Rome, Georgia is full of history, great restaurants and a long list of family-friendly things to do. It’s sometimes hard to decide what to do even if you are a local.
The Georgia’s Rome Office of Tourism launched Explore Georgia’s Rome Pass, a way for visitors and locals to find things to enjoy in Rome, Floyd County and Cave Spring. The pass also includes some discounts. I downloaded the mobile pass and I was amazed to see 82 suggestions from hotels to restaurants to great museums.
“Last year our office launched the Outdoor Pass to help visitors and residents explore our outdoor attractions,” said Kristi Kent, director of communications for Georgia’s Rome Office of Tourism in a news release. “We received such great feedback from passholders that we decided to add another pass this year.”
We visited many of the places and restaurants on the app. Here is a sampling of our experiences we hope will inspire you to get out and explore this Northwest Georgia city.
Things to do in Rome, Georgia
Let’s talk museums first. As I am writing this, the heat index in our area is about 100 degrees. Museums are a great activity to do indoors.
A great starting point is the Rome Area History Center. You can take a journey from Rome’s beginnings to modern times. Learn more about the history center here.
Another place to find information about Rome is at one of the gift shops and welcome centers. You will find one downtown near the history center. The other is located off Turner McCall Boulevard on Jackson Hill. You can’t miss the cute little caboose. I interned with the Rome tourism office in college and worked in that little caboose a long time ago.
Rome is the site of the country’s largest college campus. There’s so much to do at Berry College from visiting the historic Ford Buildings to hiking to the Dream House. But if you want to stay indoors, visit Oak Hill and the Martha Berry Museum. You will be surprised to learn how many famous people visited the campus.
Things to see in Rome, Georgia
The town has many historical sites and markers. One of my favorites on the list is the Capitoline Wolf in front of the Rome City Auditorium. In 1929 then-Italian premier Benito Mussolini and the Italian government gave Rome, Ga. a statue of Romulus and Remus that city leaders placed in front of the Rome City Auditorium. Rome officials removed the statue and replaced it with an American flag between the years of 1940 to 1952 before restoring it to its original spot.
The Desoto Theater is a great place to see a production from Rome Little Theater. If you are visiting Rome, I would recommend adding a play to your list of things to do.
Y’all know we are big baseball fans. I wasn’t living in Rome 20 years ago when the Rome Braves came to town, but I have since made up for the time I missed. Steve and I had our first date here. We have seen superstars complete rehab assignments here, including Atlanta Braves’ ace Max Fried. It’s an economical way to enjoy baseball and see some future and sometimes current superstars.
Places to eat in Rome, Georgia
The list of restaurants in Rome, Floyd County and Cave Spring is extensive. One of our favorites is Harvest Moon on Broad Street. I usually order the salmon patties and Steve gets chicken. Doesn’t that look so good?
I love their jalapeno cornbread. My son usually orders a vegetarian black bean burger. We have a lot more dishes to try there.
Our favorite chain restaurant is Chicken Salad Chick. The food is always fresh and the customer service is awesome. It’s a great place for a diabetic as long as you stay away from that tasty grape salad. I speak from experience.
More food, things to stay and shopping
This is just a sampling of all the great things you can find on the mobile pass. As a bonus, Georgia’s Rome will have giveaways. This week you can win a trip on the Roman Holiday, a fun boat excursion down the Coosa River. We did this on July 4, 2021 and had a great time. You can register through Aug. 3 and the tour is Aug. 6.
We will use the mobile pass to scratch off some of the places we have not visited in Rome and Floyd County. Keep an eye on our social media for more. If you didn’t see the link for the mobile pass above, click here.
