FOLKSTON, Ga. — When in Folkston, it’s worth taking a few minutes away from the train watching platform and taking a walking tour of the historic downtown.
The train platform is conveniently located near the city’s downtown, and the most logical place to start the walking tour is at the historic train depot. Stop inside and enjoy the town’s train museum, and while there, pick up a copy of “Folkston Then and Now: A Self-Guided Walking Tour of Historic Downtown Folkston, Georgia.” The booklet contains a plethora of information about the town and its buildings.
From the depot, the suggested tour route heads west along Main Street away from the train tracks. Many of the buildings in town date to the 1910s or 1920s. While each building has a storied history, many of the buildings today are home to boutique shops worth stopping in for a quick browse or a full-fledged shopping experience.
After finishing the walking tour, be sure to end up at the Okefenokee Restaurant on South Second Street. The Richcliff restaurant originally operated on this site starting in 1953, and today’s Okefenokee Restaurant is a country-style buffet that features a number of southern classics, from fried chicken to fried catfish to mashed potatoes. Come hungry because the Okefenokee Restaurant is an all-you-can eat establishment.
While you’re at the restaurant, be sure to step out and take in Charlton County’s 1928 courthouse — a “Neoclassical style with Georgian Revival detailing.” The structure, built after the county’s third courthouse burned on Feb. 19, 1928, is listed on the National Register of Historical Places.
