Downtown Macon

Walkable, active but not overly busy, beautiful historical architecture, all levels of dining, live music, bars, shopping, and dancing, Downtown Macon is everyone’s neighborhood. It’s the place where the community gathers for 1200+ signature events and annual festivals, including the International Cherry Blossom Festival, the Pan African Festival, Bragg Jam, the Macon Film Festival, and the Main Street Christmas Light Extravaganza. Downtown Macon serves as the region’s dynamic entertainment district and cultural hub, offering craft cocktails and beer and a diverse calendar of performances at our historic venues. Downtown Macon inspires creativity and innovation -it’s the home of Macon’s independent radio station and 7 quirky art galleries. Downtown Macon is where people meet by foot or bike before enjoying fare inspired by far-reaching destinations and new twists on Southern classics. Downtown Macon is unlike any other place –it’s vibrant and distinctly local, driven by the community that curates their own authentic city experience for all to enjoy.
 

Amerson River Park

A beautiful, well shaded park that opened in 2015 and continues to expand. Just a few miles from downtown, this park lies along the Ocmulgee river. The park has several miles of paved pathways, which are great for walking, jogging, biking, and skating. It also features a large playground with several lovely spots for events and get-togethers. On hot days, our residents enjoy going on a "float" down the Ocmulgee river. Residents typically float a two-mile stretch that meanders you around the oxbow that runs alongside Amerson. The float typically takes 1-2 hours and Amerson river park has designated places for "drop in" and "take out" of the river with ample parking at both ends for floaters. Inflatable tubes are not provided.

Ocmulgee Indian Mounds National Historic Park 

Just a few miles from downtown and minutes from our hospital, this park is a prehistoric American Indian site, where many different American Indian cultures occupied the land for thousands of years. 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. The park includes a Native American museum featuring many artifacts found in the park. The park complex is centered around the "Great Temple Mound". It's estimated that 10 million baskets of dirt, weighing about 60 pounds each, were used to build the 55-feet-tall mound! Today, there are steps that allow visitors to climb to the top of the mound for a spectacular view of the surrounding area. The "Earth Lodge" is another stunning historical feature of the park. The archeologically excavated floor of the earth lodge is 1,000 years old and features a "Rock Eagle" carving, which served as the council chamber used by the Mississippians for meetings and ceremonies. This park also features several miles of newly built trails and walking paths which have recently been renovated and expanded. The "Ocmulgee Indigenous Celebration" is a festival of Southeastern Native American cultures that takes place at Ocmulgee Mounds every September.

For more great information about Macon and what it has to offer, visit maconworks.com.

Cherry Blossom Festival

Dubbed “The Pinkest Party on Earth”, The International Cherry Blossom Festival is held in Macon, Georgia every spring. Macon, known as the "Cherry Blossom Capital of the World," has around 300,000–350,000 Yoshino Cherry Trees that have bloomed around the city in late March every year since 1982. The festival often holds animal shows, concerts, theatrical performances, parades, international showcase events, house tours, fashion shows, galas, luncheons, marathons, dances, fair rides, and bus tours along scenic Cherry Blossom trails. This festival is one of the largest annual events in Macon, drawing in hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world. Bragg Jam – Since 1999, Brag Jam has been bringing music, art, and memories to downtown Macon.
 

Bragg Jam 

This is an annual concert crawl held every July that welcomes acts from around the country for one night of incredible music. One ticket will get you into venues all across town where you can hear a variety of genres and styles. Before the concert crawl kicks off, families are welcome to enjoy Bragg Fam, an afternoon event filled with bounce houses, art activities, a DJ, and other musical performances just for the kids and kids at heart. First Friday – Held on the first Friday of each month, the streets of downtown Macon come alive with live music, art exhibitions, delicious eats, and cold brews.
 

First Friday

Held on the first Friday of each month, the streets of downtown Macon come alive with live music, art exhibitions, delicious eats, and cold brews. First Friday offers something for everyone!
 

Rose Hill Cemetery

Meander through the 80-acre Rose Hill Cemetery along the banks of the Ocmulgee River, established in 1840 and on the National Register of Historic Places. Find the final resting place of Allman Brothers Band musicians, United States senators, governors and 600 Civil War Soldiers. Created during the Romanticism era to serve as a resting place and public park, Rose Hill Cemetery is spotted by hundreds of artistic monuments and intricate tombstones. Great for exploring and photography of nearly 200 years of art, nature, and history. The “Rose Hill Ramble” is conducted in the historic cemetery twice a year and consists of a guided walkthrough of a different section of the grounds each time. The tour will enlighten participants about the history, themes, and design of 19th century sculptures and mausoleums in the cemetery.
 

College Town Atmosphere

Macon is home to three universities- Mercer University, Middle Georgia State University, and Wesleyan College. Mercer University is the largest of the three and also consists of the Mercer School of Medicine and Mercer School of Law. Of note, Mercer University hosts NCAA Division 1 Football and Basketball, as well as many other sports and activities throughout the year. Mercer basketball famously pulled off one of the biggest upsets of all time in the “March Madness” NCAA tournament in 2014 by knocking off number one seed Duke 78-71.
 

Macon Bacon Baseball

The Macon Bacon is a Georgia-based wood-bat collegiate summer baseball team that began playing in the Coastal Plain League in 2018. The team is a favorite summer night activity for many Macon residents and could be said to have a “cult following” of very enthusiastic fans. If you play your cards right, you could snag one of the All-You-Can-Eat Ticket Packages before they sell out. The team plays at the historic Luther Williams Field, which was built in 1929 and has hosted numerous baseball greats, including Jackie Robinson, Pete Rose, and Chipper Jones.
 

Music History

Home of the Allman Brothers, Little Richard, and Otis Redding, among others, Macon is “where soul lives”. The city has museums and music history landmarks, including the historic “Capricorn Recording Studios” and “The Big House”, of the Allman Brothers fame.
 

“Yallywood”

Macon is now a major movie film site where you can frequently catch the filming of well-known blockbusters and TV shows. You will frequently see entire buildings outfitted as a set and may even catch a glimpse of a star.
 

Resident Trivia Team

We frequently fill a team on Thursday nights at “The Society Garden” to socialize and show off our knowledge. Other good things about Macon include:

• Low cost of living
• Very little traffic. Most of our residents have a sub-15 minute commute, with many residents being able to get from home to work in less than 5 minutes!
• Immediate interstate access with under 2 hours travel time north to Atlanta, and around 3 hours south to Florida or west to Savannah.
• Less than 90 minutes to one of the world's largest international airports.
• Many good and cheap recreation opportunities nearby including golf, tennis, pickleball, yoga and fitness classes. Macon was recently featured in Forbes Magazine as one of the South’s Best Kept Secrets.