A college town in Alabama, home to Auburn University and its 87,000-seat Jordan-Hare Stadium. The downtown area centers around Toomer's Corner, a local landmark since 1896.
Auburn, Alabama, revolves around Auburn University, where football games at Jordan-Hare Stadium fill the stands every autumn. You’ll find the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art displaying 19th-century paintings, Chewacla State Park with its 26-acre lake, and the Tiger Trail sidewalk plaques honoring athletes like Bo Jackson. Walk through downtown to see fans celebrating at Toomer’s Drugs, a soda fountain open since 1896, or explore 16 city parks scattered across the area. Each October, Loachapoka’s historic district hosts a cane syrup festival with live demonstrations, and the university maintains green spaces like the Donald E. Davis Arboretum. This city mixes college-town energy with traditions like rolling oak trees in toilet paper after sports wins.
Auburn University and Sports Culture
Auburn University defines the city’s rhythm, from its sprawling campus to packed football games drawing tens of thousands. Watch the Auburn Tigers play at Jordan-Hare Stadium, one of the largest venues in the Southeastern Conference, or visit the Jonathan B. Lovelace Athletic Museum to learn about championship teams. Downtown sidewalks display the Tiger Trail, with bronze markers recognizing athletes such as Heisman Trophy winner Pat Sullivan. After victories, join crowds at Toomer’s Drugs to toss toilet paper into the oak trees outside—a practice dating to the 1950s. The university also maintains the Donald E. Davis Arboretum, where walking paths wind through 13.5 acres of native pines and wildflowers.
Parks and Natural Areas
Chewacla State Park, six minutes from downtown, provides a lake for swimming, 36 campsites, and mountain biking trails with steep drops and wooden bridges. The city operates 16 parks, including Kiesel Park, where festivals take place on open fields surrounded by wooded trails. At the Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve, hike five miles through longleaf pine forests or attend reptile education workshops. Golfers can play at the Grand National complex in Opelika, home to three courses designed by Robert Trent Jones. Kayak rentals are available at Lake Martin, a 40-minute drive west, known for clear water and rocky shorelines.
Museums and Performing Arts
The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art houses six galleries with free admission, including American realist paintings and rotating modern installations. Auburn University’s Gogue Performing Arts Center hosts touring Broadway musicals like Hamilton and classical ensembles such as the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. Downtown, the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center teaches pottery workshops and displays local artists’ work in monthly exhibits. The Auburn Community Orchestra performs four free concerts yearly at churches and campus venues, blending classical pieces with modern compositions. During summer, the city sponsors outdoor jazz nights at Town Creek Park.
Historical Landmarks
Auburn’s past includes Creek Nation trade routes, 19th-century cotton farms, and early scientific agriculture. Tour the Scott-Yarbrough House, a pre-Civil War Greek Revival home restored to its 1850s appearance with original furniture and slave quarters. On campus, the Old Rotation test field has grown cotton continuously since 1896 to study crop sustainability. Loachapoka, seven miles west, preserves a 19th-century general store and hosts October syrup-making events with iron kettle demonstrations. Pine Hill Cemetery contains graves of university founders and Civil War soldiers, with self-guided tour maps at its entrance.
Festivals and Local Events
March brings a Mardi Gras parade through downtown, complete with marching bands and floats built by student organizations. In October, the Loachapoka Syrup Making Festival fills the streets with bluegrass music, handmade quilts, and fresh syrup poured over biscuits. Kiesel Park holds summer movie nights on a 20-foot screen and fall “Gellyball” tournaments where teens compete with gel pellet guns. The Auburn Public Library organizes weekly board game meetups and author lectures, while the Empty Bowls fundraiser in April supports food banks through pottery sales.
Getting Around Auburn
Auburn sits 60 miles northeast of Montgomery, accessible via Interstate 85 and Highway 280. The Auburn University Regional Airport handles private flights, while Columbus Airport offers commercial routes to Atlanta and Charlotte. Downtown’s grid system makes walking between shops and cafes straightforward, and bike lanes run along Magnolia Avenue and South College Street. Public buses operate limited routes weekdays from 7 AM to 6 PM, but renting a car helps for trips to Tuskegee National Forest or Opelika’s Railroad District. Check the city’s social media for updates on road closures during football games or construction projects.
