Athens is the home to the University of Georgia and was founded in July, 1801 in support of the University. Today, it is the county seat of Clarke County and shares a unified government with the county as Athens-Clarke County. Below are some points of interest you may encounter during your time in Athens; feel free to check them out!
Downtown Athens
All teams and observers will be experiencing downtown Athens throughout their time at the 2019 National Championships. All three host hotels are situated downtown, as are some of the weekend’s event venues. Downtown boasts more than 50 restaurants, coffee shops, and other specialty eateries. Visitors will also find a wide variety of shopping options. Downtown is a very pedestrian-friendly, walkable city that will offer everyone in town many options throughout the long weekend of Nationals. Learn more about Downtown Athens
Athens has a rich music history, being the birthplace of many bands from all music genres. Along with the music are the music venue where these bands got their start. Many of those are scattered throughout downtown Athens, including the Georgia Theatre, the 40 Watt Club, and Morton’s Theatre, along with more recent additions such as the Foundry, the Classic Center Theater, Caledonia Lounge, and Nowhere Bar.
The University of Georgia
Founded in 1785, UGA is the oldest state-supported university in the United States. The original buildings for the University are on North Campus, across Broad Street from downtown Athens. Today, UGA’s 762-acre campus offers more than 140 degree programs through 17 schools and colleges with an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 28,800 students and 8,700 graduate students. The University’s school colors are the inspiration to the 2019 NHSMTC color palette and a source of fierce pride to the Georgia Bulldogs athletic teams and their fans. Learn more about the University of Georgia
The Chapel Bell
Located on North Campus behind the UGA Chapel and adjacent to Herty Field, is rung to celebrate Bulldog victories, special occasions and for fun. Learn more about the Chapel Bell
Herty Field
Herty Field was the original on-campus football and baseball field, hosting the first UGA home football game against Mercer University on January 30, 1892. Since 1999, it has served as a green space for University events and will be the site of the Pin Exchange on Thursday evening. Learn more about Herty Field
University of Georgia School of Law
Founded in 1859, Georgia Law is one of the oldest law schools in the United States. Students who received both their undergraduate and graduate degrees from UGA are referred to as “Double Dawgs”. There will be many Double Dawgs on the judging panels at Nationals. The Hatton Lovejoy Courtroom will be the site of the Final Round of the competition Saturday evening. Learn more about the University of Georgia School of Law
Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries
A part of the UGA Libraries, the Special Collections Libraries houses the official papers of former US Senator Richard B. Russell, Jr., the Hagrett Rare Book and Manuscripts collection; and the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection. (The Peabody Awards are given by UGA’s Grady College of Communication each year.) The Russell Building will be the site of the Judging Panel Reception Friday evening. Learn more about Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries
The Tree that Owns Itself
Athens is home to a unique white oak tree that has legal ownership of itself and all land within eight feet of its base. Unfortunately, the original tree fell in 1942 and the current tree (the Son Of The Tree That Owns Itself) was cultivated from an acorn on the original location. Today, the Athens’ Junior Ladies Garden Club maintains the Tree for the benefit of all of Athens and her visitors. Learn more about the Tree that Owns Itself
The Georgia Theatre
Athens is home to a rich musical history and home to many local and national bands, including the B-52s, REM, Pylon, and Drive By Truckers. This musical history led to the establishment of several venues, including The Georgia Theatre, the 40 Watt Club, and Morton’s Theater. The Georgia Theatre started life as a YMCA in 1889, transitioning throughout its life as a music store, Masonic Temple, furniture store, and finally as the Elite Theatre in 1935. In 1977, the building was converted into a music hall, hosting the B-52s on May 20, 1978. It was converted into a movie house in 1982 and then transformed back into a concert venue in 1989. Unfortunately, tragedy struck on June 19, 2009 when a fire tore through the building, collapsing the roof and gutting the structure. After renovations, it reopened on August 1, 2011 and is now hosting concerts several times a week. The Georgia Theatre will be the site of the team event Friday evening as well as Friday night’s Hospitality Suite on the rooftop bar. Learn more about the Georgia Theatre
The Double Barrelled Cannon
More of a curiosity than practical military hardware, the double barrelled cannon was built for the Confederacy during the War Between the States. The concept was to load two cannonballs joined by a chain and fire both barrels at the same time. Upon firing, the tethered cannonballs would mow down whatever was in front of the cannon, inflicting greater damage than a single cannonball could do. However, it was difficult to get the timing correct between the barrels and this often sent the projectiles in differing trajectories, resulting in uncontrolled shots. One time, the chain broke, shooting one ball into a cabin and the other into a field, killing a cow. The cannon now sits outside Athens’ city hall. Learn more about the Double Barrelled Cannon
The Classic Center
The Classic Center is Athens’ convention center space with 104,540 square feet of space. It will be the main location of the 2019 National Championship, housing practice rooms, Thursday’s meetings, courtrooms for Rounds 1-4, and the Awards Gala Saturday night. Learn more about the Classic Center
Sanford Stadium
The fifth largest on-campus stadium in the country seating 92,746 Dawg fans, Sanford Stadium is the home to the 2017 SEC Champion Georgia Bulldogs where they play between the hedges. (Can you tell college football is big in the south?) It is also where fans can see the Georgia Redcoat Marching Band. Learn more about Sanford Stadium
Georgia Museum of Art
Located on UGA’s campus, the Georgia Museum of Art is the official state museum of art of Georgia. It is free to the public and may be a great diversion for teams and observers to take some time away from the competition. Learn more about the Georgia Museum of Art
State Botanical Gardens
The State Botanical Gardens are on 313 acres and are a short drive from downtown Athens featuring a number of themed gardens and collections, more than five miles of nature trails, and a tropical conservatory. It may be accessed by UGA transit. Learn more about the State Botanical Garden of Georgia