Athens: Cool scene for hot meetings
Watch for:
- The T.R.R. Cobb House received the 2008 Preservation Award for Excellence in Restoration from the Georgia Trust.
- Podtour videos of downtown Athens, featuring the voices of local experts and music by local artists, are now available.
Want group activities?
Athens has a well-deserved reputation for being a great place for live music. Go to one of the city’s legendary venues such as the Georgia Theatre, or hire local musicians to come to you. Have a tailgating party before cheering on the University of Georgia’s famed Bulldogs. Groups can explore Athens’ African-American, musical, Civil War or cultural history with one of several themed tours.
Want to meet in a place with history?
Firehall No. 2 has a small catering kitchen and can host lectures and receptions. The Church-Waddel-Brumby House is two blocks from the Classic Center; event space includes a landscaped garden and courtyard. The Hardeman-Sams House has conference and meeting space as well as reception areas. Gallery spaces, art classes, meeting rooms and festival grounds are available at the Lyndon House Arts Center, a community visual arts complex listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The antebellum Taylor-Grady House has indoor and outdoor event space including a ballroom, porches and a patio, and recently completed a $1.5 million renovation.
Want unusual venues?
The Georgia Museum of Art has a permanent collection of more than 8,000 works of art, reception areas, a café and a 200-seat auditorium. The Sandy Creek Nature Center has meeting and conference facilities in the midst of 250 acres of woodland, fields and marshlands. The State Botanical Garden of Georgia is a 313-acre preserve with indoor and outdoor event facilities. Facilities at the University of Georgia (UGA) include the 1,100-seat Hodgson Hall and the 360-seat Ramsey Hall. The U.S. Navy Supply Corp School Museum is one of only 11 official U.S. Navy museums.
Want to dine?
DePalma’s Italian Café (three locations) has exhibits of local art. The Broad Street Bar & Grill and The Varsity both are filled with UGA memorabilia. The Hoyt House has three dining rooms in an historic 1829 house serving breakfast and brunch. The East/West Bistro serves Pan-Asian and Mediterranean cuisine; two dining rooms and a second floor event space are available for groups.
