Arts and Culture

Albany is celebrated as the retail, cultural, and entertainment hub of southwest Georgia.

The quality of life enjoyed by the community's nearly 90,000 residents stems from a variety of sources, including a thriving arts and cultural scene, greenspace, abundant waterways, nature recreation, and entertainment. 

In downtown Albany, visitors are greeted by the Ray Charles Plaza, a beautiful park with a lifelike bronze statue of the native musician and a walking area resembling piano keys. Nearby, the Flint RiverQuarium shares the story of the mysterious blue hole springs and the Flint River. The 175,000-gallon main tank features the state’s only open-air blue hole exhibit where fish, reptiles, and plants native to the Flint’s ecosystem thrive. Imagination Theater, a movie screen three stories tall and four stories wide, brings nature to life in a whole new way. Just next door is RiverFront Park, featuring a 3-mile biking and walking trail, a children’s play park, and splash pad.

Chehaw Park, an 800-plus acre park with playgrounds, picnic areas, trails, a boat dock, and campground for RVs and tents, is home to the Chehaw Wild Animal Park, designed by famed naturalist and Albany native Jim Fowler. Chehaw is one of two Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoos in Georgia.

The Albany Area Arts Council, Albany Museum of Art, Ballet Theatre South, Albany Chorale, Albany Concert Association, Albany Symphony Orchestra, the ArtPark, and Theatre Albany create a community rich in culture. The nationally-accredited Albany Museum of Art hosts six galleries of rotating exhibits from around the world and AMAzing Space, a hands-on interactive gallery for children. 

The Thronateeska Heritage Center includes a museum, an 1857 train depot, a model railroad museum, the state-of-the-art Wetherbee Planetarium, and the Discovery Center.

At the Albany Civil Rights Institute, visitors learn the impact of the southwest Georgia movement on the world. 

For more information: https://visitalbanyga.com/