There is a Georgia destination perfect for Atlanta vacationers looking for a weekend of fun that’s not too far from home. It’s rich in history, chock full of things to do and only a 90-minute drive from the capital city. It’s Macon, and local history buffs should be marking their calendars to visit this spring.
Macon is home to must-see hotspots for history, ranging from the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park to the Allman Brothers Band Museum. Here’s a quick look at some of the city’s most iconic historical attractions.
Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park
Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park is home to more than 12,000 years of human history.
“This park is a prehistoric American Indian site, where many different American Indian cultures occupied this land for thousands of years,” according to the park’s website. “American Indians first came here during the Paleo-Indian Period hunting Ice Age mammals. Around 900 CE, the Mississippian Period began, and people constructed mounds for their elite, which remain here today.”
In 1933, Ocmulgee became the largest archaeological dig in American history. Some of the digs findings — pottery, pottery shards, metals, arrowheads, spear points, stone tools, pipes, bells, jewelry, seeds, bones and more — can be seen at the park’s museum.
Tubman Museum
The Southeast’s largest museum for African American art can also be found in Macon, thanks to the legendary Tubman African American Museum.
“The mission of the Tubman African American Museum is to explore, celebrate and share the rich art and history of African Americans, to be a center of social and civic engagement, and a source of experiences that enrich cultural understanding and inspire positive change,” according to the museum’s website.
The Big House Museum
The Allman Brothers Band called Macon home, and The Big House Museum serves to carry on its legacy. Before becoming a museum, it was a hotspot for the band during its heyday.
“In 1969 it was for rent, and by January 1970, it became the house where members of the band, their roadies, friends and families lived until 1973,” according to the museum’s website. “It was the focal point of gathering in those early years when the magic that is the Allman Brothers Band was just taking shape and radiating from this historic Southern town.”
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