Callaway Gardens
Callaway Resort & Gardens is a resort complex located near Pine Mountain in Harris County, Georgia, from LaGrange, Georgia. The world's largest azalea garden, this destination draws over 750,000 visitors annually. Callaway Gardens was ranked as Best Georgia Attraction in 2018 by USA Today.
On April 6, 2022, Herschend Family Entertainment agreed to purchase the revenue-producing assets at Callaway Gardens from the Ida Cason Callaway Foundation. The foundation remains responsible for operation and maintenance of the garden's free attractions.
History and expansion
When the Great Depression struck in 1929, much of Harris County land was former cotton fields that were "worn out", depleted of nutrients after nearly 100 years of cultivation. Former Callaway Mills Chairman Cason Callaway and his wife, Virginia, acquired vast tracts of property in stages, eventually reaching. Callaway originally conceived of developing the garden in 1930 after he discovered a rare azalea, Rhododendron prunifolium, growing in the area.To create the garden, streams were dammed creating 13 lakes; bulldozers filled in eroded gullies and drained bottom land clogged with silt; crops were planted that restored nitrogen and other nutrients in the soil.
Virginia Callaway consulted with Gilmore David Clarke, a noted landscape architect, to plant more than 20,000 trees, shrubs and native flowers in the renovated landscape.
Foundation
Callaway Gardens opened on May 21, 1952, as the Ida Cason Gardens. It had, a number of lakes, a golf course, and scenic drives. The Ida Cason Callaway Foundation was established at that time.The gardens were named for the mother of founder Cason J. Callaway. Robin Lake Beach and the Overlook Azalea Garden opened the following year in 1953. In 1955, the gardens were renamed as Ida Cason Callaway Gardens.
After serving in the Korean War, their son Bo Callaway returned to Harris County, Georgia to help his parents develop and run the gardens. He was named executive director on June 10, 1953.
On April 12, 1961, founder Cason J. Callaway died. He was succeeded as chairman of the board by his wife, co-founder Virginia Callaway.
The gardens have been expanded several times following Cason Callaway's death. The Cason J. Callaway Memorial Forest opened in 1972, and was designated a National Natural Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior.
Ferry
On Sunday, June 30, 1974 an incident occurred on Robin Lake when a ski boat passed close to a paddlewheel boat. The wake splashed into the paddle wheel boat and passengers over-reacted, rushing to the opposite site of the boat, which may have been overloaded. The paddlewheel boat tipped over, spilling passengers into the lake. Few, if any persons were wearing life jackets. Other boats quickly responded and pulled people from the lake.Drowning
On July 4, 2009, two men went into the water to assist a small boy who was struggling in Robin Lake. One of them grabbed the boy and dragged him back to shallow water. The other man had disappeared and his body was recovered later. Rico Cruz, a 21-year-old from Eastpoint, Georgia drowned.Non-Callaway management
Following Virginia Hand Callaway's death in 1995, George P. Fischer was named the third President & CEO of Callaway Gardens. Fischer resigned after 7 years and was replaced on November 25, 2003, by Edward Cason Callaway, Bo's son. Howard H. “Bo” Callaway, who served the Gardens since January 1953, was designated chairman emeritus.The Ida Cason Callaway Foundation applied for and was granted conservation easements on land in 2004 and 2007 by the Georgia Forestry Commission. The easements lower property taxes and restricts use of the land if sold. It can only be developed to include a lodge on.
During the economic downturn in 2012, Callaway Gardens sold 7,000 of its 13,000 acres to remain solvent.
Edward C. Callaway remained in charge until 2014, when he stepped down. Don Perry served as acting president and CEO while an executive search continued.
Outside management
William R. "Bill" Doyle, III was hired in June 2015 to replace Edward Callaway. Callaway had just turned 60 and wanted to find a leader with "expertise to take the gardens and resort to the next level with new programming and branding efforts". Doyle had 25 years of experience in the Hospitality industry, including Brasstown Valley Resort in Young Harris, Georgia, Wild Adventures in Valdosta, Georgia and Dollywood. Edward Callaway remained a trustee of the Ida Cason Callaway Foundation.Bicycle trails throughout the gardens were upgraded in 2016 at a cost of approximately $750,000.
In early 2017, about 11 acres of 60-year-old timber was clear cut. Doyle stated that it was done to open the views from the Lodge/Spa.
Niles Bolton Associates were hired to landscape the open area. Doyle did not comment on the tree income or provide a project cost but claimed it "would not be inexpensive".
