Confederate Memorial Museum, Columbus

Interesting both inside and out! According to the stories, this tower had been used as a water tower for many years, until the townspeople decided they didn't need it any more. They got the dynamite out, everyone took cover - and after the smoke cleared, there stood the tower, unchanged. So they still have it, and now it's a local museum. I've been inside this museum twice, both slightly at random as they don't have posted hours on the building itself and we had visited Columbus a few times and always seen the tower door closed. Then, on another trip, we were very excited to see the doors standing open! It's a pretty classic small-town museum; you pay $1 to see all the items and both times we were there, a local person was on duty and told us some of the stories. There's a section downstairs and then you go up the stairs, spiral stairs against the wall, and there's more on the upper floor. There were some really interesting items, and I learned some of the local history, and of course the building itself is fascinating. I wouldn't base an entire trip around this place, but if you're in Columbus and the doors of the museum are open - GO IN. :)

This place is a fascinating slice of local history. Who else has a Confederate museum because they simply couldn't get rid of an old building? It's a bit random, the collection of items inside, but at the very least they all have local provenance. Plus, spending a whole *dollar* to go in and wander around for a bit is always going to give you a fun return on your investment.