Known for its classical architecture and University of Georgia campus, this Southern city celebrates its cultural roots through year-round festivals and historic downtown buildings from the 1800s.
Athens, Georgia, 60 miles northeast of Atlanta, shaped American alternative music in the 1980s when bands like R.E.M. and the B-52s played their first shows at the 40 Watt Club. Walk through the University of Georgia's 200-year-old North Campus, explore the State Botanical Garden's flowering trails, or catch a concert at the Georgia Theatre. The city's music scene continues to thrive with performances at historic venues like the Morton Theatre, where Louis Armstrong once played.
Live Music Venues
The Georgia Theatre, renovated from a 1930s cinema house, fits 1,000 people and draws both regional bands and national touring acts. The 40 Watt Club began in a small apartment in 1978 and now hosts shows for 500 people in its brick-walled space on Washington Street. Follow the Athens Music Walk of Fame through downtown to see sidewalk plaques marking significant venues and musicians. During AthFest each June, three outdoor stages and art markets fill six blocks of Washington Street.
University of Georgia Campus
North Campus preserves buildings from 1785, when UGA became America's first public university. The red brick Old College from 1806 sits among magnolia trees, and students still ring the Chapel Bell after football victories. The State Botanical Garden spreads across 313 acres, with paths winding through the International Garden's Mediterranean plants and the Heritage Garden's native Georgia species. The Georgia Museum of Art displays American paintings dating to the 1700s and rotates contemporary exhibitions throughout the year.
Antebellum Architecture
The Church-Waddel-Brumby House from 1820 welcomes visitors with its hand-carved mantels and period furniture from the early 1800s. The Taylor-Grady House represents 1840s Greek Revival architecture with its six white columns and matching upper and lower windows. The Morton Theatre, built in 1910, maintains its street-front ticket booth and decorated ceiling from its days as a leading African American vaudeville venue where Duke Ellington performed.
Getting Around Athens
Athens Transit runs free buses connecting downtown, the university, and residential areas seven days a week. Check route maps and bus arrival times at the main terminal on Multimodal Center. Cyclists can use dedicated bike lanes throughout downtown, with rental shops near campus providing bikes by the hour or day. For trips beyond Athens, fly from Athens-Ben Epps Airport to Charlotte or Atlanta, or drive one hour on Interstate 85 to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
