Tunnel Hill Heritage Center and Historic Railroad Tunnel

Tunnel Hill Heritage Center and Historic Railroad Tunnel Historic 1850 Railroad Tunnel and Museum One of the oldest railroad tunnels in the South; open 6 days a week. Visit the museum, walk the 1,477 ft.
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railroad tunnel, 1848 Clisby Austin House, 1900's era replica General Store, and enjoy the outdoors on walking paths through the 85+ acre site. Hours: 10:00am - 4:00pm Mon-Sat

Admission: $12 Deluxe Tour - Reservations suggested
$10 for children 4-10
Kids age 3 and under are free

Group Tours are available. Please visit http://www.civilwarrailroadtunnel.com/educational-groups.html for more information.

09/04/2026

We are currently experiencing phone line issues. Please email us with any questions until this issue is resolved. Email: [email protected].

The first “roads” through North Georgia were actually trails created by buffalo. Native Americans and early pioneers who...
09/03/2026

The first “roads” through North Georgia were actually trails created by buffalo. Native Americans and early pioneers who “blazed trails through the wilderness” often followed these well-established routes.

The region’s first major roadway was the Federal Road, completed in 1805 and known today as the Old Federal Road. The Cherokee granted permission for the road in 1803, later formalized through the Treaty of Tellico, allowing travelers to pass through Cherokee territory.

The road stretched from near present-day Athens to below Chatsworth, where it divided. An eastern route continued toward Knoxville, while the western route passed through Ringgold Gap to Ross’s Landing (Chattanooga) and eventually Nashville. Taverns and public houses appeared along the route, providing travelers with food, drink, and lodging.

The road also crossed the Chattahoochee River at Vann’s Ferry, where Cherokee leader James Vann operated a ferry and tavern. Portions of today’s Highways 53 and 41 still follow the route of the Old Federal Road.

Portion of an 1829 map of the Federal road.

With our Nighttime Tunnel Tours only TWO weeks away, we thought it was the perfect time to share one of the stranger and...
09/01/2026

With our Nighttime Tunnel Tours only TWO weeks away, we thought it was the perfect time to share one of the stranger and spookier tales connected to the Civil War. 👀🌙

One unusual piece of Civil War folklore comes from Bridgeport, Alabama, where Confederate troops were stationed during the war. According to later accounts, several soldiers on picket duty mysteriously disappeared, prompting Captain George Anderson and a group of men to search for them.

The story claims the soldiers encountered a large, extremely strong, hair-covered “wild man.” They supposedly captured the creature but were unable to communicate with it. After releasing it and secretly following it into the mountains, the men were led to a cave—where the missing soldiers were reportedly found alive. Later versions suggest the mysterious “wild man” may actually have been Bill Patton, an East Tennessee Unionist hiding in the mountains rather than serving the Confederacy.

Was it a mountain recluse, a story that grew taller with every telling…or something a little more mysterious?

And if you like strange stories like this, just wait until you hear some of the tales we have planned for our Nighttime Tunnel Tours!

Step into history after dark! 🌙✨Join us for the Nighttime Tunnel Tour on September 18th & 19th. 8:00 PM is already SOLD ...
08/29/2026

Step into history after dark! 🌙✨

Join us for the Nighttime Tunnel Tour on September 18th & 19th. 8:00 PM is already SOLD OUT both days. Explore the mysterious tunnel by lantern light, hear fascinating stories, and experience the magic of the Carpet Capital’s most iconic landmark in a whole new way! Tickets: https://ow.ly/gcoZ50ZFgr3

George W. Disney (1827–1864) was born in England and immigrated to the United States, eventually settling in Owensboro, ...
08/27/2026

George W. Disney (1827–1864) was born in England and immigrated to the United States, eventually settling in Owensboro, Kentucky. He enlisted in the Confederate 1st Kentucky Infantry in 1861 and, after that regiment disbanded, joined Company K of the 4th Kentucky Infantry, part of the famous Kentucky “Orphan Brigade.” The nickname reflected the fact that Kentucky remained in the Union, leaving many Confederate Kentuckians unable to safely return home.

