Depot gets Stone Mountain visitor center

Renovated building now houses facility that was in caboose.

Guests in Stone Mountain Village now have a new place to visit to learn about what the city has to offer.

The small town at the base of Stone Mountain recently moved its visitor center to an old train depot in the center of town after renovating the historic granite building.

The depot is a landmark in the village, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. According to the city, granite was shipped from its platforms to areas around the country from 1857 to 1950. Gen. William T. Sherman lit the platform on fire during his March to the Sea during the Civil War.

The city restored the depot over the last several years so it can serve as the welcome center for the vil- lage, offering information, suggestions and guides to visitors. Officials held a ribbon-cutting for the new building late last month.

Stone Mountain’s tourism and Downtown Develop- ment Authority offices are also now in the train depot. Officials hope to later add an event space and senior center.

The visitor center was previously in a red caboose from 1914 that used to be part of the Georgia Sce- nic Railroad before being turned into a ticket booth at neighboring Stone Mountain Park. Though they share the same name, the city of Stone Mountain is a separate entity from the park. The city is less than 2 square miles; city leaders previously said they wanted to revitalize the downtown corridor as a destination for tourists. A state board visited earlier this year to meet with stakeholders and craft tourism recommendations.

AJC 2010 The small city of Stone Mountain recently moved its visitor center to an old train depot in the center of town after renovating the historic granite building. The depot is a landmark in the village, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.