Taking the Stage
Georgia shines bright with entertainment group tour options
In recent years, Georgia has become the top destination in the world for feature films, and for film and television fans, the state abounds with The Hunger Games series settings, zombie landmarks, and other big- and small-screen backdrops prominently featured in hit movies and TV shows. That is on top of an already-rich musical history that boasts artists as diverse as Ray Charles, James Brown, Otis Redding, the Allman Brothers Band, R.E.M, the Indigo Girls, OutKast, and Alan Jackson. Georgia offers locales far and wide for visitors to see, experience, and appreciate its great entertainment legacy—one that continues to grow with more and more hot spots as each year passes.
Gibbs Gardens, Ball Ground
There's a reason Gibbs Gardens was selected to represent Heaven in the 2016 Jennifer Garner film, Miracles from Heaven. Spread over 220 acres, the garden features 24 ponds, 32 bridge crossings, 19 waterfalls and thousands of trees and flowers. The world-class gardens represent the passion of Atlanta landscaper Jim Gibbs, who spent six years looking for the perfect location. Open to the public from March through mid-December. Call ahead for special group pricing.
Atlanta History Center, Atlanta
Located on the grounds of the Atlanta History Center, the stately Swan House was built in 1928 by cotton heir Edward Inman as a party palace to celebrate the Jazz Age. But the mansion's greatest fame has come in recent times from its role as President Snow's residence in The Hunger Games films. Visitors can tour the rooms used in the films, as well as visit the center's world-class museum. Groups may opt for self-guided tours, or book a 45-minute guided tour in advance.
Overnight in Atlanta
Home of The Walking Dead, Senoia
The small community of Senoia serves as the setting and the heart of The Walking Dead universe and it's the place to visit for devotees of the hit television series. Georgia Tour Company offers a guided trek. For the independent-minded, the Woodbury Shoppe and Waking Dead Cafe—which carry official TWD merchandise—are the starting points for self-guided tours to experience up close the world of zombies and The Walking Dead.
Mystic Falls Tours and On Location Self-Guided Tour, Covington
Covington serves as the location of Mystic Falls from the hit CW series The Vampire Diaries. Mystic Falls Tours offers exclusive access to the show's Lockwood Mansion, a trip to the Mystic Grill, the Whitmore college campus and views of sets built for the series. The self-guided walking or driving tour map, available at Covington's Visitor Information Center, includes 17 locations from the show, along with local filming spots from The Dukes of Hazzard, In the Heat of the Night and Remember the Titans.
Rock Candy Tours, Macon
Macon's role in the history of American music is both unique and underappreciated. Four artists who rose out of Macon—Little Richard, James Brown, Otis Redding and the Allman Brothers Band—all redefined what music could be. Rock Candy Tours takes visitors into the heart of the time during which that iconic music was born. "Step-on" tours are available for groups traveling in buses, or Rock Candy can provide a bus or trolley upon request.
Overnight in Macon
The Allman Brothers Band Museum at The Big House, Macon
The Big House is one of the most iconic homes in rock history, the place where the Allman Brothers Ban lived and rehearsed as they forged the beginnings of the Southern Rock sound. The Allman Brothers Band Museum, now housed here, boasts a wealth of memorabilia that ranges from guitars (including the Les Paul that Duane Allman played in "Layla") to clothing to historical overviews. You can stand in the kitchen where Dickey Betts wrote "Ramblin' Man," and find ABB music and t-shirts in the gift shop. Group tours are available.
Old Savannah Tours, Savannah
Savannah has played host to movie sets for decades, from Forrest Gump to Something To Talk About to Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Voted the best trolley tour in Savannah every year since 2003, Old Savannah Tours offers a wide selection of themed tours covering Savannah’s history and scenic highlights. Private group tours are available, and if your group is lucky, they might just meet their favorite film characters and historic figures on the trolley.o
Jekyll Island Club Resort, Jekyll Island
Once an exclusive getaway for the rich and famous, this resort is now known as the setting for the Robert Redford film The Legend of Bagger Vance. Nearby, the picturesque Jekyll Island Golf Club is where the mysterious golfing guru Bagger Vance, played by Will Smith in the film, schoold Matt Damon's character. Other movies filmed on Jekyll include Glory, X-Men: First Class and Live by Night. The resort offers room blocks for groups, with options from croquet on the lawn to horseback rides on the beach.
Don't Miss Dining: Williamson Bros Bar B Q, Marietta
Since opening their first restaurant in Marietta in 1990, Williamson Brothers Bar-B-Q has become one of the most acclaimed places in Georgia for ribs and pulled pork, and they're especially known for their popular sauces. The restaurant is group-friendly and offers catering for groups of 25 or more.
Must-Stop Shopping: Avalon, Alpharetta
Avalon offers 500,000 square feet of upscale retail—with shops such as Apple Store, Kendra Scott, Peter Millar and Tumi—as well as a plethora of gourmet and unique casual restaurants. The pedestrian-friendly, sustainably built outdoor complex includes a bocce court, movie theater complex, an ice-skating rink in the winter and a fire pit.
