- Tubman Museum in Macon
Celebrating African American art, history and culture for over 40 years, The Tubman Museum is the largest museum of its kind in the Southeast. The wonders of the museum begin outside the structure, as the unique architecture is reflective of African designs. Within the doors of the museum, exhibitions celebrating renowned black inventors and artists await. The museum frequently hosts events celebrating African and African American culture while encouraging visitors to get engaged with an essential part of history.
2. Cotton Avenue District in Macon
With its roots as an avenue where enslaved laborers would transport cotton for shipping, Cotton Avenue grew to become a mecca for successful Black businesses during the Jim Crow era. Today, the Cotton Avenue Coalition works to preserve and share this history. The Cotton Avenue district is home to the Otis Redding Museum, featuring memorabilia and merchandise from the “King of Soul,” and the Otis Redding Center for the Arts, which opened its doors in 2025 to educate, inspire and empower the youth of Macon with music and art.
- Otis Redding Monument in Gray
As you journey north along the Trail, be sure to stop in downtown Gray to experience the Otis Redding Monument. This heartfelt tribute honors the legendary soul singer who spent much of his life in Jones County. Created by the Redding family and the Otis Redding Foundation, the monument celebrates Redding’s enduring legacy with the interactive marker playing 15 of his hit songs.
4. The Soul of Georgia Exhibit in Milledgeville
The “Soul of Georgia” exhibit explores the state’s profound impact on American music, particularly through African American cultural expression. Featuring historical artifacts, interactive displays, and community narratives, “Soul of Georgia” traces the evolution of spirituals, gospel, blues, R&B and soul music while addressing the social contexts that shaped them – such as slavery, Jim Crow laws and segregation. A notable feature is the exhibit’s documentation of local juke joints and clubs from the Chitlin’ Circuit era, which fostered musical innovation in Milledgeville and Baldwin County. The exhibit is curated by Evan Leavitt and housed within the Special Collections Galleries at Georgia College’s Heritage Hall.
5. Sally Ellis Davis House in Milledgeville
The Sallie Ellis Davis House is a powerful symbol of African American resilience and educational advancement in the segregated South. Home to Sallie Ellis Davis, a pioneering educator who served as a teacher and principal at the Eddy School for over 50 years, the house now serves as a museum dedicated to her legacy and the broader story of Black education in Baldwin County. Born in 1877, Davis believed deeply in the power of education to transform lives, often housing students who traveled long distances to attend school. Located at 301 South Clarke Street, the restored home offers guided tours that explore Davis’s impact and the challenges of African American life in the early 20th century.
6. Morgan County African-American Museum in Madison
With a mission to “research, collect, educate, and preserve the history and the art of the African American Culture,” the Morgan County African-American Museum houses an array of historic artifacts, artistic exhibits, and diverse displays that illustrate the stories and achievements of individuals from Morgan County. Before its time as a museum, this quaint building was home to John Wesley Moore. Born in the last years of slavery, Moore worked as a tenant farmer for James Fannin while providing for his four children and wife.
7. The Andrews Family Legacy Exhibit at the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center
The permanent The Andrews Family Legacy Exhibit chronicles the stories and creative works of the incredibly talented Andrews family as they navigated life in the rural, segregated South. Patriarch George Andrews, affectionately known as the “Dot Man,” began his creative journey by painting rocks, before expanding to furniture, shoes, and eventually canvas. His son Benny Andrews became a nationally recognized artist and activist, co-founding the Black Emergency Cultural Coalition to advocate for Black representation in major New York museums. Another son, Raymond Andrews, channeled his artistry into writing, earning the James Baldwin Prize for his debut novel. His vivid stories of 1930s–40s Morgan County are illustrated by Benny, making their work a true family legacy.
8. Alice Walker Driving Tour in Eatonton
Traverse the history of literary legend Alice Walker, author of the award-winning novel “The Color Purple,” through the self-guided Alice Walker Driving Tour to discover influential spots in Walker’s early life. With five stops at locations including her childhood home site, the Pex Theatre, and the Chapel AME Church, visitors will gain insight into the places that shaped Walker throughout her early life and inspired her later works.
9. Morton Theatre in Athens
Located in the heart of Downtown Athens is the historic Morton Theatre. The 1910 theatre is one of the first vaudeville establishments in the country built, owned, and operated by an African American, Monroe Bowers “Pink” Morton. The theatre also resides in a historically African American business district, nicknamed “Hot Corner.” The spot was a cultural hub in itself, as many firsts happened in the Morton Building. Athen’s first African American owned drugstore was operated within the building as well as the first dentistry practice by a Black woman in Georgia.
10. Ware-Lyndon House Museum in Athens
Part of the Athens African American Heritage Pathway, the Ware-Lyndon House Museum features the permanent exhibit “Resilient Civic and Musical Life: Ware-Lyndon House Enslaved and Descendant Stories.” The exhibit shares the tales of the house’s enslaved inhabitants through a thought-invoking collection of resources and interactive experiences. Visitors will learn about the rich musical history of Athens that originated with enslaved African-Americans and their descendants as they view art, read books, and consume media.