MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — This weekend in Milledgeville, there's a chance to get exclusive access to some of the city's beautiful historic homes and buildings.
Historic buildings like the Rockwell House will be open to highlight Milledgeville's deep history. But it's not the only one. There will be other houses to learn about as well.
“All these rooms rent on a nightly basis, and then I own a breakfast restaurant in town as well,” Cliff Charnes said.
Charnes owns a bed and breakfast called 'The Inn' on North Jefferson with his wife. They also own The Local Yolkal Cafe.
Charnes and his wife purchased the historic home and turned it into a premier bed and breakfast two years ago.
The inn was built in 1820, and each suite is named for women in their family like 'The Virginia' or 'The Elizabeth'.
Charnes says they chose to name the rooms after family members who have shown them lots of love and comfort.
Sentimental items like plates, clocks and dolls create a 'homey' feel. Charnes and his wife have spent a considerable amount of their lives traveling to different hotels and inns. He says they wanted their inn to feel lived in, and it’s why they’ve included many personal items.
Charnes says everything came together at the right time when they first bought the home.
“It became something that we wanted to do for a while and it was just a matter of finding the right piece of property and 'lo and behold we got lucky that this one landed right in our laps two years ago and it was a perfect fit for what we wanted to do,” he said.
And now, the public will get to enjoy the home as well.
The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation and Visit Milledgeville have teamed up to show people the inside of 20 historic homes and buildings. The tour begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday and offers the rare chance to see private homes the public doesn't usually have access to.
Executive Director of Visit Milledgeville, Rebekah Snider, says history is a big part of the city's tourism.
”So we look forward to really any opportunity to really welcome people into our community and let them know about our historic and cultural assets,” she said.
If you want to visit these homes, June 7 is the last day to get tickets!
The tour happens from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets for only the Milledgeville Expedition are still available and cost $40.
To get yours, call the Georgia Trust at 404-885-7812. You can also buy tickets on their website.