Macon’s legendary musical past is well known. Little Richard was born there. Otis Redding grew up there. R.E.M.’s Mike Mills and Bill Berry met there in high school. The Allman Brothers Band made its home there and, along with Capricorn Records, paved the way for Southern rock. But what really sets Macon apart is the value it places on preservation — not only of its musical heritage but also its architecture and history — which is fueling the city’s revitalization.
Located 80 miles southeast of Atlanta, Macon’s compact downtown is in the middle of a renaissance. “Historic architecture is one of our greatest treasures,” says Josh Rogers, president and CEO of NewTown Macon, the economic development organization that is helping to breathe new life into this vibrant community. “Preserving these buildings and neighborhoods is core to our revitalization strategy, because people want to live in and visit places with souls and a distinct identity.”
Credit: Visit Macon
Credit: Visit Macon
The first thing that strikes visitors to Macon is the abundance of significant architecture lining the streets. Pristine pre-Civil War buildings like Hay House and Macon City Hall, Gilded Age buildings lovingly transformed into contemporary lofts and apartments, and midcentury architecture right out of the pages of “Mad Men” all live harmoniously within a two-mile radius.
Macon’s Hay House is a spectacular study in preservation. Built in the 1850s, it was occupied by just three families over the course of about 100 years before it became a museum in 1964. Designed by T. Thomas and Son architects in the Italian Renaissance Revival style for banking, railroad and public utility magnate William Butler Johnston, the 24-room house features many cutting-edge amenities for the times, including pocket doors, gas lighting and indoor plumbing. Many of the original furnishings can be seen in the house today.
Credit: Matt Odom Photography
Credit: Matt Odom Photography
The heroic achievements of abolitionist Harriet Tubman have been preserved, along with Macon’s African American history, at Tubman Museum. The 4,900-square-foot contemporary building is filled with art, photographs and historical artifacts in permanent and rotating exhibits. Highlights include an exhibition on Tubman and her Underground Railroad missions to free about 70 enslaved people, as well as a celebration of soul music and a temporary exhibit on filmmaker Tyler Perry, which runs through February 2025
For a slice of Americana-style preservation, visit Luther Williams Field, the 1929 baseball stadium that has hosted some of the sport’s greatest players, such as Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Pete Rose and Chipper Jones. The stadium unveiled a $2.5 million renovation in 2018 when it became home field for the Macon Bacon, a collegiate wooden-bat summer team in the Southern Coastal Plain League. Featured in the Jackie Robinson biopic “42″ and Clint Eastwood’s “Trouble with the Curve,” the field now boasts a spacious beer garden, bacon-flavored snacks and the antics of mascot Kevin Bacon.
Credit: Visit Macon
Credit: Visit Macon
But perhaps the most significant example of historic preservation of all is the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, located on the eastern edge of town. The grounds were inhabited by various indigenous cultures starting with the nomadic Paleo Indians more than 12,000 years ago. Later came the Mississippians, who built the two earthen mounds visible today, followed by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation who claimed it as their ancestral homeland.
Credit: Visit Macon
Credit: Visit Macon
In the 1830s, the inhabitants were forced off the land in a brutal march to Oklahoma. Roughly 100 years later it became the largest archaeological dig in the U.S. Today visitors can explore the mounds, hike trails and view archaeological displays of pottery and tools. In cooperation with the Muscogee Nation, efforts are underway to make it the country’s next (and Georgia’s first) national park.
Macon’s music history is an integral part of the city’s soul. No visit would be complete without paying respects to The Allman Brothers Band Museum at The Big House. Housing members of the band, their roadies, friends and family from 1970 to 1973, the house built in 1904 is filled with memorabilia of the band including gold records, original posters, programs, instruments, clothing, amplifiers and photographs.
Credit: Visit Macon
Credit: Visit Macon
For a deeper dive, head to the Capricorn Museum and Studio. Founded in the 1960s, the studio became one of the most influential recording houses in the South. Other classic Southern rock artists to record here include The Marshall Tucker Band and Charlie Daniels. Today, Capricorn is part of Mercer University and visitors can explore the 1,200-square-foot museum and working studio, preserved to look like it did in the mid-1960s.
There’s also a modest Otis Redding Foundation Museum, and the Otis Redding Center for the Arts featuring classrooms, practice rooms, a studio and an amphitheater is under construction a block away.
For a complete experience, check out the Macon Music Revue Wednesday nights at Grant’s Lounge. The legendary dive bar and music hall has been playing the greatest Macon sounds since 1971 and has an impressive Wall of Fame that showcases the talent that has played there.
In Macon, even the old mall has been saved and revitalized. When Belk at Macon Mall closed in 2012, the space was converted into the world’s largest indoor pickleball facility. Boasting 32 permanent courts, Rhythm & Rally Sports & Events opened in 2023 and hosts amateur and pro competitions in the nation’s fastest growing sport.
In keeping with the preservation theme, visitors can stay overnight in Hotel Forty Five in the former Bankers Insurance Building (founded by Parks Lee Hay, the third and final owner of the Hay House). It has been lovingly restored to its former splendor with marble walls, terrazzo floors, art deco hardware and midcentury modern-style furnishings throughout its 94 rooms. And don’t miss a morning or midday meal in the iconic diner H&H Soul Food, which has been serving up Southern breakfasts and meat ‘n’ three lunches for Maconites since 1959.
IF YOU GO
Macon, Georgia, is 80 miles southeast of Atlanta via I-75.
What to do
Historic Macon Foundation Mid-Century Architecture Driving Tour. Self-guided driving tour. Free. historicmacon.org.
Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. Free. 1207 Emery Highway. 478-752-8257.
Hay House. $10-$20. 934 Georgia Ave. 478-742-8155, hayhousemacon.org
Tubman Museum. $6-$10. 310 Cherry St. 478-743-8544, tubmanmuseum.com
Macon Bacon Baseball. $15-$30. 225 Willie Smokie Glover Drive 478-803-1795, maconbaconbaseball.com
Rhythm & Rally Sports & Events. $5-$15. 3661 Eisenhower Parkway. 478-2000178, rhythmandrally.com
The Allman Brothers Band Museum at The Big House. $10-$20. 2321 Vineville Ave. 478-741-5551, thebighousemuseum.com
Capricorn Museum and Studio. Museum $7; studio tour $5. 540 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. 478-257-5327, capricorn.mercer.edu
Otis Redding Foundation Museum. $5. 339 Cotton Ave. 478-742-5737, otisreddingfoundation.org
Grant’s Lounge. Macon Music Revue every Wednesday. $10. 576 Poplar St. historicgrants.com.
Where to stay
Hotel Forty Five. A Marriott property in a historic building. $195 and up. 401 Cotton Ave. 855-840-9141, marriott.com
The Woodward Hotel. Upscale boutique hotel with a music theme. $180 and up. 350 2nd St. 478-361-4055, thewoodwardhotel.com
Where to eat and drink
Kinjo Kitchen & Cocktails. Asian-inspired soul food. Entrees $13-$45. 497 2nd St. 478-219-9944, kinjokitchen.com
Dovetail. Farm-to-table Southern cuisine. Entrees $25-$40. 543 Cherry St. 478-238-4693, dovetailmacon.com
H&H Soul Food. Iconic diner serving up Southern comfort food. $6-$18. 807 Forsyth St. 478-621-76044. www.handhsoulfood.com
Longleaf Distillery. Macon’s first craft distillery. 664 2nd St. 478-254-3010, longleafdistillingco.com
Tourist info
Visit Macon. 450 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. 478-743-1074. visitmacon.org
