17 Best Things To Do In Macon, Georgia

There's an old saying about this part of Georgia: “There must be something in the water.” People said it in the 1950s when rock ’n’ roll icon and Macon native Little Richard hit it big. They repeated it about 10 years later when rhythm and blues singer Otis Redding burst on the scene. Then it happened again in the early 1970s when the Allman Brothers Band took the town—and nation—by storm.

But the phrase, or something like it, may have actually been around long before Macon made a name for itself as a music capital. The Muscogee people have lived in this region for thousands of years, and the Ocmulgee River provided near-perfect conditions for their agriculture. By the time Macon was founded in 1823, water was still the draw. The river provided a mode of transportation, was a catalyst for trade and industry, and then became a resource for electrical power.

Today, the phrase still echoes throughout town, which is one of our favorite destinations. You can hear it in the sultry whine of a bass guitar at Grant’s Lounge. You can taste it in the deceptively smooth daiquiri at The Monkey’s Paw Tiki Lounge. And you can see it in well-patronized businesses—from buzzy Macon Bagels to Reboot Retrocade & Bar.

Related: 28 Best Small Towns In Georgia For A Quaint Escape

Chase The Cherry Blossoms

Attend the Pinkest Party

The sense that there’s something special going on here is extra apparent in March when 350,000 Yoshino flowering cherry trees paint the town pink. (Washington, D.C., by comparison, has only around 3,800 of them.) During the 10-day International Cherry Blossom Festival, thousands of people fill the streets to ring in spring with a parade, concerts, food and drink specials, and a giant fair. Pop-up bars selling mimosas and a variety of pink beverages can be found on every block. Patios are jam-packed with diners and boisterous bands. It’s one big, blush-colored party.

Discover The Heart Of Downtown

But there was a time when the city wasn’t so lively and people started to forget about Macon’s magic. “I joke that I was born after the song,” says Jessica Walden, president and CEO of the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce. “The music scene was almost nonexistent, and downtown was completely dead.” According to Walden, in the eighties and early nineties this area was a far cry from the place that residents enjoy today. “When I say it was dead, I mean I used to get on my go-kart and ride around the block. It had only tumbleweeds and wild rabbits,” she remembers.

Macon has always been a big part of Walden’s story. Her father, Alan, and Uncle Phil were cofounders of the music label Capricorn Records; her uncle had also managed Otis Redding, so the brothers knew how brightly Macon had once shone and were determined to see it get there again. For Walden, it took leaving for college and returning to work for the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame to understand her family’s fervor for this area. “I was like, ‘Holy cow—some really amazing things have happened here,’ ” she recalls. “ ‘And who’s to say that they can’t happen again?’ ”

Take A Tour With Rock Candy

Picking up the mantle from her father and uncle, Walden (and her husband, Jamie Weatherford) cofounded Rock Candy Tours, on which they share the city’s history with others. Tours are tailored to spotlight several aspects of the city's past and present, from a brewery and distillery tour to a music history tour to a tour focused on Macon's haunted history.

Walden says that the city's renaissance started at the end of the 2000s, but over the past few years, the murmur of a new Macon has grown into a crescendo. It even made the “52 Places To Go in 2023” list in The New York Times. “I was never a cheerleader in high school, but I’ll wave my pom-poms for Macon,” she says.

Stroll and Shop Through Downtown

In recent decades, downtown has traded its tumbleweeds and wild rabbits for more than 30 bars and live-music venues, 50 restaurants, and dozens of shops and galleries. Alongside all this new life, you’ll still find churches dating back to the mid-1800s, hundreds of old homes, and a plethora of buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. If you're spending an afternoon or evening traversing Macon's highly walkable downtown, be sure to make stops at Reboot Retrocade & Bar, Fresh Produce Records, and Rabbit Hole.

Taste Your Way Through Town

Treat Yourself To A Homemade Bagel

On weekend mornings, a line snakes out the door at Macon Bagels. Join the queue for some of the hand-rolled, boiled, and baked breads made by owners Lauren Bone and Patrick Rademaker. Order The Champ (bacon, tomato, and avocado with caramelized-onion cream cheese) on an Adobo Cheddar bagel, and grab a homemade scone, muffin, or cookie for later.

