Stone Mountain Park, Georgia, Home of Largest High-Relief Sculpture in the World

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• published: 20 Apr 2012
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Stone Mountain Park, just east of the greater Atlanta area in Georgia, has lots of attractions for the kids, such as the new Geyser Towers, which feature multiple levels of suspended rope bridges and net tunnels, all connected to platforms overlooking a gushing geyser. But what really interested me was the gigantic carving on the face of Stone Mountain, a megalithic granite dome that rises straight from the ground in the center of the park. This Memorial Carving depicts three Confederate heroes of the Civil War: Confederate President Jefferson Davis, General Robert E. Lee and Lt. General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. From a distance the scope of the carving is deceptive: it covers three acres, larger than a football field and measures 90 by 190 feet, making it the largest high-relief sculpture in the world, about 30 feet higher than the carving at Mount Rushmore. It is said a six-foot high man can stand in the mouth of General Lee's horse. The history of its creation is a fascinating tale of success and failure, including the first finished carving being entirely blasted off the face of the mountain because the second sculptor who was hired to finish it did not like the work that had been done previously. Ironically, quarrymen who had no professional training in sculpting or art finally completed the carving. In addition to the carving, the onsite museum is a wealth of information about the Civil War, especially with respect to the Atlanta area, and offers excellent exhibits about what it was like to live in Georgia during the Civil War era. To read more about my round-the-world travels, visit my blog, http://holeinthedonut.com.