For anyone who is interested in the service history of the Greatest Generation, the Curahee Military Museum is a gem. The small museum in Toccoa, Georgia—in the Currahee Mountains of northeast Georgia—is a treasure trove of artifacts and history.
The museum is housed in the town’s renovated train station and focuses on the 5,000 men who trained at Camp Toccoa as paratroopers. During World War II, 17,000 soldiers would go through training here, known as the “Toccoa Men.”
Anyone who has watched the TV series “Band of Brothers” will recognize the stories of these soldiers and many aspects of the exhibits on display. Most notable among them is one of the actual reconstructed stables that paratroopers stayed in before and after the D-Day invasion. The Museum and camp is a work in progress, with future plans to recreate the Camp Gate, Regimental Headquarters, Bathhouse and Barracks.
You can do a self-tour of the museum, but be sure to stop by the desk and get a guide to give you an overview, which will take about 20 minutes. For a full tour of the facility with guide, a five-day notice is required.
Curahee Military Museum
160 Alexander Street, Toccoa, Georgia’706-282-5055
Monday – Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Closed on major holidays
Adults, $10; seniors 65-plus and retired military, $9; students, $3. The museum is free for active military and children under 6.
Toccoa is about a 35-minute drive southeast of Lucille’s Mountaintop Inn & Spa and provides a lovely day outing through the mountains. We’ll be happy to give you ideas on what else to see and do along the way. So give us a call and book a stay soon!