Overview
Athens is home to a lot more than the University of Georgia. The Classic City is a wealth of attractions, culture and history.
What’s more, Athens is the perfect one-tank trip from Atlanta. Yet, it offers enough that it could also be a nice weekend getaway.
Perhaps the only thing more synonymous with Athens than college football is music. The home of R.E.M., the B-52s and a number of other musical acts, live music is still very much a part of present-day Athens. In addition to a number of music festivals throughout the year, a walk through downtown on the average night is proof that music is alive and well here as a number of clubs offering music on a nightly basis.
Attraction
Arch
The Arch was constructed in the 1850s as part of a larger iron fence protecting the university campus.
Attraction
Athens Music Walk of Fame
The Athens Music Walk of Fame, unveiled in 2020 in downtown Athens, highlights the artists, organizations and locations that helped make the Classic City's music…
Attraction
Bear Hollow Zoo
Located inside Memorial Park in the Five Points neighborhood, Bear Hollow is a zoo and natural habitat for rescued animals that cannot be released into…
Attraction
Ben Epps Statue
When it comes to retelling the story of flight, at least in Georgia, Ben Epps is right there with the brothers from Dayton, Ohio.
Attraction
Character of a Champion
In November 2008, Athens dedicated “The Character of a Champion,” a 14-foot-tall bronze statue of Vince Dooley, the legendary former football coach of the Georgia…
Attraction
Double-Barreled Cannon
The Double-Barreled Cannon was the brainchild of Dr. John Gilleland, a dentist from Jackson County, Ga., and a member of Mitchell’s Thunderbolts.
Attraction
Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia
The Georgia Museum of Art is located on the University of Georgia campus in Athens and has been the official art museum of the state…
Attraction
Murmur Trestle
The “Murmur Trestle” has for years attracted R.E.M. fans from around the globe.
Attraction
Oconee Hill Cemetery
Attraction
State Botanical Garden of Georgia
The State Botanical Garden of Georgia is a 313-acre botanical garden operated by the University of Georgia.
Attraction
Statue of Athena
The statue of Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, stands outside the Classic Center and faces downtown Athens.
Attraction
The Anchor
Athens, Ga., was once home to Navy Corps Supply School, which was located in the city's Normaltown neighborhood from Jan. 15, 1954, until 2011.
