Bring a piece of history alive for your children with a trip to The Little White House in Warm Springs, Ga. Set against the natural beauty of Pine Mountain, the serenity of the grounds will help even the busiest of families slow down, at least for the day.

In search of a cure for polio, Franklin Delano Roosevelt visited a resort near the little town of Warm Springs in the 1920s. While the healing waters failed to cure him, he did noticeably improve, prompting the New York governor to build his beloved Little White House in 1932, a year before his presidential inauguration.

Over the years, President Roosevelt invited many public figures to Warm Springs, and it is said that the Little White House is the birth site for many of his New Deal programs, including the Rural Electrification Administration. The home has been preserved, allowing your family to see it much as he left it upon his death in 1945. Tour the home, guesthouse and servant quarters with their period furnishings as you listen to a recorded narration, imparting the site’s rich history.

Families can delve further into the history of this great American president at the new museum. The 11,000 square foot facility was added to the estate in order to house numerous exhibits, such as those of the Great Depression, FDR’s modified Ford and his “Fireside Chats.”

Pack a picnic lunch for the family and enjoy the rural beauty at a large onsite picnic area. Stroll along the Walk of Flags and Stones, an outdoor display representing each state, and search for mementos of the day at the gift shop.

If you are looking for summer camp options for your kids, consider the Get Outdoors Georgia Historic Site and State Park Jr. Ranger Camp Combo. The two-day camps will be held at Little White House and FD Roosevelt State Park on July 16-17 and 23-24. Your children can bird watch, hike, tie dye, learn about artifact preservation and participate in a variety of other activities.

Of course a visit would not be complete without a trip to the nearby springs that first drew Roosevelt to the area. The resort turned rehab facility, known as the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation, sits alongside the pools in which FDR swam.

Normally the pools are kept empty, but a fountain gives visitors the chance to feel the warm waters from the natural springs, and the pools complex museum offers information about FDR’s activities there. However, for three days, beginning August 30, visitors (ages 6 and up) will have the rare opportunity to actually swim in the pools of warm spring water just as FDR once did.

Cost: $4-7 per person Group rates available for 15 or more with advance notice. Hours: 9 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. daily. Last film begins at 4p.m. Location: 401 Little White House Rd. Warm Springs, Ga.	Directions: From Columbus, take Manchester Expressway (Hwy. 85 Alt.-U.S. Hwy. 27 Alt.) for approximately 35 miles. Follow signs for The Little White House located 1/4 mile south of Warm Springs. Accessibility: Primary buildings are wheelchair accessible. Walkways are hard surfaced. More info: 706.655.5870 or www.gastateparks.org/littlewhitehouse