Visit A Macon Classic Resturant

For a certifiable Macon experience, eat at The Rookery. Open since 1976, it has a menu with as much character as its photo-lined walls. Each specialty burger pays homage to a different Georgia star, from the Jimmy Carter with bacon and peanut butter to the Allman with Swiss cheese and sautéed mushrooms. The restaurant’s upstairs counterpart, Dovetail, serves Southern cuisine in an elevated yet comfortable atmosphere. The options change often, but you can count on seasonal iterations of staple dishes like their Chili-Rubbed Catfish and Grilled Pork Chop.

Try Authentic Soul Food

Lines for weekend brunch and weekday lunch can be long at this Macon institution, but H&H Soul Food's soul-warming recipes are 100-percent worth the wait. Open since 1959, the restaurant was a favorite hangout for the Allman Brothers, who were great friends with the restaurant's matriarch Louise Hudson, better known as Mama Louise. Pick your own meat 'n' three combo from favorites like country fried steak, chicken and dumplings, catfish, collards, mac and cheese, fried okra, and butter beans. The fried chicken and housemade biscuits come highly recommended by all.

Explore The Ingleside Historic District

Around 10 minutes from downtown, you’ll find the Ingleside Historic District. This residential area’s charming strip of shops and restaurants is well worth the short drive. From the vintage treasures at Historic Ingleside Village to the specialty foods at the Village Marketplace, there’s plenty to explore.

Grab A Treat From Oh Honey Baking Co.

At Oh Honey Baking Co., the honeycomb-tiled pastry counter and hand-glazed brioche doughnuts shaped like daisies evoke pure, simple joy. Owner, baker, and master cake decorator Adriana Horton opened the quiant bakery and cafe in June 2022, offering daytime visitors everything from cinnamon buns, pastries, cakes, and cookies to hot-pressed sandwiches, breakfast burritos, and biscuits.

Spend The Day At Society Garden

Next door, The Society Garden is the community hangout everyone in other places wishes they had. Outdoor spaces include a cozy patio tucked between two buildings and a huge beer garden and live-music venue that’s shaded by trees strung with canopies and twinkling lights. Inside, there’s a multiroom lounge featuring velvet couches, palm-print wallpaper, and hanging pampas grass installations plus a hidden game/karaoke area.

Head To Happy Hour

Visit A Not-So-Average Hotel Bar

This town doesn’t slow down after dark. Kick off your evening with a drink at Quill, a craft-cocktail bar decorated in the style of a distinguished home library. It’s located inside the hip Woodward Hotel, a boutique stay with 11 rooms and suites that opened in 2022 alongside fellow newcomer Hotel Forty Five, a Marriott Tribute Portfolio property.

Escape To A Tiny Tiki Lounge

Macon may be landlocked, but Ashley and Tony Doolin are determined to put everyone on island time. The couple owns Pearl Passionate Cuisine & Cocktails and The Monkey’s Paw Tiki Lounge. At Pearl, Ashley experiments with flavors from around the world in dishes like red snapper fillet with a Jamaican jerk rub and Peruvian shrimp-and-scallop ceviche. At The Monkey’s Paw, a reservation-only speakeasy-style spot, nearly all the drinks on the menu feature rum. If you order one with any other spirit, Hawaiian shirt-clad Tony will make it but instruct the entire bar to give you grief (but he does concede that every one of his offerings is delicious).

Grab A Pint At Fall Line Brewing Co.

If you're looking for a more casual atmosphere to start your evening, head to Fall Line Brewing Co. downtown. Owned by local couple Nate and Kaitlynn Kressin, the favorite downtown hangout is known for its excellent lineup of craft brews that range from a fruity tangerine wheat ale to hoppy double IPAs. If you visit in spring, be sure to try the Yoshi, a lager brewed with cherry and blood orange puree to commemorate cherry blossom season.

