Need a spirited college town getaway with charm, tradition, and Southern hospitality? Head to Auburn! Known as “The Loveliest Village on the Plains,” Auburn offers a vibrant mix of SEC sports, historic downtown vibes, nature escapes, and heartfelt community pride. Whether you're cheering on the Tigers, exploring local parks, or enjoying a cozy café downtown, Auburn delivers a classic Southern experience with a youthful twist.
Auburn, AL Highlights:
- For Adventurous Travelers: Hike Chewacla State Park – Explore waterfalls, mountain biking trails, and lakefront picnic spots just minutes from downtown.
- For History Buffs: Tour the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art – Stroll through galleries featuring regional and national artists on Auburn University’s campus.
- For Shoppers: Browse boutiques in Downtown Auburn – Discover gifts, Auburn gear, and local art in walkable shops on College Street and Magnolia Avenue.
- For Couples: Enjoy a date night at Acre – Indulge in upscale Southern dining with a farm-to-table twist and romantic atmosphere.
- For Families: Visit the Donald E. Davis Arboretum – Explore 13.5 acres of native plants, shaded paths, and nature-focused learning on campus.
Best Time to Visit Auburn, AL
The best time to visit Auburn is in the spring (March–May) or fall (September–November). These seasons bring mild weather, beautiful campus views, and the excitement of football games and outdoor events. Summer is warm and quieter, while winter is mild but less eventful.
How to Get to Auburn, AL
- By Car: Auburn is located along U.S. Highway 280 and I-85, about 2 hours from Atlanta and 1 hour from Montgomery.
- By Plane: Fly into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) or Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM), then rent a car.
- By Bus: Intercity buses serve Auburn via routes from Atlanta, Montgomery, and other regional hubs.
Where to Stay in Auburn, AL
- The Hotel at Auburn University – Elegant accommodations across from campus with fine dining and classic Southern charm.
- TownePlace Suites Auburn – Suite-style rooms with kitchens, great for extended stays or families.
- Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort & Spa – Upscale golf resort just 20 minutes away, featuring pools, a spa, and scenic Lake Saugahatchee views.
Best Things to Do in Auburn, AL
1. Celebrate Auburn Traditions and Grab a Famous Lemonade at Toomer’s Corner
The intersection of College Street and Magnolia Avenue in Auburn, Alabama is known as Toomer's Corner and has a long history. The area is located between downtown Auburn and the university campus and is named for state senator and businessman Sheldon "Shel" Toomer.
Toomer founded Toomer's Drugs, which was located on this corner in 1896, and the store has been an Auburn landmark for more than 130 years.
Two large oaks were planted on the corner in 1937 and locals developed a tradition of “decorating” them with toilet paper to mark any Auburn celebration as well as anything good that happens in town. Today, the tradition is mainly used to celebrate football victories.
2. Hike, Bike, and Cool Off Under Waterfalls at Chewacla State Park
Located just a short drive from the Auburn-Opelika area, 696-acre Chewacla State Park is a popular Auburn green area used by the locals for recreation and rest. The park has a beautiful 26-acre lake with a swimming area, a kids’ playground, a campground, and picnic areas with shelters, tables, and grills as well as six fully furnished stone cottages available for rent.
A network of hiking and biking trails runs through the park. The lake is popular with anglers – it is stocked with bream, bass, crappie, and catfish.
There are also two creeks that run into the lake. There is no boat ramp on the lake. Hikers and bikers can often spot squirrels, chipmunks, deer, red fox, and turkeys.
124 Shell Toomer Parkway, Auburn, Alabama 36830, Phone: 334-887-5621
3. Explore Nature Trails and Wildlife Exhibits at Kreher Preserve and Nature Center
The Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve & Nature Center is a 120-acre nature preserve located in Lee County, Alabama, between Auburn and Opelika.
The preserve was established in 1993 through a gift from Dr. Louise Kreher Turner and her husband Frank Allen Turner. It is operated today as an outreach program of the School of Forestry & Wildlife Sciences at Auburn University.
The preserve consists of a nature playground, an amphitheater, a 150-seat meeting area, a fire pit, and a covered educational pavilion. There are also 30 trails that stretch more than 5 miles, with interpretative signs, restrooms, and drinking fountains.
The environmental education and outreach programs include animal encounters, guided walks, day camps, and pre-school programs.
N College St, Auburn, AL 36830, Phone: 334-844-8091
4. Wander Through Inspiring Exhibits at the Jule Collins Smith Museum
One of Alabama’s top art museums, the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art in Auburn has a growing collection of more than 2,500 works of art in wide range of styles and media. The museum is located at Auburn University’s main campus and consists of six galleries, an auditorium, a gift shop, an English-inspired formal area, a café, and a woodland landscape with outdoor sculpture and serene walking paths. As a part of the university, the mission of the museum is to interpret, enhance, and preserve artworks in the collection and make art a significant part of people’s daily lives. The museum occupies a 40,000 square-foot stunning modern building with a travertine stone exterior.
