Historic Athens Welcome Center - Athens, Georgia

simonsbuddy

Kevin was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable tour guide who was able to field all questions and make the tour an amusing, entertaining and very personal experience for me on my first visit to Athens Georgia with more questions than we had time for in an hour and a half tour. I recommend this tour to all first time Athens visitors, although I will advise that it could be physically strenuous (especially in the heat of summer) for those who are not comfortable with a hike. The terrain is not demanding, but there are some hills (although this is not San Francisco!!) and there’s a lot of walking—of course because it’s a walking tour! It would be fun to do this on scooters or by bicycle, and perhaps cover some more territory around UGA. Finally, for those who are aficionados of the 70s 80s and 90s music scene in Athens and the bands that were spawned in that environment, I highly recommend Paul Butchart’s walking tour of Athens music haunts. Paul is a very knowledgeable tour guide, as he LIVED the scene. He was present from the beginning and personally knows all the players. He was at the house parties. He was at the initial 40 Watt Club. Paul was the drummer in one of the seminal Athens bands of the 70s—The Side Effects, who toured alongside REM and Pylon up and down the East Coast in the late 70s and early 80s. And while you’re here, be sure to go to the UGA special collections museum at Baxter and N. Newton streets for the exhibit of house party photos and art.

Bryan O.

I lived close to Athens for many years but this is the first time I visited the Historic Athens Welcome Center.

This house is one of the last original houses in Athens and it is over 200 years old and you can walk though it.

Plus they have a little gift shop and a lot of great brochures on things to do in Athens and other surrounding areas.

If this is your first time to Athens, GA or if you’ve been before it’s worth stopping because you may learn something you didn’t know before.

Robert M.

We had a great host, and the house tour was informative and interesting. Unfortunately, the van tour was a bust. The van was full, the circulation fans in the back are loud, and we could only hear perhaps 20% of what was said. For at least some of us in the last few rows, the tour was a miss. My advice is to avoid the trip if there are more than 7 or 8 people going, unless management addresses the problem.

Ileana G.

The guide was fairly knowledgeable and personable. The tour includes some interesting stories about Athens, hitting the highlights, plus the old campus of UGA. I found it worthwhile and worth the price.

LISA G.

Our party of four took the walking tour of Athens last Saturday morning. Logan was awesome! Full of historical info, her enthusiasm and just her fun quirky self made the tour very enjoyable!! We saw many old buildings downtown and on the UGA campus. The home housing the welcome center was a treasure, too. Very reasonably priced tour! Thank you!!

Jill F.

Visiting Athens for the first time, the Historic Athens tour was a great experience and easy way to see and learn about the town’s history. Our tour guide Chris was enthusiastic and friendly.

A G.

We recently took the Historic Athens shuttle tour led by Louise. Louise was knowledgeable and funny. We learned, laughed, and all-around had a great time.

Bill H.

My wife and I took the shuttle tour of Athens and loved it! Our guide, Graham, did a wonderful job. I was born and raised in Athens and somewhat of an historian myself. Graham told me things I didn’t know and the ease of seeing the sites from the shuttle made it very enjoyable. Highly recommend it.