The best things to do in Auburn, Alabama, are a walk from Toomer’s Corner through Auburn University’s campus, a free afternoon at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, a hike to the falls at Chewacla State Park and, in season, a home football Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Then drive 15 minutes to Opelika, its neighboring railroad town, for breweries, a distillery, antique shops and some of the best restaurants in east Alabama.
This guide covers both towns together, the way locals use them: what to see, where to eat and drink, where to shop and stay, and when to come. Every business linked below is locally owned and listed in our directory, where you can check hours before you go.
Auburn and Opelika at a glance
- Where: East Alabama, in Lee County, along I-85 between Montgomery and Atlanta.
- How far apart: Downtown Auburn and downtown Opelika are about 7 miles apart, roughly 15 minutes by car.
- Nearest airports: Columbus Airport (CSG) in Georgia, about 45 minutes; Montgomery Regional (MGM), about an hour; Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL), about an hour and 40 minutes, with the most flights.
- Nicknames: Auburn is “The Loveliest Village on the Plains,” a line borrowed from an Oliver Goldsmith poem. Opelika is the Lee County seat and grew up around the railroad in the 1850s.
- Best months: September through November for football and mild weather; March through May for azaleas and the Opelika Songwriters Festival.
- Don’t miss: Toomer’s Corner, the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, Chewacla State Park, Railroad Avenue in Opelika and a distillery tour at John Emerald Distilling Company.
Should you stay in Auburn or Opelika?
Stay in Auburn if you want to walk to campus, Toomer’s Corner and Jordan-Hare Stadium; stay in Opelika if you want a quieter historic downtown with breweries and restaurants on the same few blocks. Because the towns run into each other along Opelika Road and US 280, most visitors end up spending time in both no matter where they sleep.
Auburn is a college town first. Life revolves around Auburn University, its sports calendar and its students, and downtown is busiest in the evenings and on weekends. Opelika has its own identity, with a working railroad through the middle of town, restored brick storefronts and a slower pace. Our Auburn area guide and Opelika area guide list everything in each town.
What are the best things to do in Auburn, AL?
Start downtown at Toomer’s Corner, then spend the rest of the day on and around campus: an art museum, an arboretum, a look at Jordan-Hare Stadium and a few blocks of shops and restaurants.
Toomer’s Corner and downtown Auburn
Toomer’s Corner, where College Street meets Magnolia Avenue, is the front door of both the town and the university. This is where Auburn fans roll the oak trees with toilet paper after a win, and on any day it is the natural place to start a walk. Samford Hall’s clock tower rises just across College Street. Downtown spreads a few blocks in each direction from the corner, with restaurants, boutiques and coffee shops along Magnolia Avenue, College Street and Gay Street. Park once in a downtown lot or street space and walk; downtown is compact.
Two downtown shops are worth a stop on the way. J&M Bookstore has been on College Street near Toomer’s Corner since 1953 and is still family operated, and Auburn Oil Co. Booksellers on East Magnolia Avenue is an independent bookstore and coffee shop in a building that was once a filling station.
Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art
The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, at 901 South College Street on the south end of campus, is Auburn University’s art museum, and general admission and programs are free for everyone. It has a strong permanent collection, rotating exhibitions and landscaped grounds that are pleasant to walk even if you only have half an hour. The museum follows the university’s holiday closures, so check the calendar before you go.
Donald E. Davis Arboretum
The Donald E. Davis Arboretum is a 16-acre botanic garden on the Auburn University campus, open every day from sunrise to sunset. Its shaded paths wind through native Alabama and Southeastern plants, including nationally accredited collections of oaks and native azaleas. Come in late March and April when the azaleas bloom, or on a warm afternoon when you need a quiet half hour away from downtown.
Kiesel Park
Kiesel Park is a 124-acre city park on the west side of Auburn, open from sunup to sundown, with walking trails, a pond, a garden, a fenced off-leash dog area and the 1850s Nunn-Winston House. It hosts Auburn CityFest and a fall Sundown Concert Series. It is an easy, flat walk and a good place to let kids or dogs run.
Family fun and the arts
- GoodTimes: A family-owned entertainment center on East Glenn Avenue with bowling, an arcade and escape rooms under one roof. It stays open late and is the best rainy-day plan in town.
- Auburn Area Community Theatre: A volunteer theatre company that has staged shows in Auburn since 2003, from family productions to plays and musicals.
