Atlanta is preparing for the funeral services for former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, and the public is invited to view the 39th president and Georgia native as he lies in repose.
When does the Atlanta viewing take place?
Memorial plans will begin on Saturday morning at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus. A motorcade carrying Carter’s remains will depart from there at 10:30 a.m. and travel through Carter’s hometown of Plains before heading to Atlanta.
The motorcade will arrive at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta at 3 p.m., where Gov. Brian Kemp, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and members of the state legislature will hold a moment of silence. The motorcade will then arrive at the Carter Center for a private service scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.
The public is invited to the Carter Center where Carter will lie in repose for viewing from 7 p.m. Saturday until 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7.
How to get to the Carter Center for the viewing?
There will be no public parking at the Carter Center. Those wanting to attend the viewing must take a MARTA shuttle to the Carter Center, unless they plan to walk or bike there.
The shuttle service will depart from the King Memorial Station every three to five minutes and run around the clock from 6 p.m. Saturday through 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7. The station, located on Decatur St., is available on the Blue and Green railway lines, which runs from Hamilton E. Holmes Station in downtown Atlanta to Indian Creek Station in Stone Mountain.
While shuttle services are free, residents will have to pay standard fare for rail services.
Roads and travel plans are expected to be hectic, and MARTA says that it is dedicated to helping to honor Carter “for his leadership in bringing public transportation plans to fruition in metro Atlanta.”
“President Carter embodied what it means to be a public servant, from his time in the U.S. Navy and as Governor of Georgia to his Presidency and his time as a Nobel Prize-winning advocate for peace, human rights, and public health,” said MARTA Board Chair Katie Powers in a written statement. “MARTA is proud to pay tribute to him and we offer our deepest condolences to his family.”
Which items are prohibited?
Backpacks, bags, purses, clutches and camera bags will not be allowed on the shuttle buses or at The Carter Center.
Additional items, such as aerosols, drones and selfie sticks, will also not be allowed.
When are the rest of the memorial plans taking place?
Carter’s lying in repose at the Carter Center will conclude at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7. A departure ceremony will occur at 9:30 a.m., and the motorcade will leave for Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta at 10 a.m. before taking off for Washington, D.C., at 11:15 a.m.
A service will take place at the U.S. Capitol at 3 p.m. where members of Congress will pay their respects. Carter will lie in state that evening from 7 p.m. to midnight, which members of the public are invited to attend. The public may also pay their respects to Carter as he lies in state from 7 a.m. on Jan. 8 until 7 a.m. on Jan. 9.
A national funeral service will occur on Thursday, Jan. 9 at 10 a.m. at Washington National Cathedral.
Carter and his family will then travel back to Georgia for a private service at 3:45 p.m. at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains. After the service, the motorcade will travel through downtown Plains, where the public is invited to line the route.
The motorcade will arrive at the Carter residence at 5:20 p.m. for a private interment, preceded by a Navy flyover.
That will conclude the funeral services for former President Carter.
