8 Best Sights in Macon, Central and North Georgia

Designed by the New York firm T. Thomas and Son in the mid-1800s, Hay House is a study in fine Italianate architecture prior to the Civil War. The marvelous stained-glass windows and many technological advances, including indoor plumbing, make a tour worthwhile. The home's dining room has recently been restored to its 1870s appearance. Tours depart on the hour. For a small upcharge, you can do the Top of the House tour, which explores the soaring cupola and widow's walk.

African American entrepreneur Charles H. Douglass built this theater in 1921. A host of great American musicians have performed here, among them Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, and locals Little Richard and Otis Redding. It's currently a venue for movies, plays, and other performances. You can take a guided tour of the building weekdays only. Call ahead for an appointment.

Designed to resemble a turn-of-the-century ballpark, sports enthusiasts will appreciate this shrine to Georgia sports and its Hall of Fame honoring over 400 inductees. Exhibits, though dated, include a variety of artifacts and interactive, touch-screen kiosks and honor sports—including baseball, golf, track and field, and football—at all levels, from prep and college teams to professional.

Displaying everything from a whale skeleton to fine art, this museum appeals to adults and children alike. The Discovery House, an interactive exhibit for children, is modeled after an artist's garret. There's also a mini-zoo and the Mark Smith Planetarium on-site.

This museum at Robins Air Force Base has an extraordinary collection of 85 vintage aircraft and missiles, including a MiG, an SR-71 (Blackbird), a U-2, and assorted other flying machines from past campaigns. For a small fee, you can also take a ride on a virtual reality simulator as you navigate through outer space.

Located 3 miles east of downtown Macon, Ocmulgee is a significant archaeological site as it's been occupied for more than 17,000 years; at its peak, between AD 900 and 1100, it was populated by the Mississippian peoples, who were renowned mound builders. There's a reconstructed earth lodge as well as displays of pottery, effigies, and jewelry of copper and shells discovered in the burial mound. Call or check the park's online schedule for special Lantern Light Tours and other educational opportunities.

Affectionately known as the Big House, this large Tudor-style building was home to members of the Allman Brothers Band and their families during the early 1970s. It was here that they collaborated and wrote some of the band's early songs, which would eventually bring them stardom and launch a new genre of music—Southern rock. In 2010, the home was restored and opened as a museum showcasing the band's guitars, clothing, photographs, posters, gold records, and other memorabilia. It's now home to the largest collection of Allman Brothers Band memorabilia in the world.

This museum honors Harriet Tubman, the former slave who led more than 300 people to freedom as one of the conductors of the Underground Railroad. The museum's signature piece is a large mural depicting several centuries of black culture. Permanent galleries are focused on African American inventors, Middle Georgia history, and folk art. Rotating exhibits showcase African American arts and culture.