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Ocmulgee is a memorial to the antiquity of man in this corner of the North American continent. The National Monument preserves a continuous record of human life in the Southeast from the earliest times to the present. From Ice-Age hunters to the Muscogee (Creek) people of historic times, there is evidence here of 12,000 years of human habitation. One period stands out. Between AD 900 and 1200 a skillful farming people lived on this site.
Known to us as Mississippians, they were part of a distinctive culture which crystallized about AD 750 in the middle Mississippi Valley and over the next seven centuries spread along river ways throughout much of the central and eastern United States. The Mississippians brought a more complex way of life to the region and here they left behind eight earthen mounds and the remains of a ceremonial earth lodge. The Monument today consists of two units separated by two miles of riverine wetlands along the Ocmulgee River. The Main Unit is adjacent to the city of Macon, an urban area with a population of 118,000.
The isolated Lamar Mounds and Village Unit can be visited by special permit. Special Programs: 17-Minute Movie "Mysteries of the Mounds" shown periodically throughout the day; pre-scheduled Ranger Programs; Annual Calendar of Events. Exhibits: Artifacts, Dioramas, and Graphics Available Facilities: Picnic Tables, Museum Shop, Restrooms, Discovery Lab for scheduled use by pre-oriented teachers and group leaders.
Activities for Children:
* Envision the past through exhibits and a 17-minute movie at the Museum.
* Stroll to the Earthlodge and Early Mississippian temple mounds.
* Contemplate Georgia’s "Fall Line" environment along Walnut Creek.
* See Ocmulgee after dark during Lantern Light Tours in March.
* Learn about Middle Georgia’s history and environment during Earthday in April.
* Experience the very special Ocmulgee Indian Celebration in September.
* Take a spring or autumn Ranger-led field trip to the Lamar Mounds and Village
* Browse through the Ocmulgee National Monument Association’s Museum Shop.
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