Off-Site in Macon
For off-site venues, downtown Macon is rife with offerings.
One of the buildings that garnered Macon the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations is the seven-story, circa-1855 Hay House, all red brick with white trim topped by an impressive 80-foot-high cupola.
“The Hay House was an architectural and technological marvel for the 1850s,” said Jessica Thompson, rental and events manager. “It’s a wonderful example of Italian Renaissance Revival, one of only a handful in the South and definitely one of the best in the country. And it was far ahead of its time technologically.”
Built into the home is a ventilation system that allows air to circulate through the house, a central heating system, indoor plumbing, hot and cold running water, and a speaker tube system for communication.
Featured on CSPAN’s “Cities Tour,” the house can host receptions for up to 200 guests, with smaller spaces, such as its Music Room, for up to 50.
An entirely different house played a prominent role in nurturing one of Macon’s musical giants. Once home to the Grammy-winning Allman Brothers Band, the founders of Southern rock, the Big House Museum now features the world’s largest collection of the band’s memorabilia: instruments, clothes and compositions.
“Allman Brothers fans must visit here,” said Valerie Bradley, director of communications for the MCVB. “The band lived in this house for a time and wrote a lot of their songs here. Many of the docents were old roadies at the height of the Allman Brothers’ career. Some are still in contact with band members. You’ll hear some great insider stories.”
Outdoor and indoor space can be rented.
Gathering space at the nation’s largest state sports hall, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, includes a 205-seat theater and the elegantly furnished, 1,500-square-foot Georgia Room. The facility houses 14,000 square feet of exhibits, interactive game areas and a peek into the lives of 400-plus inductees.
Groups meeting at this expansive museum can take a guided tour, test their basketball skills at an interactive station and participate in a team-building scavenger hunt.
“Our 16-minute film, ‘Dare to Be Great,’ is about the athletes inducted into the Hall of Fame and is inspiring for all ages,” said Gwen Arrington, director of administration. “It’s narrated by the Columbus, Georgia, Little League team that won the World Series and emphasizes the importance of setting goals.”
Activity Options
A Macon get-your-body-moving team-building option, Pin Strikes, is much more than bowling. To 28 lanes, the facility adds bumper cars, laser tag, billiards, a rock-climbing wall, a video arcade with redemption games, and a bar and grill.
Another history-rich venue, the Tubman Museum, was named for Harriett Tubman, the “Black Moses” who led hundreds of slaves to freedom. The once-dilapidated warehouse has grown to 49,000 square feet to become the largest museum of African-American art, history and culture in the Southeast. Home to Little Richard’s piano, the facility can seat several hundred in a 4,025-square-foot rotunda and 30 in each of two classrooms.
Fresh off its 100th birthday celebration in September, the Macon Terminal Station, built in 1916, has been beautifully renovated to accommodate up to 600 in its 14,000-square-foot lobby with original marble and gilt molding.
Five historic theaters also bring renovated shades of the past to the downtown area. One of those is the refurbished 319-seat, circa-1921 Douglass Theatre, where Otis Redding was discovered in the 1950s. Another classic, the 1883 Grand Opera House once hosted Charlie Chaplin. It now presents Broadway plays and the Macon Symphony.
Nearby Attractions
About 25 minutes south of Macon in Warner Robins, the Museum of Aviation, the second-largest museum in the Air Force, is an off-site venue with a 240-seat auditorium and a spacious static exhibit, “Century of Flight,” where 500 can meet and eat surrounded by historic airplanes.
With space for 150, Hangar 1 features Vietnam-era planes, including a helicopter in which adults and kids can sit.
“Recently, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the SR-71 setting the world speed record in 1976,” said Karen Ross, the museum’s events coordinator. “The guys who flew it climbed back up into the plane and got to talk with other SR-71 pilots. We’re here to bring those stories to life.”
A great place for a group to get out into nature, Ocmulgee National Monument, with a small meeting room and picnic tables, interprets Native American history from 17,000 years ago through 3 million artifacts and North America’s only reconstructed earth lodge.
Later history abounds in a visitor must-see, the 1853 Cannonball House, the only home in Macon hit and damaged during the Civil War. It features fine period furnishings and a war museum.
“People who haven’t been to Macon in the past five years are in for a treat,” said Payne-Ward. “It’s an exciting time for folks to visit and meet here.”
Macon, Georgia
Access: Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta; Middle Georgia Regional Airport; Interstates 75, 16 and 475
Major Meeting Spaces: Macon Centreplex, which comprises the Edgar H. Wilson Convention Center, Macon Coliseum, Macon Marriott City Center and Macon City Auditorium; Professional Science Building at Middle Georgia State University; Holiday Inn Macon North; Hilton Garden Inn
Hotel Rooms: More than 5,000
Offsite Venues: 1850s Hay House, Tubman African American Museum, Allman Brothers Band Museum (The Big House), Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, Macon Museum of Arts and Sciences
Contact Info:
Macon-Bibb County Convention and Visitors Bureau
800-768-3401
www.maconga.org
