The Margaret Mitchell House and Museum occupies a vintage apartment building in midtown Atlanta where the author of “Gone with the Wind” wrote her famed novel. There are tours of the living quarters, exhibits about Mitchell’s life and her development as a writer, and a museum dedicated to the 1939 movie adaptation of the book.
The house was built in 1899 and converted into a three-story Tudor-style apartment building in 1919. Mitchell and her husband lived in one of the apartments, which she affectionately nicknamed “The Dump,” from 1925 until 1932. Their apartment has been restored to its original condition, including the leaded-glass window Mitchell sat by to write her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
The apartment can only be visited as part of a guided tour, which runs every half-hour throughout the day and lasts about 20 minutes. Tours can’t be booked online or over the phone, so show up early to reserve a place. This is a fascinating place to learn about why Mitchell wrote Gone With the Wind and her life before she entered the spotlight.
Exhibits throughout the rest of the museum display childhood writings and work from her time as a reporter for the Atlanta Journal. Learn about her rise to fame after Gone With the Wind was published in 1936.
The 1939 film adaptation was just as famous as the book, and a large portion of the museum is dedicated to the movie. On view are some of the original props from the set and costumes worn by the actors. There’s the portrait of Scarlett O’Hara seen in the Butler mansion, a detailed exhibit about the making of the movie, and even the coat Mitchell wore to the movie’s premier.
The gift shop has a range of Gone with the Wind merchandise.
The Margaret Mitchell House and Museum is easily accessible by public transport. It’s open every day except major national holidays.
