Located in eastern Alabama, Auburn is a city that features many museums, green spaces, nightspots, and historic landmarks. To get to know the area more, you have to visit Auburn University where you’ll come across many local attractions, like Donald E. Davis Arboretum and the Jonathan Bell Lovelace Museum. But aside from its must-visit attractions, Auburn is home to the most hospitable people, which you’ll discover in its tightly knit community. Experience this and more when you visit Auburn. In case you still don’t have any idea about the activities and the places to see here, we have compiled a list of the top things to do in Auburn, Alabama, for your guide.
1. Browse the collections at Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art
The only accredited museum in Alabama, Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art is located at Auburn University campus. It has an area of 40,000 sq ft (3716.12 sq m) and contains six galleries that feature numerous artworks with a focus on 19th- and 20th-century American and European arts. Apart from the galleries, the museum is also home to an auditorium, cafe, and a museum shop where you can buy souvenirs. If you like what you see inside the facility, you’ll also love the outside with its formal area, a woodland landscape, sculptures, and the pathway surrounding the lake.
Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art
Address: 901 S College St, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
Website: Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art
Opening hours: Tue - Wed, Fri - Sat: 10am - 4:30pm; Thu: 10am - 8pm; Sun: 1pm - 4pm (closed on Mon)
Price: 5 USD
2. Go bird watching at Southeastern Raptor Center
Whether you’re into birds or not, you shouldn’t miss visiting the Southeastern Raptor Center. Though it is not open for the public, you can view and learn about the birds of prey through a program every Friday before Auburn football games. Football, Fans, and Feathers is the name of the program wherein you’ll see eagles, falcons, and hawks fly from flight towers. Make sure you bring your kids with you when you visit, for they’ll surely be in for an enjoyable experience seeing the raptors up-close.
Southeastern Raptor Center
Address: 1350 Pratt-Carden Dr, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
Website: Southeastern Raptor Center
3. Soak in the tranquility of Donald E. Davis Arboretum
If you’re always interested in the environment and find peace in the shades of trees, then you have to visit Donald E. Davis Arboretum. It is a botanical garden that consists of different kinds of trees, and its main purpose is the conservation, preservation, and research of trees. It is located at the campus of Auburn University and is open to the public without any entrance free. Aside from the more than 150 species of trees, you’ll also find wildflowers and shrubs here.
Donald E. Davis Arboretum
Address: Auburn, AL 36830, USA
Website: Donald E. Davis Arboretum
Opening hours: 6am - 7pm (daily)
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4. Relax at Chewacla State Park
Another nature retreat that you should visit is the Chewacla State Park. It has an area of 696 acres (281.66 hectares), which features scenic land that is best for relaxation, recreation, and rest. Whether you’re with family or friends, you’ll surely have something to do here. With its many facilities, you wouldn’t know what to do first. It has a swimming area, a lake, a campground, picnic area, barbecue facilities, hiking trails, cabins, and more.
Chewacla State Park
Address: 124 Shell Toomer Pkwy, Auburn, AL 36830, USA
Website: Chewacla State Park
Opening hours: 8am - 8pm (daily)
Price: 1 USD
5. Take your dogs to Kiesel Park
The largest park in Auburn, Kiesel Park features a pavilion, a garden, and a walking trail. It is also well-known among dog lovers for having an off-leash area for dogs, which will make your fur friend happy to roam around in his natural state. Aside from these facilities, this place is also known for being a concert venue and one of the most sought-after wedding venues. Also, at the heart of the park, you’ll find the Nunn Winston House, which is the best example of antebellum Greek revival architecture in the area and dates back from 1850.
Kiesel Park
Address: 520 Chadwick Ln, Auburn, AL 36832, USA
Website: Kiesel Park
Opening hours: 6am - 6pm (daily)
6. Catch a game of baseball at Auburn Arena
Situated on the campus of Auburn University, Auburn Arena is the best place to watch a game of football in Alabama. This multi-purpose arena was founded in 2010 and can accommodate up to 9,121 people. It is the home to many sports teams like the Auburn Tigers, gymnastics teams, and the city volleyball team. But aside from the main court, this arena has other features which include practice courts, coach offices, suites, weight room, and Lovelace Athletic Museum, which features the symbols of triumphs of its sports teams and alumni.
Auburn Arena
Address: 250 Beard-Eaves Court, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
Website: Auburn Arena
7. Enjoy a picnic at Hickory Dickory Park
A unique park with an area of 12,000 sq ft (1,114.84 sq m), Hickory Dickory Park features two play areas, a pavilion, picnic space, and restroom. The play areas are divided according to age groups, for preschoolers, toddlers, and older kids. The younger ones get to have baby and toddler play equipment as well as an area that shadows old Auburn with Toomer’s Drugs Store and the like, where kids can pretend play. As for the older kids, they have monkey bars, larges slides, covered tunnel slides, and more.
