Location: Athens
Top Things to do in Athens
What to do and see in Athens, Georgia (GA): The Best Free Things to do
In the sweltering Georgia heat, no place is as cool as Athens. This hip college town is home to the University of Georgia, Pulitzer Prize winning authors and famous rock musicians. Explore the downtown area, where Victorian buildings are filled with an eclectic combination of independent coffee shops, restaurants and boutiques. Named "Live Music Central," Athens' busy music venues are known around the world. Check out The 40 Watt Club, where The B-52s and R.E.M got their start.
Restaurants in Athens
1. Wuxtry Records
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 15 reviews
Reviewed By Schussboom
This place should be on the national register of historic places. Have been in Wuxtry records many times over the past year and it’s always a pleasant experience. All kinds of new and used vinyl and CDs, even posters. They also offer fair prices on albums you want to sell. They even sell a limited selection of stereo gear and have an assortment of used, vintage stuff next door that they’ll show you on request. They have a sweet Audio Technica turntable and Edifer speaker special we took advantage of that is affordable and an excellent value. The Edifers are great and have enough lower end to fill out a full sound for a small to medium sized room. Helpful, quirky, interesting, resourceful, knowledgeable, and friendly. Wuxtry has been around a long time and it’s perfected the art of being exactly what it should be - an extraordinary experience.
2. State Botanical Garden of Georgia
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 649 reviews
This 313-acre preserve is used by the University of Georgia as a horticulture laboratory and is open to the public.
Reviewed By Sailing68 - Fairview Heights, United States
Enjoyed the variety of plants and trees and the natural layout of the Botanical Gardens. Well worth visiting to enjoy the outdoors and natural beauty of the area!!!
3. We Let the Dawgs Out Public Art Exhibit
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 35 reviews
4. Georgia Museum of Art
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 145 reviews
The Georgia Museum of Art is the official state museum of art, is located on the University of Georgia campus, and our new ticketed admission is free (at https://georgiamuseum.org/visit/). The museum presents works from the permanent collection as well as frequent temporary exhibitions from other institutions or generated in-house. Educational programming is now all virtual and includes tours, a monthly family day, teen studios, Yoga in the Galleries and guided mindfulness. Hours: Thursday, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; and Sunday, 1–5 p.m. The museum is closed on major US holidays. Mission statement: The Georgia Museum of Art shares the mission of the University of Georgia to support and to promote teaching, research, and service. Specifically, as a repository and educational instrument of the visual arts, the museum exists to collect, preserve, exhibit and interpret significant works of art.
Reviewed By brooket985 - Sand Springs, United States
The museum changes fairly frequently since they have entire areas dedicated to traveling exhibits. I was shown around by a friend who goes to the college and I thoroughly enjoyed most of the art available. My only complaint is there was one employee that was particularly rude to my friend. My friend had a completely sealed container of water and the employee was trying to make us walk all the way downstairs and get a locker for it. We ended up just putting it on a table outside of the exhibit room.
5. Historic Athens Welcome Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 54 reviews
The Historic Athens Welcome Center has been described by visitors as "an oasis in the heart of historic downtown Athens.” Our friendly staff and tour guides help visitors make the most of Athens, inside a gracious southern home – The Church-Waddel-Brumby House. Meet with our information specialists to plot out your personal sight-seeing journey through Athens. Pick up local gifts and souvenirs for yourself and your loved ones. Explore our House Museum depicting Athens life 1819-1829. We also carry a full range of brochures and maps for Athens and the entire State of Georgia. The Historic Athens Welcome Center is operated by Historic Athens.
Reviewed By carolynn762 - Avon, United States
The Athens Welcome Center is a wonderful place to start your exploration of Athens. It is housed in a lovely old home (with a great back porch and rocking chairs), the Church-Waddel-Brumby house circa 1820. We toured the home and learned of its history as well as that of the University and Athens before boarding the bus for the Heritage Tour of the community. The guide was excellent, but I think I need to go again the next time I am in Athens because she imparted so much information in one afternoon that I cannot remember all of it!
6. Bear Hollow Zoo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 256 reviews
Reviewed By elizabhar
Bear Hollow is an outstanding little local spot. All the animals are local (southeast) rescues who wouldn't survive in the wild. If you're looking for expensive giraffes or something, you'll be disappointed, but if you need a great place to let kids run up and down the paths to find the bears, get amazingly close to an alligator, or talk back to a turkey, this is your spot! It's connected to Memorial Park, so bring a picnic and wander on down to the lake, feed the geese, watch the turtles, and enjoy the multiple little playgrounds.
7. Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 10 reviews
8. Trail Creek Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 21 reviews
The SPLOST funded 113-acre Trail Creek Park was completed in 2006. The park, formerly East Athens Community Park, is located off the Athens Perimeter at Peter Street.. The second phase of the park, completed in 2013, includes an outdoor fitness zone, playground, splash pad, and picnic pavilions. The mountain bike trail is a popular destination, too. The popular splash pad is open May through August with operating hours of 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Admission is $1 per person. The open park, with plenty of green space, is accessible from the Athens Perimeter or from Trail Creek Street. Visit Trail Creek Park and enjoy this park only minutes from downtown Athens.
9. Sandy Creek Nature Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 88 reviews
The nature center is a facility of the Athens-Clarke County Department of Leisure Services and partners with Sandy Creek Nature Center Inc., a non-profit support group. This 225- acre wildlife sanctuary includes over 4 miles of nature trails, providing access to a variety of habitats typical of the Georgia piedmont: river floodplains, wetlands, upland pine and hardwood forests, fields, ponds, and streams. In 2012, Sandy Creek Nature Center completed a major expansion funded by SPLOST and community partnership dollars. Over 4,000 square feet were added to the Education & Visitor Center, including new exhibits and a planetarium. Sandy Creek Nature Center is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Property and trails are open sunrise to sunset daily.
Reviewed By ShaFlorida
The hiking paths are well-marked. We enjoyed getting to hike to the old log cabin & pond. My kids loved getting to see a variety of birds & insects. We were sad the visitor's center is still requiring masks, so we didn't go inside there.
10. Downtown Athens
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 135 reviews
Reviewed By AtlantaLex
Not long ago Athens was the center of the Rock world. REM, B-52s, Widespread Panic all started here. Today, there are still some good music acts and clubs, along with a vibrant string of bars and restaurants in downtown. Here, nothing good happens before midnight--but it happens.
