University of Georgia

The University of Georgia occupies a large campus that begins just a few blocks from downtown and spreads south toward the Oconee River. The oldest part of campus — North Campus — is the place to walk: a shaded landscape of Federal and Greek Revival buildings centered on the old Chapel and the famous arch, which serves as the symbolic entrance to the university. UGA was chartered in 1785, making it the oldest state-chartered university in the country.

The campus is pleasant to wander even if you have no particular destination. The quadrangles are shaded and quiet during non-class hours, and several of the historic buildings are open. The Georgia Museum of Art is on the south end of campus and is free, with a respectable collection of American art. The Founders' Garden, maintained by the UGA Garden Club, is a small and overlooked gem near the main academic buildings.

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Founded in 1785, the University of Georgia was the first state-chartered university in the United States. The original North Campus, laid out in the early 1800s, is one of the best-preserved examples of nineteenth-century collegiate architecture in the American South, with a canopied arch that serves as the ceremonial gateway between town and gown.

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