- Farmer In The Dell: A working farm on Wire Road that opens for pick-your-own strawberries in late spring and a pumpkin patch in the fall. Check its schedule before you go, since both seasons are short.
What is a football weekend like in Auburn?
A home football weekend in Auburn is busy, loud and booked solid. Jordan-Hare Stadium seats more than 87,000, so the town’s population roughly doubles on game day. Fans tailgate across campus, line up to watch the Tiger Walk as the team arrives at the stadium, and head to Toomer’s Corner after a win.
If you are coming for a game, book lodging months ahead, expect higher rates and minimum-night stays, and plan to look in Opelika and nearby towns if Auburn is full. Eat early or late, since downtown restaurants fill up in the hours before and after kickoff. These are the remaining 2026 dates on the Auburn Tigers schedule as of this writing:
| Date | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, October 17, 2026 | Georgia | Away (Athens, Georgia) |
| Saturday, October 24, 2026 | LSU | Home (Jordan-Hare Stadium) |
| Saturday, October 31, 2026 | Ole Miss | Away (Oxford, Mississippi) |
| Saturday, November 7, 2026 | Arkansas | Home (Jordan-Hare Stadium) |
| Saturday, November 14, 2026 | Mississippi State | Away (Starkville, Mississippi) |
| Saturday, November 21, 2026 | Samford | Home (Jordan-Hare Stadium) |
| Saturday, November 28, 2026 | Alabama (Iron Bowl) | Away (Tuscaloosa) |
Kickoff times are set by the networks, often only a week or two ahead, so check the official Auburn football schedule before you finalize dinner plans. Away weekends are a good time to visit if you want the town without the crowds, and the downtown bars still fill up to watch the game.
What is there to do in Opelika?
Opelika’s main draw is its historic downtown, where Railroad Avenue and the blocks around the Lee County courthouse are lined with restored brick storefronts holding breweries, a distillery, galleries, shops and restaurants. You can see the core of it on foot in an afternoon. For a deeper look, read our full guide to things to do in Opelika.
Railroad Avenue
The tracks still run through the middle of downtown Opelika, and North and South Railroad Avenue run alongside them. On South Railroad Avenue, The Gallery on Railroad has sold original local art and handmade gifts and done custom framing since 1980, inside a brick building raised in 1865. A few doors down, Rock ‘N Roll Pinball packs more than 30 pinball machines and arcade cabinets into one room, with beer and snacks, and Off The Rails Gaming is the town’s tabletop and trading card game store, with trivia nights and weekly tournaments.
Performing arts and history
The Opelika Center for the Performing Arts on Glenn Street is run by East Alabama Arts, a nonprofit that brings a touring performance series and local productions to Lee County. Check its season before your trip. The Museum of East Alabama covers the area’s history, and the Northside Historic District just north of downtown, with Victorian homes along North 8th and 9th Streets, is worth a slow drive or walk.
Golf and parks
Golfers come to Opelika for Grand National, a stop on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail with 54 holes (the Lake, Links and Short courses), 32 of them along the shores of Lake Saugahatchee. Spring Villa Park, south of town, has 350 acres of trails, disc golf and camping.
Where can you get a drink in Auburn and Opelika?
For craft beer and spirits, go to downtown Opelika, where two breweries, a distillery and a craft beer pub sit within a few blocks of each other. Downtown Auburn is where the college bars are. Our full guide to Auburn and Opelika breweries and a distillery covers each one in detail.
- Red Clay Brewing Company: The anchor of North Railroad Avenue in Opelika, with beer brewed on site, wood-fired pizza, wine and cider, a patio and trivia on Tuesday nights.
- Resting Pulse Brewing Company: A smaller, quieter taproom on 1st Avenue in Opelika with rotating seasonal beers. It is one of the few downtown taprooms open on Sunday.
- John Emerald Distilling Company: A family-owned distillery on North Railroad Avenue whose single malt whiskey is made partly with barley smoked over peach and pecan wood. Distillers lead the tours themselves.
- Whistle Stop Bottle & Brew: A craft beer pub with more than 26 rotating taps, beer and wine to go and homebrew supplies. Kids and pets are welcome.
- 17-16 and SkyBar: Two downtown Auburn bars on Magnolia Avenue, both busy on game days and late nights.
- Bunkers Auburn: A kitchen and social club on West Glenn Avenue with three bars, a scratch kitchen and indoor golf simulators.
