Where to Stay in Downtown Aiken

Hopeland Gardens is a must-see in Aiken. Around Christmas there is a free lights display, and in the spring a free outdoor concert series on Mondays.

Hitchcock Woods is one of the nation’s largest urban forests. It is a shaded and peaceful place to walk or ride horses. No bikes or vehicles are allowed, and dogs must be leashed. In the spring, the Aiken Horse Show is held in the historic arena. On Thanksgiving the Blessing of the Hounds ceremony is held at Memorial Gate, where a priest blesses the fox hunting party for safety in the upcoming winter hunt season. Seasonally there are controlled burns, so it’s not uncommon (or bad!) to see or smell smoke when near the woods.

Citizens Park and Odell Weeks (a.k.a. Virginia Acres) are great places to bring kids. There are play structures, splash parks in the summer, fields, walking tracks, and Odell Weeks has tennis and pickle ball courts, disc golf, and a recreation center with indoor activities as well.

Richardson Lake, about 15 minutes from downtown, is an old fashioned lake swim park, fun for the kids with a slide, concession stand, and beach sand. There is a small admission fee.

Boyd Pond State Park and Aiken State Park are 20-30 min from downtown, offering peaceful natural parks with water features and hiking trails. Aiken State Park has a small admission fee. There are sometimes canoe rentals for you to canoe / kayak the slow black water on the Edisto river. For river kayaking or other seasonal boat tours, check out the Augusta Canal Boat Tours, which includes a seasonal music boat tour series.

About an hour’s drive from Aiken is Clarks Hill Lake (a.k.a. Lake Thurmond). On the Georgia side of the lake, Lake Springs Recreation Area has roped off swimming areas, access for boating and fishing, shady trails with lake views, picnic areas, a kids’ playground, and restrooms. There is a small parking fee.

Phinizy Swamp Nature Park in Augusta, GA is a 1,100-acre sanctuary, with 14 miles of unpaved trails, shaded boardwalks, and active wetlands. You may see alligators, river otters, and a wide variety of birdlife!

Make a day of it and have dinner in Augusta on your way back. We recommend Boll Weevil Café & Sweetery for Southern food, Rhinehart’s Oyster Bar for seafood, and Augsburg Haus for German food.

The Alley is a pedestrian-only street downtown between Laurens and Newberry with a fun and friendly night life. There is often live music on Thursday nights and a farmer’s market seasonally. It’s lined with good local restaurants like Takosushi, Lanky’s, and Whiskey Alley. The Ally Downtown Taproom is a fun stop for beer tasting!

The Aiken Farmer’s Market is on Williamsburg Street and usually takes place from 7:30 am - 11:30 am Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

Explore Aiken to find the 31 painted horse statutes celebrating the equine culture. Pick up a paper map at the Aiken Center for the Arts for the 9 downtown.

Walk the Aiken Arboretum Trail, which is an interactive 2-mile walking path along Colleton Avenue, beginning on side of the Aiken County Public Library.

• Take a guided trolley rideor check out the Train Museum, both at the Aiken Visitors Center on Park

• Learn about Aiken’s Winter Colony history at the Aiken County Historical Museum

• Book a private driving tour of Aiken with Tailored Tours of Aiken

• Visit the Center for African American History, Art, & Cultureon York

• Test your skills at Woodchuckers Axe Throwingin the Alley downtown

• Engage your creativity with art classes for kids or adults at The Aiken Center for the Artsor theArt Nook

• Shoot a round of pool at theRack & Grill or play pinball at Radioactive Arcade

• Enjoy a show at the Planetarium at the University of SC Aiken

• See a concert at the Etheridge Center at USC

• Catch a play at the Aiken Community Theater

• Watch a movie at Regal Cinemas behind Publix parking lot off of Whiskey

• Drive about 40 minutes to The Big Mo (Monetta Drive In Movie Theatre)

• Wear out your kids or burn some fun calories at Urban Air (indoor trampolines and play space) in Augusta

• Eudora Wildlife Safari Park, about 40 minutes away in Salley, is a drive-through exotic animal farm where you can feed animals and get up close and personal right from your car window

There are MANY great restaurants in Aiken. This not a comprehensive list.

Breakfast

• Coffee: Polo Grounds on Barnwell and New Moon (don’t be in a hurry!)

• Pastries and outdoor seating: La Parisienne

• The Willcox: A must do “Aiken Experience” for any meal (or Sunday Brunch) in this famous historic inn! We suggest making a reservation.

