Jimmy Carter National Historical Park

Visitor center and museum

The former Plains High School, attended by both Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, now houses the park's visitor center and museum. The school operated from 1921 until 1979, when declining enrollment and school consolidation forced its closure.

A classroom, principal's office, and auditorium were restored in 1996 to their appearance during Carter's student years. Exhibits include an exact replica of the Resolute desk, which Carter used in the Oval Office, and his 2002 Nobel Peace Prize. Other rooms present exhibits on the Carters' lives, and a short video features reflections from friends, neighbors, and family.

Campaign headquarters

The former Plains Train Depot, which operated from 1888 until 1951, now serves as a museum focused on the 1976 presidential campaign. Passenger service ended due to declining demand and profitability, worsened by the Great Depression's impact on the local economy. Exhibits highlight Jimmy Carter's campaign for the presidency, which was headquartered at this depot.

Carter home, burial site and memorial garden

The Carters' long-time home at 209 Woodland Drive, occupied since 1961 and used as the Summer White House during his presidency, is part of the park but not yet open to the public. The National Park Service plans to convert it into a museum. Across Woodland Drive lie the graves of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, alongside a memorial garden near a pond and willow tree. Following renovations begun after Jimmy Carter's death, the gravesite, garden, and Woodland Drive were opened to the public in July 2025.

Did You Know?

• The boyhood farm in Archery, where Jimmy Carter lived from age four in 1928 until 1941, has been restored to its appearance before electricity was installed in 1938.
• Carter taught Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church, which is open to the public.
• The Carters pursued the goals of his administration through the Carter Center in Atlanta.