Disney saw action at Stones River, Vicksburg, Baton Rouge, Chickamauga, and Missionary Ridge. By early 1864, the 4th Kentucky was stationed along Rocky Face Ridge near Dalton.

On February 26, 1864, Union forces probed the Confederate defenses around Dalton. Members of the 4th Kentucky were ordered to form a “human telegraph line” down the ridge to relay reports of the fighting. According to fellow soldier Virginius Hutchen, Disney had been allowed to sleep late that morning. When soldiers tried to wake him, they discovered he was dead. While preparing his body for burial, they found a bullet hole in his head—Disney had apparently been struck by a stray bullet while sleeping.

He was buried where he died, with stones piled over his grave. Around 1911, a local Boy Scout troop hiking Rocky Face Ridge discovered the grave. Their scoutmaster later spoke with Hutchen and learned the remarkable story behind George W. Disney’s lonely grave on Rocky Face Ridge.

Sometime around 1848, Clisby (sometimes spelled Clisbe) Austin built the brick home he called “Meadowlawn.” By the 1860 ...
08/25/2026

Sometime around 1848, Clisby (sometimes spelled Clisbe) Austin built the brick home he called “Meadowlawn.” By the 1860 Agricultural Census, the Austin farm was valued at $7,000. On July 13, 1862, Austin sold the house and most of the property to William Jessup, an Augusta merchant who never lived there and advertised it for sale just seven months later.

The property finally sold in January 1868 to Dr. Robert C. Word of Atlanta, who moved to Tunnel Hill and worked as a farmer, physician, and insurance agent. The farm was still valued at $7,000 in the 1870 Agricultural Census. At an unknown date, Word sold the property to Judson Warlick, who sold it to Francis Quinn on December 31, 1879.

On March 23, 1887, C.A. and R.A. Hunt purchased the home and 120 acres. The Hunt family owned Meadowlawn until October 1969, making them its longest owners. Because of their 82 years there, many longtime locals still know the property as the Hunt House rather than the Austin House. One of the Hunt daughters also taught school in Tunnel Hill for many years.

The property was sold to Jake Godfrey in 1969 and became part of the Godfrey Land Development Company. On June 29, 1978, Kenneth Holcomb purchased the historic Austin home along with a portion of its original acreage.

Members of the Hunt Family in front of “Meadowlawn”

Charles Linton served as construction chief for the Western & Atlantic Railroad’s Chetoogeta Mountain Tunnel and was com...
08/20/2026

Charles Linton served as construction chief for the Western & Atlantic Railroad’s Chetoogeta Mountain Tunnel and was commonly referred to as the “chief tunneler.” Working alongside project engineer William L. Mitchell, Linton supervised the day-to-day construction and coordinated crews excavating from both sides of the mountain.

Under his supervision, the two crews met inside the mountain on October 31, 1849, with near-perfect alignment—an impressive engineering accomplishment for the time.

Little is known about Linton’s personal life. Records indicate that the Linton family came from England to Virginia, with members later settling in South Carolina and Georgia. While much of his story remains unknown, his role in successfully constructing the Chetoogeta Tunnel left a lasting mark on Georgia railroad history.

The Western & Atlantic Railroad was originally built with a five-foot track gauge, commonly known as the Southern gauge....
08/18/2026

The Western & Atlantic Railroad was originally built with a five-foot track gauge, commonly known as the Southern gauge. The Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad used the same gauge, allowing trains and railcars to move seamlessly between the two lines at their shared Chattanooga depot.

Although Union forces converted many captured Southern railroads to the standard 4-foot, 8½-inch gauge during the Civil War, the W&A remained a broad-gauge railroad throughout the conflict.

That changed on May 31–June 1, 1886, when crews undertook a massive operation to convert all 138 miles of the W&A to standard gauge. Workers accomplished the change by moving one rail inward, bringing the railroad into alignment with the growing national standard.

W&A and N&C Depot Chattanooga

Address

215 Clisby Austin Drive
Tunnel Hill, GA
30755

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

(706) 876-1571

Website

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