Where should you eat in Auburn?
Auburn’s best restaurants range from chef-driven Southern cooking at Acre to decades-old barbecue on Opelika Road, with most of the sit-down options within a short drive of Toomer’s Corner. Book ahead for dinner on football and graduation weekends.
For a special dinner
- Acre: A chef-owned restaurant on East Glenn Avenue serving modern cooking inspired by Southern heritage, and one of the most recognized restaurants in Auburn.
- The Depot: A Gulf Coast seafood brasserie inside downtown Auburn’s historic train depot on Mitcham Avenue.
- Hamilton’s on Magnolia: A downtown standby one block from Toomer’s Corner, with outdoor seating and live music.
- Amsterdam Cafe: Serving Auburn on South Gay Street since 1991, long enough to be a homecoming tradition for alumni.
- Ariccia Cucina Italiana: Central Italian cooking inside The Hotel at Auburn University on South College Street. Reservations are recommended.
- Lucy’s: A modern American neighborhood restaurant on Moores Mill Road, a good pick if you are staying on the south side of town.
For barbecue and casual meals
- Country’s Barbecue: On Opelika Road since 1975, one of the longest-running independent restaurants in Auburn.
- Byron’s Smokehouse: A neighborhood barbecue spot on Opelika Road that also serves breakfast.
- Bow & Arrow: Wood-smoked barbecue on East Samford Avenue from the same local family behind Acre, with a South Texas smokehouse style.
- The Irritable Bao: A small counter-service spot on East Magnolia Avenue with a devoted following for its bao.
- Sheila C’s Burger Barn: Classic diner food with a twist on Shug Jordan Parkway.
- Staks Pancake Kitchen: A downtown breakfast and lunch spot on East Magnolia Avenue that opens early and closes mid-afternoon.
Where should you eat in Opelika?
In Opelika, the best restaurants cluster on South 8th Street and the blocks around Railroad Avenue, with a second group along Frederick Road. You can park once downtown and walk to dinner, drinks and dessert.
- Cafe 123: Fine dining at 123 South 8th Street, with Southern cooking shaped by French technique, a wine list and Sunday brunch.
- Piedmont on Piedmont: An owner-operated Italian restaurant and wine bar on Avenue B, built around handmade pasta.
- Zazu Gastropub: A scratch kitchen and bar on South 8th Street with a dedicated beer menu and Sunday brunch.
- Chuck’s Bar-B-Que: Smoking meat on Short Avenue since 1976, known for its mustard-based sauce.
- Botanic: Farm-to-table Southern cooking on Frederick Road in a building that also holds a plant shop, a market and a florist, with pond-view seating.
- Durango Mexican Grill: A family-owned Mexican restaurant on Frederick Road since 1997, with a big seafood section and a patio.
Where are the best coffee shops and bakeries?
Auburn’s coffee shops lean toward study-friendly spaces, while Opelika’s sit side by side on South 8th Street downtown. These are our picks:
- Well Red on Opelika Road in Auburn combines coffee, books and community events.
- One Bike Coffee on Moores Mill Road is a family-owned shop run as a nonprofit that gives its profits to charitable causes.
- Boonie Hat Coffee Company is a veteran-owned roastery on South 8th Street in Opelika that also sells whole beans.
- The Coffee Shop, a few doors away, has window seating and rotating local art.
- Cakeitecture Bakery on South 8th Street is a custom cake studio with a daytime cafe and espresso bar.
Where should you shop?
Shop downtown Opelika for antiques, home goods, records and gifts, and downtown Auburn for books, boutiques and Auburn gear. Our Opelika shopping guide has the full list.
- 10,000 Hz Records: A record store on 1st Avenue in Opelika with roughly 10,000 new titles plus used vinyl, open seven days.
- The Surcie Shoppe: A gift and baby boutique on South 9th Street named for the Southern word for a small, just-because gift.
- Taylor Made Designs: Handcrafted jewelry on South 8th Street, family owned since 1990.
- Studio 3:19: A size-inclusive boutique on North Railroad Avenue with a custom hat bar.
- Angel’s Antique & Flea Mall: More than 400 vendors in an air-conditioned building just off I-85 at Exit 62.
- Behind the Glass: A women’s fashion boutique on East Magnolia Avenue in Auburn for more than three decades.
Where can you get outdoors near Auburn?