901 S College St, Auburn, AL 36830-5812, Phone: 334-844-1484
Activities and Attractions for Couples and Singles:
5. Feel the Roar of Game Day at Jordan-Hare Stadium
Every football Saturday in Auburn, Alabama, Jordan-Hare Stadium transforms into one of Alabama's largest cities – over 75,000 season tickets have been sold over the last 18 years. The tenth-largest on-campus stadium in America, Jordan-Hare Stadium is the playing field for Auburn University's football team, the Auburn Tigers. Located on campus, the 87,451-seat stadium, which was completed in 1939, is named for Ralph "Shug" Jordan, the head coach of the university's football team with the most wins, and Cliff Hare, a dean of the Auburn University School of Chemistry, the president of the Southern Conference, and a member of Auburn's first football team. The grass turf is known as Pat Dye Field in honor of legendary coach Pat Dye.
251 South Donahue Drive, Auburn, AL 36830, Phone: 334-844-4750
6. Picnic, Play, and Stroll Open Fields at Kiesel Park
Auburn's largest park, Kiesel Park, is also one of its most popular. It is a venue of many town events and celebrations, such as the Auburn CityFest, the Fall Sundown Concert Series, and the annual Easter egg hunt. The park has a pavilion, a pond, a garden, and a 4-mile-long scenic walking trail. The park is also the location of the 1850 Nunn-Winston House, one of Auburn’s finest examples of antebellum Greek revival architecture. The park has a popular off-leash dog area and is also a favorite local location for weddings.
Chadwick Ln, Auburn, AL 36832, Phone: 334-887-4938
7. If You Love Birds of Prey, Watch Flight Demonstrations at the Southeastern Raptor Center
The Southeastern Raptor Center is a fascinating place to visit, whether you are a fan of birds of prey or not. This educational and rehabilitation facility at Auburn University has helped, treated, and released thousands of local birds of prey back into the wild. They also spread the word about the danger birds of prey face today through hundreds of shows all over the state and region. The staff of the center's educational unit offers a program at the Edgar B. Carter Amphitheatre on Fridays before Auburn football games. This popular program is known as Football, Fans and Feathers, and it features free-flying hawks, falcons, and eagles, allowing guests to see the magnificent birds up close. Outside these special events, the center is not open to the public.
1350 Pratt-Carden Drive, Auburn, AL 36849, Phone: 334-844-6943
What to do if you are traveling with kids:
8. Walk Shaded Trails and Native Plant Gardens at Davis Arboretum
The Donald E. Davis Arboretum is a 13.5-acre plant museum and a serene green space on the Auburn University campus, supported by the College of Sciences and Mathematics. The arboretum is a place where visitors can enjoy a natural setting and learn about Alabama’s native plants and habitats. The arboretum provides a home to a rich and diverse living collection of scientifically ordered plants, each with provenance documentation. It is also an outdoor classroom for the students of the university and local schools and various community groups. The main purposes of the arboretum are conservation, research, and education in support of Auburn University’s mission to preserve living native Southeastern plant communities. It also functions to protect the natural resource areas of the campus.
Auburn, AL 36830, Phone: 334-844-5770
9. Catch a Baseball Game and Cheer for the Tigers at Plainsman Park
Plainsman Park, as Samford Stadium–Hitchcock Field is known locally, is the college baseball venue for the Auburn University Tigers, located at Plainsman Park. The stadium has a seating capacity of 4,096, and in 2003 was rated the best college baseball venue in the country by Baseball America. The park has a 37-foot-high left field fence, 315 feet from home plate. Plainsman Park was used as a baseball facility for the first time in 1950 and was radically renovated in 1996. The architect Cooke Douglass Farr Lemons drew design inspiration from famous ballparks such as Fenway Park, Camden Yards, and Wrigley Field. The stadium was renamed Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park in 1997, in honor of brothers Jimmy and Billy Hitchcock, and in 2003 it honored long-time trustee Jimmy Samford by renaming the facility Samford Stadium–Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park.
351 S Donahue Dr, Auburn, AL 36849-0001, Phone: 334-844-9750
10. Let the Kids Play and Explore at Family-Friendly Hickory Dickory Park
Hickory Dickory Park is a 12,000-square-foot park located on Hickory Lane in Auburn that is very popular with kids. It has two playground areas – one for preschool-aged children and the other for older kids. The preschool area has a sandbox, swings, a slide, a gear box, a wooden tractor, and a fun mirror. There is even a pretend Toomer’s Corner in the true spirit of Auburn, where children can sell pretend ice cream and lemonade, and a pretend College Street sidewalk, tiger paw prints and all, which is a great area to ride a tricycle. A covered pavilion contains picnic tables and benches where parents can watch the children and relax. The older children’s play area has three slides, swings, climbing ropes, a lookout tower, monkey bars, and plenty of room to run and play.
Hickory Ln and North Cedarbrook, Auburn, AL 36830, Phone: 334-501-2930
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