I love courthouse squares. There’s something about a Southern town built around a central square, the courthouse anchoring everything, shops and restaurants wrapped around it, people actually stopping to talk instead of rushing past. It’s a design that goes back to towns like Shelbyville, Tennessee, whose 1810 layout became the blueprint copied across the South for the next century. And Athens, Alabama has one of the good ones.
The first Saturday of the month is the time to visit, there’s a cruise-in that kicks off around 5pm, filling the square with classic cars, trucks, and hot rods. This is the anchor of the night, and it’s easy walking distance from everything else on this list.
I would arrive a little early to go see the restored Gulf Station in town. It only takes 10-minutes to walk over to the Newby Gulf Station, I would drive over if you are attending the cruise with your car, it makes a great backdrop for pictures. Built in 1933, it’s a restored full-service station in a rare prairie-style design, and one of the first full-service stations built in Athens. In 1947, Cloyde Mason Newby Jr. bought the station along with the adjacent College Inn, and both buildings have since been carefully restored. One thing to know: the museum itself is by appointment only (256-233-8728), not open for walk-up visits — so plan on admiring the exterior rather than expecting it to be open.
While you’re in town, it’s worth knowing Athens sits alongside Alabama’s oldest institution of higher education. Athens State was founded in 1822 as the Athens Female Academy, just three years after Alabama became a state. Its oldest building, Founders Hall, went up in 1842, a Greek Revival building funded by local families when the school affiliated with the Methodist Church and became the Athens Female Institute. It’s still the centerpiece of campus today, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and houses the university president’s office along with a parlor and chapel used for events.
On the square you’ll find U.G. White Mercantile at 101 N. Jefferson St., open in one form or another since 1917. Founder Ulysses Grant White, a Tennessee native, lost his right arm in a cotton gin accident and came to Athens to become a merchant instead of a farmer. Today, under owner Derrick Young, the shelves have shifted toward chocolate, knives, vintage toys, and outdoor gear, but the old-wood smell and 1924 cash register are still there. In 2023, U.G. White earned an Alabama Centennial Retailer award for over a century in continuous business.
Once you’ve made a lap of the cars, we would stop in to Village Pizza for supper. It is a casual local spot known for fresh-made pizzas, calzones, and wings. My boys loved their pizza and I would get the Fire & Ice Wings. If you’re not into pizza there’s other good places around, The Salty Cod is an English themed restaurant and there’s Lucia’s Cocina Mexicana, that’s what we tried at our last visit and it was a good pick. Make sure to save room for Ice Cream!
Close out the night with Kreme Delite, the ice cream stand at the corner of West Washington and South Marion streets. Built in 1951, it’s a true city institution, best known for its upside-down banana split served in a cup, with an iconic neon sign that’s been pulling people in for over 70 years. Get the peanut butter shake with hot fudge, my favorite.
Why It’s Worth the Trip
Athens packs a full evening into a few walkable blocks, great variety of cars filling the square, a restored gas station with real story behind it, a college founded just three years after statehood, and a good selection of dining options. Whether you’re coming from Huntsville or just passing through North Alabama, the first Saturday of the month is the night to visit downtown Athens.
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