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A few minutes from downtown Plains, Georgia, is Jimmy Carter’s Boyhood Farm, which is part of the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park. Carter lived there from the age of four until he started university. It’s open daily from 10am to 5pm.
A visit to the farm starts on a self-guided tour from the parking lot, where you can see the 39th president’s handprint in concrete. The path is a loop around the farm and back to the parking lot. Throughout the tour there are audio buttons you can press to hear Carter talk about growing up on the farm. Click here to take a virtual tour of the farm.
House
In the beginning the path takes you past a small field with goats and an outhouse to the house where Carter’s family lived. The first room you can visit is Jimmy’s bedroom, which displays some of his personal items.
You can also see the rooms of his siblings and parents as well as the bathroom.
Common areas such as a breakfast room, dining room, living room, and the front porch are all decorated the way the Carters would have kept them. The living room has a radio that the family would gather around and listen to their favorite programs.
Store
Next, the path takes out out the front of the house and past the tennis court to the Carter’s general store. The family ran a store that sold supplies, food, and clothes to other rural households.
Farm
The path continues past the Carter family’s private garden and some of the other fields where they grew different crops.
A blacksmith shop, barn, and stables are also located on the property.
Clark House
Finally, the Clark House sits on an extension to the path. The Clark family were tenant farmers who worked on the Carter farm. Jimmy admired the Clarks for their values and work ethic.
Inside the house, you can get an understanding of how tenant farmers lived. Everything was much more simple, from the bedding to the kitchen.