Follow The Music

Learn About Macon Music Legends

Some of the country-and the world's-biggest artists have roots in Macon, which means you can't visit the city without paying your respects to their incredible contributions to the art. At The Big House Museum, you can get a behind-the-scenes look into the iconic Allman Brothers Band in the very home where the Southern rock pioneers lived and wrote some of their most impactful music. Another certifiable star to come from Macon, Otis Redding, known as the King of Soul, was raised in Macon. Learn about his legacy at the Otis Redding Museum, which is run by his family.

Visit The Museum At Capricorn

A common denominator between The Allman Brothers Band and Otis Redding was Capricorn Records. Redding was part owner of the building where the studio would later be built and The Allman Brothers would go on to record. Today, you can visit a museum dedicated to the studio that includes more than 1,200 square feet of artifacts, murals and interactive digital kiosks featuring music, video and text that bring Capricorn's story to life.

See A Live Show

To get the most out of your visit, you should absolutely plan around the concerts happening here. From the historic Hargray Capitol Theatre to the Macon City Auditorium, today’s performers have taken note of the town’s renewed passion for live shows. On any given weekend, you can catch groups like St. Paul & The Broken Bones and Moon Taxi gracing local stages.

Hang With Locals At Grant's Lounge

All the best nights end at Grant’s Lounge. It was once the unofficial audition room for Capricorn Records and is still kicking over 50 years later. Photos on the ever-growing wall of fame provide a visual yearbook of the talented guests who have played here, including Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, and The Marshall Tucker Band.

Today, there’s a brand-new wave of artists from the region who are making history on that very same stage. One is Charles Davis, the lead singer of Charles Davis & the Velvet Sound. What started as a wedding ensemble in the summer of 2022 has evolved into something greater. In November 2022, the band began playing their Macon Music Revue show at Grant’s Lounge each week, which allowed them to slowly amass a dedicated following. During these performances, they cover songs influenced by the city, such as James Brown’s “Please, Please, Please” (which was recorded downtown) and “Soul Man” by Sam & Dave. (The original horn player for the band still frequents Grant’s, so Davis admits that he always feels extra pressure to do the song justice.)

He says that although the show is focused on the area’s past, one of the things that he appreciates most about Macon’s music lovers is their enthusiasm for what’s next. “Our history is great and beautiful, but I always tell people, ‘Don’t sleep on what’s going on now,’ ” he says. “A lot of stuff that happened in Macon affected America, so we always pay respect to that history, but we also try not to forget to nurture upcoming groups. We have to keep that legacy going.”

Learn About Macon's History

Stay In A Historic B&B

Immerse yourself in part of Macon's history by staying at the Burke Mansion, a bed and breakfast which is the only lodging in the city listed on the National Historic Register. Built in 1887 by T.C. Burke, who has been called the Merchant Prince of Macon, the house is stunning example of Queen Anne Victorian architecture. The inn's four suites are located within easy walking distance of downtown, making this a wonderful place to set up during your stay.

Explore Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park

Some consider Grant’s Lounge to be hallowed ground, but just outside downtown, you’ll find a truly sacred setting in Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. The 3,000-acre destination is anchored by seven Mississippian-era Native American mounds but also features 8 miles of hiking trails where you can learn about the land’s past and discover its flora and fauna. The visitors center gives insight into the Native American people who have lived here over the past 12,000-plus years and displays a selection of artifacts that were unearthed in a historic archaeological dig. A cultural center set to open in the next few years will dive deeper into that story.

Through a growing partnership and a robust campaign between The Muscogee Nation and the city, Ocmulgee Mounds will hopefully become the first national park and preserve located in Georgia and one of only a few in the Southeast. The long-awaited designation would be monumental for the entire state. Tracie Revis, the former chief of staff for The Muscogee Nation and director of advocacy for the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative, says not only is the park a great tool for education, but it’s also a way to reunite Muscogee citizens like herself with their ancestral lands.

“The first trip I made here, I smelled our medicine,” she remembers. “I was walking out on a small bridge past a creek and recognized the sweet scent of a tea that we have and still use in the summer. I want to give that experience to others too. So it’s a story of reconciliation, history, rebirth, and healing.”

From the top of the imposing 55-foot-tall clay Great Temple Mound, you can get a panoramic view of both the surrounding wetlands and downtown Macon—a once-forgotten city that has miraculously found its way back into the spotlight.

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