|
Macon -- a lively community, rich in history
and the arts...
Carlyle Place is ideally located in Macon,
Ga., a lively community with a rich cultural and historical
heritage. From educational institutions to architectural
treasures, music halls to sports venues, libraries to museums,
its many facilities and events delight residents and tourists,
as well as visiting family members and friends. In general,
sites are easily reached by car and physically accessible,
and many amenities are free or have special rates for seniors
Macon is also known as a city of churches
of all faiths and denominations. In addition to services,
many have outstanding musical and other cultural programs.
The city has many excellent art galleries, hotels and motels,
and restaurants as well.
Here
are just some of the many exciting attractions:
- Mercer
University, a nationally renowned institution
with graduate schools of medicine, engineering,
theology and law, presents outstanding lectures
and concerts, which are usually free. At the acoustically
superb McCorkle Hall, you may see and hear budding
stars in addition to their talented instructors
from the Townsend School of Music.
- Wesleyan
College, the country’s first college for women,
offers a venue for both small and large professional
and community arts events, which are open to the
public. It is the also the site of Midsummer
Macon, a summer residential or day camp on the
campus primarily for children, teens and educators
interested in an intensive exploration of the arts.
Many professional evening programs are open to the
public
- Macon
State University, a public institution offering
two- and four-year degrees, provides a large number
of classes for adult education at reasonable cost.
- The Museum
of Arts and Sciences, just a short distance
from Carlyle, offers a continually changing display
of excellent national, international and local
collections. It also has a large planetarium and
a wildlife trail. Seniors enjoy special rates.
- The
Grand Opera House, a magnificently restored
attraction listed on the National Register of Historic
Places, is home to the outstanding Macon Symphony
Orchestra, as well as the Broadway Series, offered
by Mercer University, operas presented by the Macon
Opera Guild, and other musical and theatrical events.
- The
Tubman Museum, with attractive galleries dedicated
to fine arts, folk arts and African arts, offers
guided tours, programs and traveling exhibits that
are educational as well as cultural.
- The
Georgia Music Hall of Fame and Museum and the
nearby Georgia
Sports Hall of Fame are popular attractions
downtown. Both offer tours with special discounts.
- Many
old houses and buildings in the historic section
are open for visitors. One of the most famous is
the Hay
House, among the finest antebellum houses in
the country. Featured on A&E’s “America’s
Castles,” it offers tours year round and opens
its facilities for special events.
- For
history buffs, the Ocmulgee
National Monument is a must-see. From the ice
age through several Indian eras to the present, it
preserves a record of human life in the Southeast.
Recurring
special events in Macon include:
- The
city’s annual 10-day-long Cherry
Blossom Festival in the spring draws thousands
of tourists with its long list of varied opportunities
for fun and adventure under a beautiful canopy of
300,000 blooming Yoshino cherry trees throughout
the business and residential areas. The Mulberry
Street Arts and Crafts Festival is a special treat.
- The Tour
de Georgia bicycle race, a warm-up event for
the internationally renowned Tour de France, has
thrilled thousands of spectators as it wends its
way through the center of the city in late April.
- The
Lane Packing Co. in Fort Valley about 25 miles away,
is an interesting destination. The company offers
free, self-guided tours of its large peach and pecan
orchards, as well its state-of-the-art packing facility,
where the premier crops are graded for shipping all
over the country.
- About
30 minutes’ drive to the south is the Museum
of Aviation, a major Southeast attraction of
interest to retirees and students of all ages. Adjacent
to Robins Air Force Base, it preserves and protects
more than 90 aircraft, from the early 1896 glider
to the more recent Mach 3 SR-71. The huge Eagle Building
also houses military and civilian aviation exhibits
and archives.
- Other
nearby attractions in the area include several State
Parks: High Falls State Park, Indian Springs
State Park, Jarrell Plantation State Historic Site,
Oconee National Forest, Piedmont National Wildlife
Refuge, Dauset Trails, Uncle
Remus Museum, and Old Governor’s Mansion
in Milledgeville.
- Further
to the west are Callaway
Gardens and the nearby Warm Springs Village and
the Little
White House of the Roosevelt era and to the south,
the Okefenokee
Swamp, a national wildlife refuge and the Andersonville
Historic National Monument, a Civil War prison.
Additional information about Macon’s
attractions and facilities may be obtained from the Macon-Bibb
Convention and Tourism Bureau.
- Isabel Wright |