The gardens closed temporarily following Hurricane Irma in September 2017, as it downed hundreds of trees and left the area without power. Cleanup lasted more than a week.
Cason’s Tap Room is Callaway Gardens’ newest eating and drinking establishment just outside the Lodge. It opened February 5, 2018, on the birthday of founder Cason J Callaway. In addition to the standard menu served at all restaurants in the Lodge complex, craft beers ; "handcrafted" cocktails; and an extensive wine menu, including their own Callaway Family Wines, are offered. Patrons can sit inside or outside on the patio, depending on the weather.
During Doyle's tenure he closed two popular major attractions that had been open for 30+ years: Sibley Horticultural Center. This brought some criticism.
Doyle resigned effective July 8, 2019, to return to a previous employer, Herschend Family Entertainment. He briefly remained a trustee of the Ida Cason Callaway Foundation and assisted in the search for his replacement.
Garland E. Horton, III was hired as President/CEO in 2019 and continues as of 2022.
Lodge and Spa
In a joint venture between Callaway Gardens and Atlanta-based Noble Investment Group, ground was broken on September 27, 2005, for Callaway's resort hotel, the Lodge & Spa. Each of the 150 large guest rooms has a balcony, a 4-fixture bathroom, and windows for natural light. The Spa has over a dozen treatment rooms offering traditional massage, hydrotherapy, Vichy showers, yoga and exercise rooms, plus salon services.The Lodge opened November 1, 2006, just as attendance peaked at 1 million admissions. Noble developed the property, but Callaway Gardens had the option to purchase it. Noble contracted with Marriott Hotels & Resorts to operate the property, and Noble kept all the profits. Two years later, the 2008 financial crisis sharply reduced tourism. Yearly visitors had dropped to 400,000 in 2010/11 just as debt had grown to more than $44 million. Callaway Gardens sold the Mountain Creek Inn, its conference center, to Noble Investment Group for $12 million, along with 40 cottages for $4 million, but that was not enough. The Ida Cason Callaway Foundation decided that selling large tracts of land was the best way to reduce debt. In July 2012, was sold to Joe Rogers Jr., Chairman of Waffle House for $8 million.
Another was sold for $4.63 million to an Atlanta Real Estate broker Brad Smith. CEO Edward Callaway stated that the Gardens were now "on sound financial footing" with total debt down to $7.5 million, which he called a "sustainable level". Callaway Garden's land area was reduced from with no plans to sell more. However, at some point the left after the 2012 sales was reduced by, because current promotional media states that Callaway Gardens is a garden. Although Edward Callaway claimed that the gardens finances were stable following the 2012 land sales, there were deeper cuts to be made. Two popular major attractions, Mr. Cason's Vegetable Garden and the Sibley Horticultural Center were closed in late October and early November 2015. Each had been open for more than 30 years.
William R. Doyle III, President & CEO announced in mid-April 2016 that Callaway Gardens had purchased The Lodge & Spa from Noble Investment Group and would begin a $2.5 million renovation of the entire Lodge & Spa facility. The spa was renamed, “Spa Prunifolia”, a reference to the rare azalea that still grows at the garden.
Nearly of pine trees were cut in early 2017 between Robin Lake and the Lodge. It created a clear line of sight between the hotel and the water plus a view of land in the F. D. Roosevelt State Park. Many of the trees were 60 years old, planted in the 1950s, but Cason Callaway did the same thing years prior for the Mountain View Inn. The open area will remain greenspace, have scattered fire pits and hammocks.
Renovation for the Lodge conference center was scheduled to begin in late 2019 and be ready in February 2020. The Longleaf Ballroom can accommodate 450-500 people; the Cypress Room holds 75-100 people; the Ironwood Courtyard seats 50-75 people.
Lodge at Blue Springs
The Lodge at Blue Springs, constructed in the 1930s by Cason J. Callaway, was used by the Callaway family as a vacation home. Local quarried stone was used extensively including the property entrance & gatehouse, pathways, pool & koi pond, plus fireplaces.Built using the Adirondack style and designed by Ivey and Crook, it played host to three US Presidents, including FDR and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places before being left to the Ida Cason Callaway Foundation. Edward Callaway lived there until he moved out in 2015. It is located from Callaway Gardens and not involved with any Garden activity, so the decision was made to list it for sale in 2017 for $5.8 million. The compound featured the five-bedroom house, a guest house, indoor pool and the Blue Spring-fed Lake Ida on plus an additional. One quarter of the property's under roof was service space.
The property finally sold in late March 2019 for $1.28 million; the extra acreage was not included in the final sale.