Chewacla State Park, just south of Auburn off I-85 at Exit 51, is the best outdoor escape in Lee County, with a 26-acre lake, a waterfall over a 1930s stone dam and more than 30 miles of hiking and mountain bike trails. Entrance is $5 for ages 12 to 61 and $3 for children 4 to 11 and seniors. Our guide to Chewacla State Park and the outdoors around Auburn covers the trails, the falls and the stone cabins.
For gear, James Bros Bikes on South College Street has been Auburn’s full-service bike shop since 2005, and Reynolds Outdoors on Geneva Street in Opelika is a family-owned hunting, fishing and outdoor store.
Where should you stay in Auburn and Opelika?
For a locally owned stay within walking distance of campus, book The Collegiate Hotel or Crenshaw Guest House in Auburn; for more space or a historic house, look at the cottages and inns just outside town. Our guide to where to stay near Auburn University compares them.
- The Collegiate Hotel: A boutique hotel on South Gay Street in a 1940s former campus dormitory, reopened as a hotel in 2017 by two Auburn graduates. Dog friendly, with free parking.
- Crenshaw Guest House: An 1890 house in Auburn’s Historic District on North College Street, close enough to walk to Toomer’s Corner.
- The James Cameron House Bed and Breakfast: A family-owned B&B on 25 acres about six miles from campus.
- Oxley Oaks: Standalone cottages on Lee Road 188, minutes from downtown and dog friendly.
- Heritage House Lodging & Events: Five king suites in a 1913 neoclassical mansion near downtown Opelika, from about $185 a night.
When is the best time to visit Auburn and Opelika?
The best time to visit is fall, from mid-September through November, when the weather cools and the football calendar fills the town, or spring, from March through May, when azaleas bloom across campus. Summer is hot and humid, and the town is quieter with students away.
- Fall: Football Saturdays, pumpkin patches and the best hiking weather at Chewacla.
- December: Opelika decorates its downtown for the holidays, and the Victorian Front Porch Christmas Tour lights up the Northside Historic District from December 9 to 13, 2026, as a driving tour most evenings and a walking tour on Saturday, December 12.
- Spring: The Opelika Songwriters Festival fills downtown venues with live music each spring (it ran March 26 to 29 in 2026), and the arboretum’s azaleas peak.
- Summer: Fewer crowds and lower rates, with swimming and paddling at Chewacla’s lake.
A two-day Auburn and Opelika itinerary
- Day 1 morning: Breakfast at Staks Pancake Kitchen, then a walk from Toomer’s Corner through campus to the Davis Arboretum.
- Day 1 afternoon: The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, then browsing at J&M Bookstore and Auburn Oil Co. Booksellers.
- Day 1 evening: Dinner at Acre or The Depot, then a drink downtown.
- Day 2 morning: Hike to Chewacla Falls at Chewacla State Park.
- Day 2 afternoon: Lunch at Chuck’s Bar-B-Que, a tour at John Emerald Distilling Company and an hour on Railroad Avenue in Opelika.
- Day 2 evening: Pizza and a pint at Red Clay Brewing Company, or dinner at Cafe 123 or Piedmont on Piedmont.
FAQ
What is Auburn, Alabama, known for?
Auburn is known for Auburn University, its football program and the traditions around it, including rolling Toomer’s Corner after a win. It is also known for its tree-lined campus, the free Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art and nearby Chewacla State Park.
How far is Opelika from Auburn?
Downtown Opelika is about 7 miles from downtown Auburn, roughly a 15-minute drive by Opelika Road or US 280. The two towns share a metro area, so it is easy to stay in one and eat or explore in the other.
What is there to do in Auburn when it is not football season?
Plenty. Visit the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art and the Davis Arboretum, hike or mountain bike at Chewacla State Park, play golf at Grand National in Opelika, and spend an evening at the breweries and restaurants of downtown Opelika. Summer and spring weekends without home games are also the easiest times to find a room.
How many days do you need in Auburn and Opelika?
Two days is enough to see both downtowns, hike at Chewacla and eat well. Add a day if you are coming for a football game or a round of golf on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
Is Auburn a good day trip from Atlanta or Montgomery?
Yes. Auburn is about an hour from Montgomery and under two hours from Atlanta on I-85, which makes it an easy day trip. On home football weekends, though, traffic and parking add time, so plan to arrive early and stay late.