This Georgia Town Has The Most Walkable Downtown
You don’t have to go too far in Georgia to find yourself walking some of the most people-friendly downtowns in the Southern USA. Tucked away in the state’s southwest corner, the small city of Americus ranks as one of the best, and it’s a must-visit for those who love exploring new places on foot. In just a few blocks, you can go from admiring the majestic Windsor Hotel to catching a glimpse of the vintage marquee at the Rylander Theatre, all without ever needing to move your car.
The Americus Historic District packs a punch when it comes to heritage architecture. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976, these immensely walkable blocks have even earned the town a Georgia Main Street City designation, helping cement its reputation as a place worth visiting.
Walkable Local History
Dubbed the “Metropolis of Southwest Georgia," Americus was even at one point one of the largest and most prosperous towns in the state. You can still see plenty of evidence of this period in the many fine examples of Victorian, Romanesque, and Art Deco structures concentrated in and around its immensely walkable downtown.
If walking’s your thing, start your adventure at the Americus Welcome Center. Located at the corner of North Lee and West Lamar Streets in the attractive redbrick Americus City Hall, here you can pick up a handy walking tour map that covers the downtown commercial district along Lamar, Forsyth, Jackson, and Lee streets.
Georgia's Historic Hotel
Your next stop is the majestic Windsor Hotel… and you can’t miss it. The most prominent building in downtown Americus, this stunning five-story Queen Anne masterpiece occupies most of the city block next to the Welcome Center. Opened in 1892, its distinctive turreted tower and three-story atrium lobby made it the social center of the city for decades, even hosting a pre-President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 19298 in his bid to become governor of New York.
Despite closing its doors in the early 1970s, a lengthy preservation effort saw it reopened in 1991 with former President Jimmy Carter in attendance (more on him in a minute). Now part of the high-end Ascend Hotel Collection, the Windsor is once again the center of the community with its classy guestrooms, banquet spaces, and dining options drawing the crowds.
Follow in a President’s Footsteps
A short stroll west along Lamar Street from the Windsor Hotel and you’ll find yourself staring up at the Rylander Theatre. Opened to great fanfare in 1921 and billed as "The Finest Playhouse South of Atlanta," it earned a reputation for its quality vaudeville shows and live musicals. It also screened some of the first silent movies, and was a popular spot for a young Jimmy Carter while a student at Georgia Southwestern State University.
Now fully restored, the Rylander today hosts touring and community theater performances, concerts, and special events. If you can get inside for a tour, check out its Moller Theatre Pipe Organ; made in 1928, it’s one of only three such instruments still operating in Georgia. Better still, catch a performance, and you’ll see this remarkable old instrument rising from the orchestra pit just as it did in the early days of cinema.
In addition to spending time at college here and visiting Downtown Americus while growing up in the nearby town of Plains, Jimmy Carter nurtured many other connections with his favorite town. Most notable among them was his commitment to Habitat for Humanity International, which was founded in Americus and still maintains its operational headquarters on West Lamar Street in the heart of the town.
Other Things To Do in Americus
The many old buildings you’ll enjoy seeing while walking through Downtown Americus aren’t just pleasing to look at; they’re also fun to enter - especially if you’re in need of a caffeine boost. The town’s lively coffee scene includes Café Campesino Community Coffeehouse, a popular spot for its espresso drinks, drip coffee (refills are free), teas, and light breakfasts (go for the cornmeal waffles).
The aptly named Sweet Georgia Bakery & Café, directly across from the Windsor, is another must-visit. In addition to its breads and sweet treats, it serves up a to-die-for pot roast sandwich on house-made focaccia, and a local favorite, the ham jam sandwich, a flavorful twist on the traditional club sandwich.
Downtown Americus is also fun to wander when events like First Friday are on. Held on the first Friday of each month, the downtown gets busy with free live music and extended shopping hours that encourage the community and visitors alike to let their hair down. For fans of craft brews, April’s Hot Glass Craft Beer Festival is a lot of fun. More than 20 regional breweries participate, accompanied by live glass blowing demonstrations and glass art displays.
Nearby Walkable Towns
You can learn a lot more about America’s 39th President in the equally walkable town of Plains, just nine miles west of Americus. Plains High School, where both Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn graduated, is now the visitor center for the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park, with exhibits on Carter's youth and the community in which he lived. You should also visit Billy Carter’s Service Station (now a museum) and strike a selfie pose with the 13-foot-tall Smiling Peanut statue.
About 25 miles northeast of Americus, Montezuma offers a quieter but equally walkable downtown along Dooly Street. Incorporated in 1854 as a railroad settlement on the east bank of the Flint River, highlights include an old railroad depotwhich now houses the Macon County Historical Museum. The town’s Carnegie Library now serves as its visitor center and provides details of the nearby thriving Mennonite community.
Just 15 minutes northeast of Americus, the village of Andersonville, though small, is worth stopping at. A supply depot for the Confederate prison Camp Sumter during the Civil War, the village has changed little since. Pop into the Drummer Boy Civil War Museum with its displays of authentic Union and Confederate uniforms, revolvers, muskets, and a diorama of the prison camp.
A Downtown Worth The Detour
Set in a quiet corner of southwest Georgia between Macon and Columbus, Americus boasts one of the best-preserved old downtowns in the Peach State. And it’s one that’s a lot of fun to walk around. Left intact after the cotton boom of the 1800s came and went, downtown buildings like the famous Windsor Hotel were restored, repurposed, and filled with local businesses. If that sounds like your kind of place, park the car, put on your comfy shoes, and get exploring.
