Macon’s rich history provides many opportunities for tourism in the city. There are multiple van tours, interactive walking tours, and self-guided tours.
Visit Macon is an organization that works to market the Macon-Bibb County area to “travel writers, meeting planners, group tour operators and leisure travelers.”
Listed are five self-guided tours available to those visiting Macon. All of the tours use a mobile app to guide visitors through Macon’s historic landmarks. The Tour Macon app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play. For more information on the tours, the visitor center is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. More details are also available on the Visit Macon website.
Film Macon Trail
The Film Macon Trail is a great opportunity for film lovers to discover which TV shows and movies were shot in Macon. This tour launched on Aug. 16, 2023, and showcases 25 locations and 40 productions that were filmed in Macon.
Some of these productions include “Black Widow”, “The Vampire Diaries,” “The Originals” and “Oprah’s Favorite Things.” “Black Widow” was filmed at the Terminal Station in downtown Macon.
Macon’s affordability and accessible local talent make it a great option for filmmaking. Macon’s unique geography is another reason to film here, as there are many flat plains and rolling hills.
For those interested in this tour, select “Film Macon” on the Tour Macon app.
Black Heritage Trail
The Black Heritage Trail walks visitors through historical Black landmarks in Macon. There are 37 different locations that can be explored through this tour.
One of the locations highlighted on this tour is the Douglass Theatre, which was built by Charles Douglass. Otis Redding was discovered through this theatre.
To access this tour, users can select the “Black Heritage Trail” option on the Tour Macon app.
Macon Art Trail
On the Macon Art Trail, visitors can explore artwork made by various artists. Macon’s art scene has grown rapidly, as highlighted through this tour.
The tour features artwork from both local and international artists. Some of the work featured includes sculptures and graffiti walls. One example of a location where art is shown on this tour is the crosswalk murals on Oglethorpe Street.
This tour can be accessed on the Tour Macon app by selecting “Macon Art Trail.”
Macon Bacon Trail
The Macon Bacon Trail is a “one-of-a-kind” food trail that takes visitors to 19 spots where food, including bacon can be purchased.
Examples of food items on the trail include the Jimmy Carter Shake at The Rookery and the Sliced Chicken BLT at Piedmont Brewery.
During this tour, visitors can earn and redeem points for Macon bacon-themed prizes.. To redeem your points, tourists can visit the Downtown Visitor Center and show the number of points they have. The visitor center is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Some of the prizes that can be earned include a Macon Bacon-themed mug and a ticket to a Macon Bacon baseball game.
To take this tour, users can select “Macon Bacon Trail” on the Tour Macon app.
Macon Music Trail
The Macon Music Trail allows visitors to see the many spots where music was born in Macon.
During this tour, visitors can see houses of famous musicians along with performance venues across Macon. For example, the tour stops at Buffalo Evans Home, who was a road manager for the Allman Brothers Band.
Those who are interested in the Macon Music Trail can select “Macon Music Tour” on the Tour Macon app.
