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Program Overview

Coastal Georgia Historical Society offers a wide range of programs and activities throughout the year and strives to be a center for educational and cultural excellence in our community. To register for current events, visit our Program Registration page.

Signature Series

Membership Meetings

There are three membership meetings held annually, in the winter, spring, and fall. The largest of these meetings is the Society’s winter program, held in January, where upwards of 400 members gather to honor recipients of the past year’s annual awards and learn from world-renowned scholars. Past keynote speakers of membership meetings have included Dean Norton, Director of Horticulture at Mount Vernon; Libby O’Connell, History Channel’s Chief Historian; and Richard Brookhiser, noted biographer of America’s founding fathers; Don Miller, and Rick Atkinson.

Buddy Sullivan’s History Courses

Buddy Sullivan, the Society’s Senior Historian, presents a four-week winter series, “History of the Golden Isles—and Slightly Beyond focusing on St. Simons, Sea Island, Jekyll, Sapelo, Brunswick, and Darien. The annual course takes place January through February. Sullivan has conducted this popular series since 1995. Recently, the Society added a Brunswick Lecture Series featuring lectures from Buddy, as well as Society staff. This series takes place in the fall at the Brunswick Library.

Journeys

The annual Journeys series aims to take our membership on trips through local history, both literally and figuratively, as it combines an educational program with an expert-led field trip on a similar topic. Field trips have included Little St. Simons Island, Jekyll, and Sapelo.

Chautauqua

The Chautauqua Lecture Series features four lectures held once a week in late summer and based on a theme related to Coastal Georgia history. The series has included topics such as American icons of the 1920s with Coastal Georgia connections, architectural heritage of the Golden Isles, the Civil War, and the year 1872. Thank you to Raymond James and Gilbert, Harrell, Sumerford, & Martin PC for sponsoring the Chautauqua Lecture Series.

Community and Family Programming

Little Light Music

Since 1998, the Little Light Music Concert Series has taken place on the Lighthouse grounds. This four-part concert series is held in the spring and summer and attracts over 5,000 visitors. Concerts feature local and regional talent, with an audience consisting of locals as well as tourists, many of whom are return participants. Concert-goers are encouraged to bring picnics to enjoy on the lawn. Thank you to our community sponsors for making this beloved annual event possible.

Expert-Led History Tours

Walking Tours

The Society has offered walking tours of downtown Brunswick, led by staff historians.