Lunch

• Mack’s on Laurens for huge, excellent sandwiches (casual)

• For a little fancier, Malia’s (open for dinner; reservation recommended)

• Takosushi in The Alley for sushi

• Vegetarians, try Veg Out Cafe & Bakery on Whiskey

• For casual Mexican food, head to Maria’s or Tequila’s

• For something a little different, try the pupusas at Cabanas Salvadoran or Rhumba Rum & Cigar Lounge (also Saturday Latin Brunch)

Dinner

• Whiskey Alley, Neon Fig, Park Avenue Oyster Bar, and The Wildemount are great choices

• If you want to take a little drive to Edgefield (30 min North), Christine’s Farm to Fork is wonderful

• Taj Aiken (Indian food) has lots of great vegetarian options but service is often slow (even for take out)

• Good Girl Brewing is a dog-friendly brewery with food, beer flights, and live music many weekends in the summer

• The Backyard Aiken has great outdoor space for food and drinks

• The Feed Sack has a great fried fish sandwich and pork belly, and often has live piano music

• La Scuderia Trattoria has good pizza, conveniently nearby! There is limited seating, so ask for the pizza to be cut before leaving for takeout

Dessert

• Flannigan’s Ice Cream: Big scoops and great flavor selection

The Aiken Golf Club: Founded in 1912, this is a links style golf course straight out of history. While the course plays on the shorter side, the narrow fairways demand accuracy with every shot, and the tiered greens provide plenty of challenges for all levels. Loops through the Highland and Kalmia Hill neighborhoods.

Cedar Creek Golf Club: The sister course of the Aiken Golf Club, Cedar Creek has a reputation of being Augusta National Lite. With options to play 9 or 18 hole rounds, it’s an excellent spot to play no matter the season. Get your reservations in early for this course, as tee times fill up quickly!

Hounds Lake Golf Club: This one is built a little differently. It’s a classic American design with the feel of walking or riding through a park as you go through. The course contains three 9-hole layouts, and golfers have the option to play a combination of any two they choose. The most popular is the Azalea / Dogwood combination.

Midland Valley Golf Club: A best-kept secret in Aiken that is loved by locals, but not well known to out-of-towners. This municipal-style course is off of Highway 1 on the way to Augusta. It may not be as over-the-top as other courses, but it’s worth checking out, especially if you haven’t reserved a tee time elsewhere.

Sweetwater Country Club: This course is a 45-minute drive to Barnwell, SC. The course is well-maintained and has a little bit of everything. Paying $30 per person (cart included) is a good deal too. Be warned though, there are some doglegs on this course, so a layup isn’t a bad option if your draw or fade is a little inconsistent.

Southpointe Golf Club: Located in Augusta, this course is a 45 minute drive. However, it is one of the best overall layouts for a public golf course in the area. It won’t be the end of the world if you miss it, but you would be missing out. Reserve well in advance, tee times are hard to come by!

Need a Gift?

• True Aiken: Perfect if you want an Aiken souvenir that speaks Southern

• Equine Divine: For the equestrian or cowgirl / boy

• Aiken Center for the Arts: Has a gift shop in the front with wonderful, locally made gift items. The gallery has rotating exhibits by mainly local artists, and they also offer art classes. Bonus: has a public restroom!

• Plum Pudding: Specialty kitchen store with all kinds of cooking gadgets and spice mixes, jams, baking kits, and gurgle pots.

• High County Olive Oil: High quality and delicious specialty olive oils and balsamic vinegars (and they have tasting available).

• Woz Here Co: Shop virtually for Aiken keepsakes featuring a hand-drawn watercolor design of our favorite Aiken icons.

Need Groceries or Essentials?

• Kroger on the corner of Whiskey & Pinelog

• Fresh Market off of Whiskey

• Food Lion off Silver Bluff

• Also a Publix, Target, Lowe’s, and Walmart a little farther down on Whiskey, and a Super Walmart and Sam’s Club off of Richland.

• There’s almost every kind of fast food and many big box stores off of Whiskey Road.

Need a Drink?

Grocery stores in Aiken sell wine and beer, but not liquor. ABC stores and Package Stores are the Southern code for liquor stores. I recommend Harvard’s for a liquor store with a great selection of everything.

