Marietta Square, Marietta, Guia do visitante e o que fazer por perto

Marietta Square is the historic central square of Marietta, Georgia, the seat of Cobb County just northwest of Atlanta. A park sits at its heart, ringed by old storefronts, restaurants, a theatre and museums, and the streets around it carry layers of Georgia history from the Civil War to the twentieth century.

The story behind it

Marietta grew up around this square in the nineteenth century, and the buildings facing it have watched the town change ever since. One of them, the Kennesaw House, began life as a hotel. In April 1862 the Andrews Raiders, Union volunteers who set out to hijack a locomotive in the Great Locomotive Chase, stayed in the hotel on this site the night before their attempt.

The area also holds a harder chapter. In 1915 the Ku Klux Klan was revived in Georgia, reborn as a secret fraternal order built on ritual, hooded anonymity and intimidation. Hidden membership let ordinary, respectable-looking people take part while avoiding public accountability, and the organization spread well beyond the state. Standing on a pleasant modern square, it is worth knowing that this history belongs to the same ground.

What to look for

• The central green of the park, which is the natural place to get your bearings before you walk out along each side of the square.
• The Kennesaw House, a historic brick building at the edge of the square with a link to the Great Locomotive Chase.
• The marquee of the Strand Theatre, a historic cinema and performance venue that anchors one side of the square.
• The mix of older storefront facades and newer shop signs, which shows how the square has been reused over generations.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 30 to 45 minutes to walk around the square, and longer if you plan to eat or visit a museum.
• Walking the square and its park is free, since it is an open public space. Museums and the theatre have their own schedules, so check current opening hours.
• Late afternoon and early evening are pleasant, when the light softens and the restaurants fill up.
• Wear comfortable shoes. The streets leading off the square reward a longer wander.

See it on a quest

The Marietta Detective Mystery: Infiltrate a Secret Society. passes through the square as one stop on a longer walk through the area. The app tells you about each place when you arrive and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you, so you look at the buildings rather than walk past them. One ticket covers your whole group.

If you would rather have something lighter, The Oz Escape in Marietta is a Wizard of Oz themed route that also takes you on foot through the town. You get the story of each place as you reach it and solve a puzzle on the spot, and one ticket covers the whole group.