Bacon: Festival, Architectural History and Parks

Bacon brings together architectural and administrative history, the Georgia Blueberry Festival, and recreational activities in Alma and the surrounding area. Its historic buildings tell of different periods and functions, while the festival and blueberry farming add another chapter to the region’s story. When planning your stay, the county offers several themes to consider, which you can prioritize according to your travel interests.

Historic buildings and local heritage

The Bacon County Courthouse was built in 1919 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Alma Depot dates back to 1906. The years in which they were built give the two sites different time frames within local architectural history.

The Rabinowitz Building was built in 1915 by a local contractor. It is significant in the areas of architecture, commerce, and politics and government. Its upper floor served as the first courthouse, or first courtroom, and as an office for the administration of Bacon County. The building thus connects architectural history with the county’s earlier judicial and administrative functions.

The Bacon County School in Alma is also among the listed historic sites: it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. The Camp Ground Methodist Church dates to the early 19th century. Together with the courthouse, depot, and Rabinowitz Building, these places reveal different facets of local history, from church architecture to courtrooms and administrative spaces.

Blueberries and the Georgia Blueberry Festival

Commercial blueberry farming came to Bacon County in the early 1970s; Bacon County remains a center of blueberry farming in Georgia. The county has hosted the Georgia Blueberry Festival since 1974. The festival is held every year on the first weekend in June at Goldwasser Park and features entertainment, activities, and food. These dates can help you plan a visit around the festival; check the specific event dates before your trip.

Recreation in Alma and nearby state parks

The recreation park in Alma and Bacon County covers 117 acres. Its facilities include a playground and three baseball fields. These amenities give the park a distinct recreational focus, different from the historic buildings and annual festival days.

Outside Bacon County, the General Coffee State Park is nearby. Its Heritage Farm presents the agricultural history of South Georgia through log cabins, a corn crib, a tobacco barn, and a sugar cane mill. The Laura S. Walker State Park is also outside the county; alligators and carnivorous pitcher plants can be found there. The two parks offer different nature and history themes that can be distinguished from the sites in Alma and Bacon County.

Getting oriented and planning your visit

Bacon County lies at the intersection of US Highway 1 and Georgia Highway 32. A military helicopter is on display in Alma; since its display status may change, check ahead to see whether it is still on view. The Veterans Memorial Wall in Alma is a place where you can pay your respects.

The Alma/Bacon County Welcome Center is located in a renovated former school building and offers public restrooms. If you plan to use the restrooms during your visit, check ahead to see whether they are currently available.

When choosing a hotel location, it helps to first organize your planned stops: historic sites and recreational activities in Alma and Bacon County, on the one hand, and state parks outside the county, on the other.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Alma, Mitchell County, Seminole County, Rabun County, Forsyth, Washington County, Spalding, Camden.

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