Head south on I-75, and an hour and a half later you’ll find yourself in Macon. If you haven’t jumped off the highway to explore this city before, you’re missing out on some of the state’s most notable historical attractions. Macon overflows with Native American, African American, and music history and does a stellar job highlighting them all.
Visit a national historical park
Just minutes from downtown Macon, Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park honors the history of the Native Americans who called this area home. The Mississippian Period began around 900 CE, as evidenced by the mounds that remain in the park. To learn more about them, catch the orientation movie and exhibits at the visitors center for background on the tribes who lived and worked here. From there, head into the park where you can enter the Earth Lodge and climb to the top of the Great Temple Mound. Eight miles of trails afford further exploration throughout the park.
Looking to make history of its own, the park could become Georgia’s first national park and preserve if approved by Congress.
“The creation of the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve this year would protect the cultural and natural resources of the region and bolster the economic viability of middle Georgia for generations to come,” said Seth C. Clark, executive director of the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative. “It’s hard to overstate the impact this is going to have on the region.”
Dive into African American history
In downtown Macon, the Tubman African American Museum showcases the art, history, and culture of African Americans. Stories here range from the well-known, such as Harriett Tubman and her efforts to help enslaved people reach freedom through the Underground Railroad, to the untold, such as Sarah Randolph Bailey, who brought scouting to Macon long before Girl Scouts permitted African American Girl Scout troops. The “From the Minds of African Americans” exhibit highlights the scientists, inventors, and businessmen who changed our daily lives. After all, what would you do without your ice cream scoop invented by Alfred Cralle?
Credit: ccompton@ajc.com
Credit: ccompton@ajc.com
Music to explore
Of course, many people are familiar with Macon’s strong musical heritage.
“I wish there were a way to pinpoint why the artists Macon has produced have been so profoundly influential — the secret could be bottled up and sold!” said Lisa Love, director of the Georgia Music Foundation in Macon. “There’s an energy here living on the sacred ground that was inhabited by the Muscogee and their ancestors, and there’s a laid-back vibe, which seems to translate musically. I believe the wellspring of natural talent has spiritually drawn from those intangibles, and been encouraged by a wealth of church music, a long history of great music educators, and smart local entrepreneurs.”
For a deeper dive into this aspect of Macon history, visitors can tour The Big House Museum, which documents the evolution of the Allman Brothers Band through exhibits and artifacts. Because band members lived in this home, visitors can see some rooms that are preserved as they were when the band lived here.
In the Museum at Capricorn Records, visitors can learn more about the record company and artists that made music in Macon through the interactive and display exhibits. You can even search for artists and listen to some of their music. The Otis Redding Museum honors the life and career of Otis Redding, who died at26. Memorabilia and artifacts line the walls along with informational plaques that document Redding’s rise to fame.
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