Photo: Shutterstock/Sean Pavone
Photo: Shutterstock/Sean Pavone
Welcome to
Two Days Away
, our series featuring weekend-long itineraries within a five-hour drive of your city—because sometimes we all just need a little adventure fix.
Some say the best music in the country is produced in cities that start with M. Manhattan, Miami, and Memphis often get all the recognition, but don’t overlook Macon, Georgia. This charming city in Georgia is the hometown of legends in several music genres, including soulman Otis Redding, the Southern rockers The Allman Brothers, and native son Little Richard, who is credited as the “architect of rock and roll.” Just a short two-hour drive from Atlanta, you’ll quickly experience and feel the lasting impact of these artists at museums, music studios, and other venues in this music-rich city.
But if you embark on a road trip solely to explore music history, you’ll discover that Macon has so much more to offer. From globally influenced restaurants and top-notch cocktail bars to trendy hotels, there are countless things to do in Macon, Georgia during a music-inspired getaway.
Drive time:
2 hours from Atlanta, Georgia
Photo courtesy of The Big House Museum
If you don’t do anything else: Visit the house and museum dedicated to a quintessential Southern rock band
Even if you know little about The Allman Brothers, you’ll still appreciate being immersed in their story at The Big House Museum, the Tudor-style dwelling where the band and their families lived in the early 1970s. A self-guided tour on the first-floor museum offers a peek into the lives on the road and in the studio, with exhibits featuring their instruments, memorabilia, and personal artifacts. Don’t miss the glass-topped pool table, now filled with backstage passes and ticket stubs from their shows, and Greg Allman’s handwritten lyrics to their brooding hit “Midnight Rider.” If you’re lucky, their former official photographer and archivist Kirk West might be there to regale you with stories about the various album and magazine covers he shot with the band.
On the second floor, it has been meticulously restored to look exactly like it did when the Allmans lived there with their wives and children. Duane Allman’s framed New Year’s Resolution for 1969 “to be the best man I possibly can” sits on his nightstand, while his fringed suede jacket and guitar cases are arranged in his closet. A funky room called the The Casbah was their favorite communal space, with velvet sofas, a turntable, LPs, and a legendary seven-headed shower.
Fill Your Days:
Music museums in Macon
The Otis Redding Museum, which was created by his widow and daughter to honor the soul musician, is small but filled with exhibits celebrating his musical influence. Artifacts from his family’s personal collection include original lyrics, phone messages, and photos. Just down the street, a new arts center in his name is opening this fall. Little Richard’s impact on rock cannot be overstated. He is credited with launching the concept of rock and roll and inspiring countless other musicians. Book a tour of his childhood home located on 416 Craft Street to see where he grew up and check out photos and lyrics while learning about the educational and job searching services their resource center provides and its impact on the community.
Photo courtesy of Capricorn Sound Studios and Museum
Recording studios and venues in Macon
In the 1970s, Capricorn Records was a pioneer of the Southern rock movement, with a roster of artists including The Marshall Tucker Band, The Allman Brothers, and Edwin Bishop. Now, visitors can take a peek behind the scenes at Capricorn Museum & Studio. The walls of the upstairs museum are covered with promotional posters, letters, and photos. Two rows of touchscreen digital listening stations resemble record bins; select an album and it becomes a virtual turntable where you can listen to tracks while browsing photos and artifacts about that band or musician. On certain days and times, you can tour the original studio and adjacent sound room where groups like Lynyrd Skynyrd recorded some of their biggest hits. It is still a working studio for musicians who want to soak up the vibe of the renowned artists who came before them. Douglass Theatre is one of the country’s first Black-owned theaters, which opened in 1921. Some of the biggest names in jazz and blues have graced the stage. Visit the Douglass Theatre and stand in the footsteps of Little Richard, James Brown, and others. It has been meticulously restored to its former glory, and now you can enjoy music-focused movies produced by local filmmakers.
Eat, Drink and Sleep:
Bars and restaurants in Macon
The cuisine in Macon blends elements of soul food, lowcountry cooking, and global fusion, and the drinks often have a musical inspiration. Have a round of music-inspired cocktails at Hightales, the rooftop bar at Hotel Forty Five. The lip-tingling Got the Feelin’ is named after the 1968 James Brown tune, with blanco Tequila, jalapeno- and habanero-infused agave, raspberry, and lime. Visit global bistro Pearl Passionate Cuisine & Cocktails for a cocktail that pays tribute to The King with his favorite ingredient, and stay for the delicious starters and sides. Priscilla’s King combines rum that is fat washed with peanut butter with banana liqueur, allspice dram, and demerara syrup. The dishes on the food menu all take classic favorites to the next level. Japanese milk bread yeast rolls come with a trio of butters, baked plump Gulf oysters are topped with garlic butter and tangy pecorino, and cucumbers are tossed with ingredients like ponzu and sambal. H&H Soul Food Restaurant is an institution that has been attracting locals, visitors, and musicians since 1959. So, having brunch there is practically a must when visiting Macon. They don’t take reservations, and the wait can be long on weekends, but it’s definitely worth it when you enjoy boneless chicken and waffles with sweet tea. When you leave, take a selfie next to the mural in the parking lot, which depicts chef and owner Mama Louise Hudson and The Allman Brothers, who formed a bond with her and asked her to cook for the band on tour.
Hotel Forty Five
| Photo courtesy of Visit Macon
Hotels in Macon
The Woodward Hotel is a modern, contactless nine-room boutique hotel downtown. There is no lobby or common area—you’ll receive the check-in code to gain access to the building and your room before your arrival. Their cozy cocktail bar Quill serves up literary-themed cocktails like The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, with bourbon, bergamot black tea, blueberry, and lemon. Hotel Forty Five has 94 rooms, and the name has a double meaning—it refers to its location at a 45-degree angle between Cherry and First Streets and Cotton Avenue, and also to all the 45 RPM records that are part of its storied musical history. Elements and furnishings have been incorporated into the guestrooms, meeting spaces, and common areas, and chef-driven restaurant Loom is a tribute to Macon’s textile industry, with classic dishes like crispy chicken and pimento cheese fritters.
