The gardens were patterned after the formal gardens of Italy, France and England by Walter Bellingrath, a pioneer in the Coca-Cola bottling industry. The 900-acre estate includes 65 acres of cultivated and landscaped gardens that surround the mansion. The brick and wrought-iron mansion, designed by noted local architect George B Rogers, contains the Bessie Morse Bellingrath Collection of furniture, Dresden and Meissen porcelain, china, crystal and Oriental rugs. The visitor lounge in the center of the gardens houses one of the largest public exhibits of Boehm porcelain in existence.