Callaway Resort and Gardens announced it has reached an agreement with Herschend Family Entertainment to operate and manage its resort and garden attractions in Pine Mountain, Georgia. The Columbus-adjacent park and resort has been in operation since 1952 and is owned by the non-profit Ida Cason Callaway Foundation.
More than 2,500 acres in Pine Mountain are home to a tropical butterfly conservatory, discovery center, chapel, inland white sand beach, nature trails, a zip line/obstacle course and special events throughout the year. Nearly 1 million people visit the site each year. It also offers meeting space, wedding and event venues, 674 guest rooms, a world-class spa, a variety of restaurants, shops, 36 holes of golf, tennis, fishing, signature seasonal and holiday events and more. The Festival in Lights event in December is a Christmas tradition for many Georgians.
“We’re excited to begin this relationship with Herschend Family Entertainment,” said Fran Rogers, Chairman – Ida Cason Callaway Foundation. “As our Board considered the best ways to position Callaway for long-term success, we are glad to have found an operating partner that shares our commitment to creating wonderful experiences for guests and taking care of employees and the community.”
Herschend Enterprises is one of the country’s largest companies focused on family entertainment and amusement parks. In Georgia, Herschend currently has Wild Adventures in Valdosta and also Stone Mountain Park. Herschend also operates Dollywood through a partnership with Ms. Parton herself. More than 14 million guests annually pass through the gates at 25 different properties.
The company will have full operational control over all operations, marketing, programming and guest service strategy. Current plans include an enhancement to the Fantasy in Lights event next year and adding a fall festival.
“We are honored to work with a highly regarded brand like Callaway Resort and Gardens that shares our commitment to help families create memories through unique experiences,” said Herschend President Jane Cooper. “As we begin management of the facilities, we are seeking more ways to drive guest engagement, enhance customer service and strengthen operations, while keeping those things that make Callaway such a special place.”
The Callaways prospered thanks to their textile mills that made rugs, wiping cloths, laundry supplies, towels, trousers and more that were sent all over the world by the 1930’s. Cason Callaway helped expand on his father’s foundation of five plants to eventually 14. Callaway built a family retreat at Blue Springs, near Pine Mountain, and hosted many friends and dignitaries, including President Roosevelt who vacationed at nearby Warm Springs.
Cason was a pioneer of improved agricultural techniques coming out of the Depression and started the 100 Georgia Better Farms program, which helped to utilize county extension agents and teach better farming practices. A heart attack in 1948 forced Cason to slow his pace and he began molding the land that would eventually become Callaway Gardens. By 1952, they had decided it was too beautiful an area to keep to themselves.
