Two nearby Georgia facilities are among hundreds of cultural venues nationwide participating in Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day on Saturday. Two visitors per household can get in free by presenting a ticket downloaded online from www.smithsonian.com/museumday.
* Tunnel Hill Heritage Center, at 215 Clisby Austin Road, highlights the Civil War, railroad and textile heritage of Northwest Georgia. Admission includes entry to the 1850 Western and Atlanta Railroad Tunnel, part of the route of the Great Locomotive Chase. Saturday hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Call 706-876-1571 for more information.
* Chieftains Museum/Major Ridge Home, 501 Riverside Parkway, was the home of Cherokee leader Major Ridge and his family from 1819 until their departure for the Western Territories in 1837. It tells the story of the Cherokee in Northwest Georgia before the removal and the decisions that were made in the house that ultimately led to the Trail of Tears. Saturday hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Call 706-291-9494 for more information.