• The Taproom in the Alley is a fun tasting experience

• The Willcox Hotel (classy ambience)

• Whiskey Alley (whiskey and bourbon)

• Second City (distillery in Augusta)

Several unpaved blocks right in the heart of downtown off of South Boundary make up Aiken’s Historic Horse District, built in the days when Aiken was a Winter Colony for the Northeast’s wealthy equestrian families. Walk or drive through for a peek into the fascinating history of Aiken, still thriving today!

• Rye Patch / Thoroughbred Museum at Hopeland Gardens: Exhibits and information about Aiken’s rich equestrian and horse racing history.

• The Aiken Training Track: See racehorses being trained on the Training Track in the horse district most Mondays to Saturdays from about 7:30 – 9:30 am seasonally (Fall - Spring). Don’t miss an authentic no frills trainer’s breakfast experience at the historic Track Kitchen.

• Polo Matches & Horse Shows: The best place to find up-to-date info on local horse events is The Aiken Horse Magazine online.

• The Aiken Horse Show in Hitchcock Woods: This historic show has been held the first weekend of April for over 100 years.

• Fall & Spring Steeplechase: New venue is off of Richland.

• Aiken Equine Rescue: Call ahead or check website for visiting hours.

Tack & Feed Stores

Aiken has several, all different and special! Aiken Saddlery, Adams Horse Supply, Oak Manor Saddlery, Aiken Tack Exchange, Aiken County Supply, Weeks Farm Garden Supply, and Tractor Supply.

Equestrian Neigh-borhoods

If horses are a lifestyle for you, a drive through one or more of Aiken’s equestrian communities is recommended. 3 Runs Plantation about 7 miles from downtown out Banks Mill Road is the best known, but there’s also Bridle Creek, Foxchase, Chime Bell Station, Cedar Meadows, Newbridge, Hopeland Farms, and the Horse District among many others.

Every season there are special small town events held in Aiken. Search online for up-to-date information.

Spring

• Spring Steeplechase

• Master’s Week (Augusta National Golf Tournament)

• Amp The Alley

• Hopeland Gardens Concert Series

• The Aiken Horse Show

• Aiken Triple Crown Races

• Memorial Day Parade

Summer

• Bluegrass Festival

• Western Carolina State Fair

Fall

• Fall Steeplechase

• Ocktoberfest

• Aiken’s Makin’

• The Blessing of the Hounds (Thanksgiving)

• One Table (Thanksgiving)

Winter

• Christmas parade

• Night of 1000 Lights

• Aiken Tree Lighting Ceremony

• Hopeland Gardens Festival of Lights

“The Woods” is one of the largest urban forests in the USA with 2,100 acres of forest and 70 miles of trails.

It is free to visit and open daily dawn to dusk. Pedestrians, horseback riders, and leashed dogs are welcome. No vehicles or bicycles.

During the Aiken Hounds hunt season, October 15th through March 15th, dog walking is not permitted in the Woods on:

• Tuesdays: 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and

• Saturdays: 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon.

Non-hunting equestrians should use caution at these times as well.

The hunts held in the Woods are drag hunts, meaning there is an artificial scent trail laid down for the hounds to follow, with no live foxes hunted.

• 444 South Boundary Ave SW (New downtown park entrance)

• 263 Rubins Cottage Lane / Stable on the Woods (Best for Horse Trailers)

• 1700 and 1770 Dibble Road

• 670 Coker Springs Road SW

• 540 Berrie Road SW

• 1120 Clark Road SW

When driving downtown, you can turn left on a red light after a stop to check for oncoming traffic at circular intersections. If they are square, wait for the light to turn green before a left.

If you’re new to the South, it’s a courtesy to pull over and stop for funeral processions. These are lead by a police car with lights on, but no siren and a train of cars moving slowly.

The CRSA refers to 13 counties in GA and 5 in SC (including Aiken county) that make up the Central Savannah River Area.

Laurens Street is the main street in historic downtown Aiken. Going north on Laurens (Highway 19) takes you out of town and also to Interstate 20. The Alley is a pedestrian street off of Laurens where there is sometimes live music, farmers markets, or festivals.

South Boundary is the street with the iconic tunnel of live oaks and also borders the historic horse district.

Richland Avenue (Highway 1) going west is a through route out of Aiken that takes you to Augusta. There’s a Super Walmart and a Sam’s Club off of Richland on the west side of Aiken heading towards Augusta, and the hospital and college are out that way.

On the South side of town there are lots of chain big box stores, grocery stores, and pharmacies. Pine Log and Whiskey Road is the main junction.

Highway 118 is referred to as “The Bypass” and it routes around downtown Aiken’s changing street names and visitors!

