One of the regions best historic resources, the collections of the Augusta Museum of History document the history of Augusta and the surrounding region known as the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA). More than 60,000 artifacts recount the history of Augusta and its environs from the Paleo-Indian period to the present. These include a complete range of objects used by the people of this area for all aspects of human experience including subsistence, work, play, religion, warfare, communication and transportation. The museum has an archaeological collection of over 2,500 prehistoric and historic artifacts including one of the region’s best collections of bannerstones, ground stone artifacts and trade beads.

The area’s contact era that dates to 1685 is represented by trade items, furniture, weapons and domestic objects. A complete range of artifacts from quilts to furniture, from militaria to battle flags and from decorative to domestic arts, documents the history of the region from the founding of Augusta in 1736 to the present. The Civil War collection includes a number of important uniforms, flags and weapons. The artifacts illustrate Augusta’s transformation from trading post to the industrial and commercial center of the region. Transportation history is represented by a 1914 steam locomotive, coal tender and passenger car, a trolley car and Model T automobile.

The Museum’s archives house the photographs, documents, drawings, prints, newspapers and other paper artifacts relating to the history of the region. The archives hold more than 6,000 items, including the beautifully detailed architectural drawings of the Confederate Powder Works.