Soul Searching in Macon, GA

on Aug 06, 2026

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The best destinations offer a combination of beauty, history, and hope for the future. Macon, Georgia, surprised me with all three, and it is exactly the place you should go the next time you need to do a little soul-searching.

Experiences and stay hosted by Visit Macon. All opinions are my own.

A cityscape featuring church spires, residential houses, and a green dome roof under a colorful sunset sky with orange, pink, and purple clouds.

When Visit Macon invited my husband and me to explore this southern town, I really didn’t know anything about it. Located a little over 6 hours from Raleigh, an hour and a half from Atlanta, and about 4 hours from Jacksonville, Macon is in the middle of it all.

This Georgia town was the home of Otis Redding, and the adopted home of The Allman Brothers. The Muscogee Nation made its capital here, and Macon remains one of the South’s only standing Antebellum cities spared in the Civil War.

Not to mention, Little Richard was born here, and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, which is the largest state sports hall of fame in the US, is located right in the heart of downtown. How’s that for a history lesson?

Macon’s Got Soul

As if being the birthplace of Little Richard isn’t enough, Macon seriously has chops. Artists from all over the world have come through this small Georgia town to record, play, and experience a piece of history.

Beyond music, Hollywood also called Macon home to many movies with scenes filmed in town, including Superman (2025 version), 42, and The Color Purple (2023 version), to name a few.

Professional recording studio with a large audio mixing console, studio monitors, computer screens, and interior view of a soundproof room through a glass window.

The renowned Capricorn Records is still an operating recording studio, and visitors are invited to take tours and listen to the seemingly endless catalog of music in the upstairs gallery.

TIP: Studio tours must be booked in advance, and I highly recommend spending a couple of hours here. The history in those rooms is palpable, and I left dying to know their secrets.

A woman wearing headphones stands at an interactive music exhibit at Mercer Music at Capricorn, with displays and music-related wall art visible in the background.

Plus, you never know who you might see. As we were about to leave, we met Newton Collier, who had casually stopped by.

The now 81-year-old is a local legend in Macon who lent his trumpet skills to musical acts like Sam & Dave, The Pinetoppers, and the inimitable Otis Redding. He pops into Capricorn often to say hello. We sat across from him as he dazzled us with stories of the good ol’ days; a conversation that turned out to be a highlight of the trip.

Three adults stand together in front of a couch and a colorful painting of musicians; all are smiling at the camera in a warmly lit room. — Newton Collier with Andrea and Gerald Updyke at Capricorn Studios, Macon

No visit is complete without a swing through the Otis Redding Foundation Museum and the Allman Brothers Band Museum at the Big House. Each museum has decades of memorabilia and stories to tell.

I was stunned to learn that Redding was just 26 when he wrote Dock of the Bay, and tragically died before seeing its success. The Allman Brothers Band still has strong ties to the area, and their ever-presence can be felt all over town.

Room with exposed brick wall featuring framed posters, a bust, vinyl records, portraits, and two chairs on a carpeted floor. — Otis Redding Foundation Museum

A glass display case with letters and photos sits in front of a wall filled with musical instruments, clothing, and memorabilia in a museum exhibit. — Otis Redding Foundation Museum

Top off your day with some delicious fried chicken at H&H Restaurant, and you’ll head home full of great food and lots of soul.

Plate with fried chicken, cornbread, deviled eggs, mashed potatoes with gravy, and a serving of casserole on a blue and white checkered tablecloth. — Fried Chicken and sides from H&H Restaurant in Macon, GA

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Looking Back to Move Forward

Macon impressed me in the way its planners intentionally weave in some of the uglier parts of U.S. history into the current city planning and vision for the future. Reminders of Indigenous peoples and past racism are seen throughout the town.

A colorful van labeled “Macon Georgia” is parked on a street in front of a large white mansion, with green lawns and trees under a blue sky.

We took the guided Soul Sites Tour, which started at the Visit Macon headquarters, and learned so much about the town, its history, and where it’s headed.

Stone building entrance labeled “Colored Waiting Room” above a large window and door, with a tree and ramp in the foreground. — Macon, Georgia, train station with “colored waiting room” sign intact as a reminder of racism.

We drove past the segregated entrance to the train station, which still stands, intentionally left intact as a reminder that we aren’t so far away from some of our country’s worst decisions. It’s uncomfortable to look at, and that is exactly the point.

You will also find the original Muscogee names for more than 100 streets on signs throughout downtown, commemorating the thriving community that once stood here before Macon had its current name.

A red-brick building houses Five Star Credit Union on a street corner in Macon, under a red traffic light and a “Third St” sign. — Muscogee street names have been added to the street signs in downtown Macon, GA

Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park stands tall as a reminder of the tens of thousands of Indigenous people who lived, traded, and traveled through this part of Georgia.

If all goes according to plan, its designation may soon be upgraded to National Park, adding more protection and expanding the area. The change would also mark the integration of the Muscogee Nation as co-managers of the federal land.

Brick pillar and sign at entrance to Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, managed by the National Park Service, on a grassy area with trees in the background.

Two grassy, flat-topped earthen mounds stand under a blue sky, surrounded by green grass and sparse vegetation.

Some of what we learned was sad, some of it was inspiring, and all of it reminded me that when people come together to make change, beauty is on the other side.

Today in Macon

You’ll find great food, delicious cocktails, and fun shops full of small-town charm around every corner. But Macon is growing too. There are many intriguing places to wander, and a lot of development planned to bring even more people to the downtown area.

A multistory tan brick building labeled “Hotel Forty Five” with cars parked in front and people on a rooftop terrace at sunset.

Some of our favorite stops were within steps of each other and also close to our hotel. We stayed at Hotel Forty Five right in downtown, and it was within walking distance of nearly everything we wanted to see. The room was spacious, bright, and clean. The perfect retreat after a long day of sightseeing.

A neatly made bed with white linens, a map-themed artwork above the headboard, bedside tables, lamps, and a window with partially drawn curtains.

We had delicious local spirits from Longleaf Distilling Co., and our favorite meals included eats from Oliver’s, Dovetail, and, of course, the legendary H&H Restaurant.

Mornings spent at Macon Bagels and Sweet Eleanor’s were slow and delicious, and on our last day, we revisited H&H Restaurant for some much-needed chicken and waffles.

Two people stand on a sidewalk in front of a “Macon Bagels” sign on a sunny day, with parked cars and trees in the background.

We did a little shopping at Rabbit Hole and Bear’s Books after breakfast, and it was the perfect ending to our weekend.

Macon taught me that the best travel doesn’t always have to mean navigating long distances. Some of life’s most meaningful moments can be experienced in a weekend just a few hours away.