Mae Hollis, who often kept the Carter children. (Picture) A black and white painting of a farm scene
a 13 foot tall smiling peanut used in the 1976 Presidential Campaign by Jimmy Carter.
a 13 foot tall smiling peanut statue used in the 1976 Presidential Campaign by Jimmy Carter. The smiling peanut is a beige color with the exceptions of the smile. The smile features large white teeth.
John Graham, a well-respected African American man, ran a thriving store from this location in the 1920s. His wife baked pies and all of the children in the area knew when they came out of the oven. Later this building served as a restaurant.
A beige brick building with multiple elevations on the front facade. The left hand side in lower and has a slanting roof to the left. The center portion is two stories tall. The facade is broken up with two doors, one on each elevation, and large windows. To the right of the Graham Store is a small brick building.
Plains High School is the main visitor center for the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park. The building has the parks orientation film, visitor services desk, exhibits, bookstore, and passport stamp location.
Visit the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park Bookstore
Bookstore Jimmy Carter National Historical Park
Self-Guided Walking Tour of Plains, Georgia
A Self-Guided Tour of Plains, Georgia allowing the visitor to explore the town that raised a President, and where President and Mrs. Carter still call home.
Self-Guided Tour of the Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm
The Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm is where Jimmy Carter was raised from the age of four until seventeen. His father, Earl Carter, sold off the farm in 1949. The National Park Service purchased seventeen acres and the Carter Boyhood Home in 1994. After a multiyear restoration the Boyhood Farm and Home opened to the public in 2000.
Self-Guided Tour of Plains Depot-1976 Campaign Headquarters
Plains High School is where both Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter went grades one through eleven. It has been transformed into a museum detailing the life of the citizens of Plains, as well as the Carter's.
Tours
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Self-Guided tour of Plains, Georgia
A Self-Guided tour of Plains, Georgia.
Self-guided Tour of the Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm
A self-guided tour of the Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm is available from 10am until 5pm daily, weather permitting. Visitors are able to walk the grounds of the farm, enter the buildings, and listen to audio programs via a push button system both inside and outside the buildings at the farm.