Hickory Dickory Park
Address: Hickory Dickory Park
Website: Hickory Dickory Park
8. Taste the best lemonade at Toomer's Corner
One of the most iconic landmarks in Auburn, Toomer’s Corner, which marks the division of downtown Auburn and the university, and contains two establishments–Toomer’s drug store and Bank of Auburn. It hosts an Auburn tradition–after every game, the crowd goes to Toomer to celebrate or talk about the game. This drugstore features an old-fashioned soda fountain and serves sandwiches and shakes. The most popular item here is the lemonade so make sure you get this when you visit.
Toomer's Corner
Address: 100 N College St, Auburn, AL 36830, USA
Website: Toomer’s Corner
Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 10am – 6pm; Sun: 12pm – 5pm
9. Watch a spectacular match by Auburn Tigers in Jordan-Hare stadium
Located at the campus of Auburn University, Jordan-Hare Stadium is the home court of the Tigers football team. The name of the stadium is in honor of Ralph “Shug” Jordan who has the most wins recorded in the school’s history, and Cliff Hare, a member of the first ever football team and the head of the faculty of chemistry in the University. The stadium can seat about 87,451.
Jordan-Hare stadium
Address: 251 S Donahue Dr, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
Website: Jordan-Hare stadium
10. Wander around the historic Pebble Hill
If you’re into beautiful historic houses, you shouldn’t miss the chance to explore Pebble Hill. It is a cottage that features antebellum architecture. This property is also included in the National Register of Historic Places. It was once owned by Colonel Nathaniel J. Scott and is now home to the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities in the College of Liberal Arts. The Center often conducts programs about arts, literature, history, and the like.
Pebble Hill
Address: 101 S Debardeleben St, Auburn, AL 36830, USA
Website: Pebble Hill
Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 7:45am - 5pm (closed on Sat & Sun)
11. Gorge on American classics at The Hound
A family-owned restaurant in Auburn, The Hound is your must-try nightspot with friends or your loved ones. It is a bar with a rustic theme and posh decor that features over-the-top American Menu. But apart from the sumptuous bar grubs, the bar also offers an extensive list of bourbon and 28 kinds of craft beer on tap. Also, this place is a perfect dinner and lunchtime venue.
The Hound
Address: 124 Tichenor Ave, Auburn, AL 36830, USA
Website: The Hound
Opening hours: Tue - Wed: 11am - 10pm; Thu - Fri: 11am - 12am; Sat: 9:30am - 12am; Sun: 9:30am - 9pm (closed on Mon)
12. Play a round of golf at Indian Pines Golf Course
Located adjacent to Opelika, this 18-hole public golf course features a par 71 course with bermuda grass in the summer and a mixture of bentgrass and ryegrass during winter. Indian Pines Golf Course is one of the golf courses cited in Golf Digest when it hailed Auburn as “the best golf city in America,” so you can expect everything here to be of top quality starting from its facilities up to the services. Make sure to play a friendly game of golf with your friends when you visit.
Indian Pines Golf Course
Address: 900 Country Club Dr, Auburn, AL 36830, USA
Website: Indian Pines Golf Course
Opening hours: 7:30am - 6pm (daily)
13. Enjoy the nightlife at Skybar Cafe
Do you want to reminisce your college days? Then you have to visit the Skybar Cafe with its collegiate-themed space that has a roof deck to chill in and a dance floor to release all that stress. Other things to look forward to here are the live bands and the karaoke which will keep you entertained all night. As for the menu, it has classic American bar grubs and drinks specials.
Skybar Cafe
Address: 136 W Magnolia Ave, Auburn, AL 36830, USA
Website: Skybar Cafe
Opening hours: Tue - Fri: 7pm - 2:30am; Sat: 7pm - 2am (closed on Sun & Mon)
14. Visit Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park
Are you wondering what you can do at Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park? It is the home court of the Auburn University baseball team and is located just across Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum. Don’t miss a game of baseball when you visit for it can get so exciting and intense.
Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park
Address: 351 S Donahue Dr, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
Website: Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park
Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 8am - 4:30pm (closed on Sat & Sun)
15. Hike the scenic trails of Kreher Preserve & Nature Center
If you’re looking for an activity that both you and your kids will enjoy while learning something about nature, then you have to sign up for a tour of the Kreher Preserve & Nature Center. It has an area of 110 acres (44.52 hectares) and contains numerous wooded hiking trails and other special areas like a reptile viewing area, waterfalls, native azalea area, butterfly garden, and more. Also, the center conducts environmental programs headed by an expert on its field to help people learn more about the said topic.
Kreher Preserve & Nature Center
Address: N College St, Auburn, AL 36830, USA
Website: Kreher Preserve & Nature Center
Opening hours: 7am - 7pm (daily)
Price: 5 USD
Hello Auburn
There’s more to Auburn than what it seems. From its warm people to its vibrant food scene, historical sites, and many museums, you surely won’t run out of things to do while you’re here. In case you still don’t believe what you read online about how awesome this city is, check out our list of the best things to do in Auburn, Alabama, and have an amazing time wandering around.
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