Popes Museum

Rest and revive or consider and celebrate at one of the "...oldest documented self-taught art environments...in the United States" (GA Dept of Community Affairs). Featured in the Library of Congress & the Smithsonian Magazine, Pope's Museum features original artwork both inside and outside, old-growth hardwood floors, tongue-n-groove walls & ceilings, a split staircase, architectural wonders, and fascinating murals throughout the interior. The grounds are as lovely as the 170-year-old home/museum. Walk throughout the gardens and enjoy blooms and fragrances nearly every month of the year that match the inspiration found in the patriotic exterior statuary. 

Your visit will do more than revive you; it will inspire you. Laura Pope Forester (1873-1953), the woman who shaped the Pope's Museum, is a nationally significant American self-taught artist. She is notable, not only for creating a large art environment of high artistic quality around her rural residence and store but also as one of the few female artists to do so in the twentieth century. This distinction, coupled with the fact that the former Pope's Museum is among the oldest such environments in the country, makes the site a notable destination. Her most impressive composition, a fifteen-foot high, one-hundred-foot-long entry gate stands along Pope's Store Road, attracting much attention and many visitors. Also on site is a century-old statue honoring the Red Cross nurses of WWI and another sharing the grief of Gold Star Families. Women and men are equally honored by this artist, a message that is still timely. Mrs. Pope Forester created her works from passion, not training, although the artistry stirs visitors of all ages. As you visit you will be inspired by the beauty and genius of this 20th century trailblazer in Women's Rights.

In addition to the numerous statues that made her famous, Forester painted prolifically, sometimes on homemade canvases of stretched flour sacks or directly on the interior walls of her home. Much the same as her statuary, these painted works spanned a great many themes and subject matters. For example," Four Planes in a Golden Sky", an undated oil on masonite painting once owned by Oscar-winning director and notable collector of self-taught art Jonathan Demme, prominently features four airplanes flying between two seaside cliffs at sunset. Forester decorated this painting and many others with her ornate frames made of plaster which she then “gilded” with gold paint. Since the restoration began in 2018, both statues and murals have been returned and/or restored. Pope's Museum features artwork and inspiration both in its exterior and interior.

This renaissance of a national historic site includes the restoration and preservation of Mrs. Pope Forester's home and her artwork based on U.S. Secretary of Interior Standards. Not only was Pope's Museum placed on the Georgia and U.S National Registry of Historic Places, but it has also earned local, state, and national awards for "Excellence in Historic Preservation". 

This rebirth is not limited to the home itself. The historic gardens include native oakleaf hydrangeas, heirloom camellias and roses, Southern magnolias, 25-foot-tall crepe myrtle trees, and a petite waterfall honoring veterans of wars and their families over the last one hundred years. Just like the home, the gardens have been restored, and crushed brick paths installed for your walking ease. It is a lovely and inspirational setting for day trips, events, and lodging. 

Opportunities include docent-led tours, luncheons and parties, historic BnB lodging, and on-site cottage lodging (through Airbnb or VRBO, RV hosting; through Harvest Hosts and RV Overnights) as well as larger events such as family reunions, leadership retreats, and weddings (up to 150 people). Your visit will include a docent-led award-winning tour, overnight BnB stays include a delicious breakfast serving fresh eggs, freshly ground wheat, and local honey. 

Also available on site is a private cottage-Popes Museum guest house, all of which is conveniently located in South Georgia (12 min to Cairo/20 to Thomasville/45 min to Bainbridge and Tallahassee, FL). Please call to schedule your tour or event so we can make it exceptional. 850-459-9620 or 229-307-0037.

"If you are looking for a beautiful place that is so decently priced then I would recommend Pope’s Museum a thousand times. "Brooke Morgan
www.popesmuseum.org