Highway 78 takes you east toward Windsor and Charleston. Interstate 20 is the nearest freeway and runs East-West. There are junctions for Interstate 20 about 10 - 15 minutes from downtown. West takes you to Augusta and Atlanta, east to Columbia, and meets up with North-South Interstate 95 about 2 hours east.

• North: Edgefield, Trenton and Johnston, Greenwood, and Greenville

• Northeast: Lexington and Columbia

• East: Windsor and Williston

• Southeast: New Ellenton

• South: Jackson (and the Savannah River Nuclear Site)

• West: Graniteville, and Southwest is Augusta

Approximate Drive Times

• Augusta, GA - 30 minutes (airport 45)

• Columbia, SC & Columbia airport - 1 hour

• Lake Oconee, GA - 1 hr 30 min

• Florence, SC & junction of I-20 and I-95 - 2 hours

• Greenville, SC - 2 hours

• Beaufort, SC - 2 hr 15 min

• Charlotte, NC - 2 hr 15 min

• Charleston, SC - 2 hr 15 min

• Atlanta, GA - 2.5 hours

• Clemson University, SC - 2.5 hours

• Edisto Beach, SC - 2.5 hours

• Hilton Head Island, SC - 2.5 hours

• Savannah, GA - 2.5 hours

• Myrtle Beach, SC - 3 hr 15 min

Palmetto Bugs: “Palmetto Bug” is the polite Southern term to make cockroaches sound charming! They can be found even in the cleanest homes, especially in the warmer months. They will not hurt you, but they can be large and disconcerting. These are NOT a sign of a dirty house like their smaller cousins. They are just a fact of life in the South!

Fire Ants: Small red ants that make mounds in sandy soil bite, causing small but painful blisters if disturbed. In grass there can also be sand spurs, which in the Fall months form very spiky seed heads that stick in skin and clothes (and dog paws!). For these reasons, we don’t recommend going barefoot in grassy or sandy areas.

Mosquitoes: Like most locations, there are mosquitoes in the area, especially around dusk or in shady woodsy areas. If camping or hiking in woods or near water, mosquito repellent and long light sleeves and pants are advised!

Snakes: While there are venomous snakes in the South (copperheads, rattlesnakes, and water moccasins), most locals have never seen them. The black snakes can get very long, but aren’t dangerous. If you are in the deep woods, keep an eye out and watch your dogs, but don’t worry too much about venomous snakes.

Spiders: A good rule of thumb is to wear gloves and look carefully first before disturbing rocks, logs, or shady quiet places outdoors. But you have to intrude on them to get bitten, so I wouldn’t be concerned about poisonous spiders doing anything but the most adventurous outdoors activities!

Other wildlife: We have red foxes, coyote, deer, armadillos, the occasional alligator, and rarely wild cats spotted in the woods. Keep an eye out for fox squirrels, which are larger than regular gray squirrels and are all black or have black heads with gray bodies. We have all kinds of beautiful birds seasonally and woodpeckers and cardinals year round.

All times of year can have varying outlying temps, such as low seventies in July (weirdly low!) or 90’s in early December (oddly high!). A Google search can give you a monthly average for your time in Aiken, but prepare for a wide range of temps and conditions regardless of when you visit! From late February to mid-April, the pollen can be bothersome to those with hay fever.

Summer

During the summer it’s hot and humid, with afternoon thunderstorms and rain common. The hottest months in Aiken are July & August. Check your weather, and bring an umbrella when you go out as things can change quickly. Consider bringing a sweatshirt in the summer if I’m going to a restaurant or the movies, as they can get a little crazy with the A/C and freeze you out when you go indoors!

Winter

Some years we get surprisingly cold streaks in the winter, especially in the months of January and early February. It can snow, but it’s very rare and usually doesn’t accumulate if it does.

Rare Extreme Weather

Peak hurricane season is from August to September. Generally, Aiken is far enough inland that it doesn’t receive the full force of the coastal storms. Most areas of Aiken are not high risk for flooding, but we can get high winds, heavy rains, and power outages resulting from tropical storms.

We can get tornadoes here any time of year, and occasionally you may get a severe weather warning alert on your phone. If that happens, don’t panic, just follow the instructions (usually to seek shelter and tune in to the radio for updates for a short period of time).

We’ve had two severe ice storms in Aiken in the past 20 years, both resulting in several days of power outages and widespread damage due to falling trees and branches.