Cator Woolford Gardens

The Cator Woolford Gardens, a 39-acre park just a few miles outside of downtown Atlanta, Georgia, are one of the last remaining historic estates anywhere in the city.

Originally designed and created for Cator Woolford, from which they take their name, the gardens were redesigned in 1996 to better serve their current purpose, which is as the outdoor leisure space for the Frazer Center, an inclusive community for disabled children. Cator Woolford was one of the principle founders of Retail Credit Company, now Equifax, Inc.

The gardens, filled with dogwoods, laurel, daffodils, azaleas, rhododendrons, narcissi, roses, and more, change every season. Many of the annuals are original to the estate. While the park is free to visitors, the site can be rented out for special occasions, bringing in considerable revenue for the Frazer Center, which is a nonprofit organization.

The Gardens’ Italian-style pavilion with an accompanying 30-foot by 45-foot white tent serves as a host to weddings, movie shoots, fundraisers, corporate retreats, and more. An additional, 3,000 square-foot indoor space with vaulted ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on the immaculate gardens can also be rented.