Georgia Guidestones: Elberton’s Mystifying Stone Monument
In the late 1970s, a man with an assumed name showed up at a business dedicated to stone carving in Georgia and placed a very peculiar work order. R.C. Christian—as the mystery man called himself—asked Elberton Granite Finishing Company to build him a hulking stone monument with a cryptic set of directions seemingly designed to help guide humanity into the future. R.C. Christian even reportedly built a time capsule to be buried beneath the monument—though the existence of the time capsule has never been confirmed.
Virtually nothing is known about the true identity of R.C. Christian, or his intentions. Since R.C. Christian’s strange stone monument was erected in 1980, onlookers have debated its meaning. The Georgia Guidestones—as the monument is now known—features 10 guidelines which are inscribed in 8 modern languages. The guidelines urge onlookers to live harmoniously with nature, not allow the human population to exceed 500,000,000, and temper all pursuits with reason. There are also 4 ancient languages which grace the corners of the monument.
Every day at noon, the sun illuminates a slot in the monument. Proponents of the Georgia Guidestones claim that the monument celebrates nature, reason, and a harmonious utopian vision of the future. Detractions claim that R.C. Christian is an authoritarian who was aligned with the devil. Unfortunately, the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs engraved in one of the corners of the monument do not offer any clues about how to interpret R.C. Christian’s cryptic instructions.
Regardless if the Georgia Guidestones feature recommendations for rebuilding a society which has been reduced to ash, or simply living one’s best life in any decade—R.C. Christian’s bizarre stone monument is certainly worth a visit. There aren’t many other Stonehenge-like structures in the Southern United States. An afternoon spent scrutinizing the Georgia Guidestones may offer you some clue as to what they truly mean.
Address:
1031 Guide Stones Road
Elberton, Georgia, 30635
United States
Update (October 2024): Please note that the Georgia Guidestones were heavily damaged in a bombing on July 6, 2022, and subsequently removed by the local government. Plans to rebuild the monument were announced by Elberton Mayor Daniel Graves, but as of now, the remains have been donated to the Elberton Granite Association, and the land has been returned to its previous owner. Thank you, Kevin, for bringing this information to our attention. For more details, you can refer to Wikipedia.
UnusualPlaces Field Notes
- Location
- Former Georgia Guidestones site, 1031 Guide Stones Road, Elberton, Georgia, USA (historic reference; no public map pin)
- Access
- The Guidestones were demolished in July 2022, leaving an empty field. Atlas Obscura says the former site is no longer accessible to visitors; the AJC reported in 2026 that the land had been sold by its previous owner. No current public-access permission is documented. Do not enter or approach the private property.
- Admission
- There is no current visitor admission or ticket: the monument no longer exists and no public visit is offered for the former site.
- Time needed
- Not applicable: the monument was demolished and the former private site is not documented as open to visitors.
- Best season
- Not applicable: there is no remaining monument or confirmed public visitor access.
- Opening hours
- No visitor hours are published. The monument was demolished; Atlas Obscura marks the former site inaccessible, and no public permission for the privately owned parcel is documented.
- Facts checked
- 2026-10-08
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