East Cobb has a rich past filled with both conflict and triumph. So whether you have a free afternoon with the kids or you’re looking for a cool educational destination, there’s a site near home to explore. Use our guide to discover fascinating historical places around East Cobb, Georgia.

Kennesaw State University

Visit a chunk of the Berlin Wall right here in Cobb County. This cold war relic is on display at the Kennesaw State University. Former Senator Chuck Clay, who served as Military Governor of Germany between 1945 and 1949, loaned the piece to the institution. You’ll find this symbolic chunk of German history on display in front of the Social Sciences building. It stands 12 feet tall, weighs 2.7 tons, and features a graffiti artist’s depiction of a smiling face.

East Cobb children weren’t born when the wall came down more than 30 years ago. With this historical piece on display near home, your kids can marvel at the physical presence of something they studied in school. Its imposing presence makes a visual statement and helps demonstrate how deeply it affected European families. University officials encourage parents to discuss the history and impact of the wall with little ones in an age-appropriate manner.

Concord Covered Bridge

Image of the Concord Covered Bridge in Marietta, GA.
Image via Flickr by kafoster27 Licensed CC BY-ND 2.0

Locals built the Concord Covered Bridge in the late 1800s. It has survived major floods without incident and has been updated and reinforced numerous times over the last 150 years. It’s metropolitan Atlanta’s only covered bridge used for automobile traffic still today. Cobb Country created the Concord Covered Bridge Historic District, its first, in 1986. The focal point of the area is the bridge, although there are many historic structures for visitors to see.

Milling communities developed along Nickajack Creek during the 19th-century. Numerous beautiful homes remain for visitors to enjoy, including ones the Gann, Ruff, and Ruff families once called home. Remnants of buildings like the Concord Woolen Mill and Ruff’s Grist Mill once harnessed the water’s power for commerce.

Life University’s 19th Century Village

Life University is a chiropractic training college on Barclay Circle in Marietta. The campus is home to a recreated 19th-century village. Wander down a wooded path to the grounds, where authentic historic buildings made log structures builders relocated to the property like a fully functional mill. Relax and reflect at the site. It’s open from dawn to dusk. Staff opens the cabins to the public on special occasions.

Green Meadows Preserve’s Bullard House

William and Piety Green built the Green-Bullard House in the 1840s on the family’s 400-acre plantation. The farm saw action during the Civil War when Confederate forces used it as a field hospital, and you can still find medicinal plants in the Native American Garden. The Bullard family farmed the property until the late 1900s, and then Cobb County purchased the 112-acre park in 2008.

The Preserve features a community garden and museum where your family can experience 180 years of history. Each room now showcases a particular period in time, from the Cherokee and pioneer period between 1830 to 1860 to the family’s present life. Tour the house on the second Saturday of each month between 10 a.m. to noon or by appointment. You’ll find it on Dallas Highway in Marietta. Stop by the visitor center for information about volunteer opportunities in the park.

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is best known for the military conflict that took place there. This 2,965-acre park features the highest point in the area, making it a strategic location for launching the Civil War’s infamous Atlanta Campaign. As a result, the grounds hosted some of the heaviest local battles. To preserve history, the National Park Service maintained three monuments, four stone markers, and the entire field where more than 5,000 Americans lost their lives.

Kennesaw Mountain has a richer story than the military events. Explore pioneer life in Georgia and discover the Cherokee people who inhabited the area since 1000 B.C. at the museum. Your family can learn about their culture and language and why they left their homeland.

Kennesaw Depot Park

Whether your family is railroad or history buffs, you’re going to love the Kennesaw Depot. The Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railroads constructed the building in 1908. It served as a practical freight and passenger stop until 1920, when the depot added two waiting rooms.

The City restored the building and filled it with exhibits and photographs that depict the local history. Also on the ground is the Carrie House. Benjamin H. Carrie, a local merchant, built it in 1890. Depot Park features a playground, walking trail, picnic tables, benches, and an amphitheater where the city hosts many annual festivals and events.

Marietta National Cemetery

You can find the Marietta’s National Cemetery half a mile east of the city center. Henry Greene Cole, a businessman and Union sympathizer, donated the 23-acre site to the government in 1866. The designer laid out 21 unique burial sections in shield, circle, oval, and crescent shapes.

A dramatic monumental archway marks the cemetery’s main entrance at the corner of Washington Avenue Northeast and Cole Street. It stands over 35 feet tall and is one of just five in the national cemetery system. The stone boundary wall dates to the 1870s, and inside the grounds, several memorials stand, including the 10-foot-tall obelisk erected by the 20th Army Corps.

More than 17,000 remains are reportedly in the cemetery , of which an estimated 10,000 burials were soldiers who fell on the battlefield. The cemetery closed to new interments in 1970. Kennesaw and Stone Mountains provide a picturesque backdrop for this memorial to America’s fallen military veterans.

So, there you have it. Crème de la Crème of East Cobb shared this guide to local historical sites with you and your family. What do you think of the places we selected? Let us know if we forgot your family’s favorite spot? Please send us a note so we can add your ideas to our guide. Georgia’s parents want to know.