15 Best Things to Do in Auburn (AL)

Auburn is a city in Alabama that loves its football, everywhere you go you are reminded of the Auburn Tigers and it is something that has brought the people of this fine city together over the years.

The unofficial nickname of Auburn is “The Loveliest Village on The Plains” and it is easy to see why when you arrive. Many of the things to do in Auburn involve getting outside in the fresh air and enjoying the natural beauty of the parks, golf courses and preserves.

I grew up in Alabama and I love traveling the state. I have visited Auburn several times, there is a lot to see and do in this fantastic city! I’m sure you’re gonna find something you like on my list of best things to do in Auburn:

1. Hang Out At Chewacla State Park

Spread out over 696 acres, the Chewacla State Park has something for everyone. There is a 26 acre lake, swimming area, camping ground, playground, picnic area that comes with a grill and shelter, mountain bike trails and hiking.

If you want to stay in the park overnight there are six stone cottages that you can rent all year round, alternatively you can pitch a tent at one of the many sites the park has to offer. If you are into fishing then the lake is full of bream, bass and crappie. Alternatively you can choose to fish in one of the two creeks. There really is so much on offer at this park for the whole family to enjoy.

Related reading: 15 Best Lakes in Alabama

2. Visit The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art

I think the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art in Alabama is one of the best museums in the area. It features a large collection of art that ranges from traditional to contemporary. The museum was founded in 1948 when Frank Applebee purchased 36 paintings at a government auction. This was the base from which the museum started and grew to where it is today with over 2000 pieces of art to see.

A trip around the museum is sure to leave you satisfied and give you a renewed hunger for the arts.

3. Watch The Auburn Tigers In Action

The Jordan-Hare stadium is home to the Auburn Tigers football team and when there is game being played the stadium fills up with the roar of more than 80,000 fans screaming their teams name. The team is well loved by the people of Auburn with over 75,000 season tickets being sold every season for the past 18 years.

Tickets for these games go fast, especially with so many season ticket holders present, as soon as you know the dates you are in town it is time to get booking.

4. Watch Basketball At The Neville Arena

If basketball is your preference over football then head down to the Neville Arena to watch the Auburn Tigers men’s and women’s basketball teams. The arena is located on the campus of the Auburn University and was built in 2010.

The atmosphere at the games is a lot more intimate than you get at the football stadium as there is a capacity here of just under 10,000 but that does not stop the fans going crazy when the guys and girls hit the courts. For those interested in athletics I suggest the Lovelace Athletic Museum, which is in the same building as the courts.

5. Take A Wander Around Pebble Hill

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places is Pebble Hill, also known as the Scott-Yarbrough House. Currently the building is used as the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for Arts & Humanities. But if you are an architecture buff it will be the building that most catches your eye.

Built in 1847 by Colonel Nathaniel J. Scott the building was built with a Greek revival style in mind. In the civil War the property was looted but many of the treasures went undiscovered as they had been hidden near a spring on the property.

More on Alabama: 30 Amazing Hidden Gems in Alabama

6. Get Ready For A Round At Indian Pines Golf Course

This golf course in Auburn is a fantastic place to stop for a round, however busy your time in the city may be. Measuring 6,310 yards and played over a par of 70, the course is sure to excite. In 2005 the Golf Digest voted Auburn as the “best golf city in America” and it is with courses like this one that make that statement true.

When the course was first designed and constructed in 1946 it was only a nine hole course, it was not until five years later that the back nine holes were added on. In 1999 the course was redesigned after a fire destroyed the old clubhouse, now under the ownership of the city it is operated as a municipal course.

7. Make A Stop At Toomer’s Corner

For more than a century this old drug store on Toomer’s Corner has been serving up freshly squeezed lemonade to the masses. The shop was founded by Sheldon Toomer and his father in law, Sheldon was a halfback for the very first Auburn football team. right up until now the football team still supports this shop and the lemonade is sold in the stadium.

The look of the shop itself is quite ordinary but as soon as you walk through the doors you can sense that this place is special, one sip of the lemonade later and you will realize why this place had to be on the list.

8. The Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve & Nature Center

This nature preserve is set within 120 acres of woodlands, it was originally owner by Dr. Louise Kreher Turner and Frank Allen Turner before they donated the land to the University of Auburn in 1993. There is a nature playground that has been set up for the young children to explore and play, it even has a beavers lodge and an eagles nest for them to enjoy.

If you like walking there are several walking trails that I highly recommend, they are mostly flat allowing the whole family regardless of age to get outside and enjoy all that this preserve has to offer.

More on Alabama: 15 Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Alabama

9. Take Your Dog To Kiesel Park

If you find yourself in the city with a dog, this is the best place to bring him or her to get some exercise in the great outdoors. There is a large enclosed dog area where you can allow your dog to freely run around without the risk of them running away.

If you want to get some exercise at the same time as your dog there is also lots of long trails, open fields and creeks to be explored.

10. Watch The Birds Of Prey At The Southeastern Raptor Center

Every Friday before both the home and away games of the Auburn Tigers the Southeastern Raptor Center puts on a show for the fans. The show lasts and an hours and during that time falcons, hawks, eagles and other birds or prey are flown from the towers.

Giving the visitors an opportunity to see these awesome raptors flying very close to them. All the birds used in the show are resident birds at the center and are non-releasable due to prior injury or human imprinting. The center itself does look after and release many birds each year back into the wild.

11. Go For A Meal At The Hound

If you are looking for some American classics then your search is over, this family owned restaurant and bar has a great selection of food, twenty eight different craft beers on tap, as well as some excellent bourbon to choose from.

The atmosphere inside the hound is designed to take you back to the carefree days of the past. The days where life was all about fishing, hunting, telling stories and making memories. There are regular promotions and happy hours that change throughout the week, the bar is also a football fan favorite and can be full to the brim on home games.

12. Attend Auburns Version Of Oktoberfest

For six years in a row Auburn has held its very own Oktoberfest, it started off as a small gathering of about 150 people and over the years the festival has grown, as have the choices of drinks. There are now many local breweries in attendance, each showcasing a selection of beers. Some of the breweries actually brew a one of special just for the festival!

The event is growing in popularity every year and is held in October, if you are in town, I highly recommend to check it out.

13. Play Golf On The Best Course Ever?

Robert Trent Jones decided that the Grand National golf complex was the greatest he had ever seen, built around the Lake Saugahatchee 32 of the 54 holes here drape along its banks.

The courses have won many accolades including the “World’s prettiest hole” and “Wolds’s best public course” There are championship and links courses but if you do not have long then maybe try out the short course of 18 holes that designed to only take one shot.

14. Stop Off For Some Chili Dogs and Milkshakes

For over sixty years Mrs. Story’s homemade chili dogs have used the same secret recipe to create their mouth watering flavor. The shop is still in the place where it first opened on Pepperell Parkway and with the success they have it could be here for another sixty years as well.

The current owners are the third generation of this family run business to serve these great chili dogs and milkshakes to the hungry people of Auburn.

15. Spend The Day At Auburn CityFest

Held every year since 2000 is the Auburn Cityfest, an annual event held in Kiesel Park that attracts more than 40,000 festival-goers. The event was dreamt up by a couple of employees of the Auburn Parks and Recreation Department whilst they were sat down having lunch one day.

Held on the last Saturday of every April it is a whole community day out where you will experience great artists, delicious food, entertainment for the whole family, music and a whole lot more. With the festival getting bigger and better every year make sure you check it out next April.