Over the next six days, various dignitaries, supporters and ordinary citizens will celebrate Jimmy Carter at several funeral events across the country that honor his life and career in public service, from his boyhood farm in rural Georgia to Washington and back.
The gestures of remembrance have all been carefully selected to reflect the 39th president’s rural roots in the small town of Plains, Ga., his political career in Georgia and Washington, and his legacy of global advocacy in Atlanta.
Here is the full schedule of events.
Saturday, Jan. 4
At 10:15 a.m., the Carter family will arrive at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Ga. There, former and current members of the Secret Service detail that protected Carter will escort his body to a hearse, which will then leave for Plains, the former president’s hometown.
The motorcade is expected to pass through Plains, pausing for a moment at his childhood farm. During that stop, the National Park Service will toll the farm bell 39 times, marking Carter’s service as the 39th president.
Once the motorcade leaves Plains, it will head for Atlanta, where it is scheduled to arrive at 3 p.m. Once there, the motorcade will pause for a moment of silence at the Georgia State Capitol, where Carter once served as governor.
A private service will then be held at the Carter Center in Atlanta, where the former president established his presidential library and headquarters for an organization dedicated to championing democracy, fighting diseases and other global causes.
Beginning at 7 p.m., the public will be able to pay their respects at the Carter Center through early Tuesday.
Tuesday, Jan. 7
Public visitation will end at 6 a.m.
At 9:30 a.m., there will be a ceremony marking Carter’s final departure from the Carter Center. His family will then travel with his body to Washington.
They will first fly to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, arriving at 12:45 p.m. A motorcade will then take them to the U.S. Navy Memorial, in recognition of Carter’s military service.
At 2 p.m., Carter’s body will be transferred to a horse-drawn military wagon, as part of a procession to the U.S. Capitol in Washington. At the Capitol, Carter will lie in state, with a 3 p.m. service scheduled for lawmakers to pay their respects.
The public will be able to visit until midnight, and then again on Wednesday through early Thursday.
Thursday, Jan. 9
Carter will leave the Capitol at 9 a.m., with a ceremony. The procession will head to Washington National Cathedral, where a national funeral service will take place at 10 a.m.
The funeral is expected to end by 11:15 a.m., at which point the family will accompany the coffin back to Joint Base Andrews to fly to Georgia. Once back in Georgia, a motorcade will drive to Plains.
Once the motorcade arrives at Maranatha Baptist Church, where Carter taught Sunday school for many years, a private funeral service will take place at 3:45 p.m.
An hour later, the motorcade is expected to travel to the Carter home, where his wife, Rosalynn, is buried. There, the Navy will conduct a ceremonial flyover, another tribute to Carter’s service both as a lieutenant and commander in chief.
Carter will finally be buried alongside his wife. A private interment ceremony, scheduled for 5:20 p.m., will conclude the services.
