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Photo Downtown is the beating heart of Waycross. Buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a classic walkable system of streets and parks and more restaurants and shops than you can see in a weekend, downtown Waycross has something for everyone.
Waycross Convention & Visitors Bureau . 417 Pendleton St. Waycross, GA 31501 912.287.2969
About Waycross
Waycross, Georgia is a bustling city of around 13,000 residents who enjoy the Southern hospitality and natural wonders of Southeast Georgia and the trembling earth of the world-famous Okefenokee Swamp. Waycross is a nationally recognized Main Street City teeming with positive energy and rich with history.
Downtown
Many of the streets in downtown are laid out in the shape of the Maltese Cross, often seen in fire department patches, which harkens back to its railroad history. The Plant System Railroad had a major impact in the development of the city and used the Maltese Cross in its logo in the mid-1800s.
Downtown you can see a show at the C.C. McCray Auditorium, catch a football game on Friday nights in the fall at Memorial Stadium, or dine at our restaurants.
For a deeper dive, take the downtown historic walking tour. More information is available at the Waycross Convention and Visitors Bureau headquarters at 417 Pendleton Street.
AREA HISTORY
Waycross’ history is on full display just about everywhere you look in our city. Original train depot buildings from the railroad’s heyday, former downtown hotels repurposed for modern use and an auditorium where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Otis Redding played are all just part of the rich historic tapestry of Waycross.
The railroad’s influence on the city is the most visible sign from the past that is still easily identifiable today. The Plant System Railroad was founded in the city in the mid-1800s, creating a crossroads of railroad lines that brought commerce and growth to the city. By the 1870s, the City of Waycross was officially born. Previously it had been referred to as Old Nine, or Number Nine. Then it bore the name Pendleton and later Tebeauville, until 1873.
Some people claim someone traveling the railroad dubbed the town Waycross because that is “where the ways crossed.” Other people believe it was named so because of the abundance of churches in the town, making it “the way of the cross.” Either way, both were major factors in the growth of the city, which now boasts a population of more than 13,000 people, and more than 35,000 in Ware County.
The largest CSX computerized railyard on the East Coast still operates today in Waycross and uses original Plant System Railroad buildings. The Historic Passenger Rail Depot, built in the early 1900s to replace the original depot that burned after a train derailment, is used today by the Waycross Tourism Bureau and Visitor Center and the Waycross-Ware County Chamber of Commerce, among other local offices housed there. The building was restored in 1998.
Also in town, the Railway Express Agency building now houses a 400-seat banquet and reception hall after being restored in 2001. The Phoenix Hotel has been repurposed as well, via a $7.4 million renovation to become corporate offices for a local company and new storefronts.
The 1937-built C.C. McCray City auditorium, named for the city’s first African American mayor, was restored in 2008 and now serves as a concert hall, community meeting space, and wedding venue, among other things.
There are more than historic buildings in Waycross, however. The people of Waycross have made their marks on the world. Gram Parsons, a major influence on some of the most popular rock bands in the world, grew up in Waycross. Other local people of influence include actors Pernell Roberts, Ossie Davis and Burt Reynolds. The Darden brothers, who started a restaurant business that today includes chains like Red Lobster, Olive Garden and Longhorn’s Steakhouse, once owned The Green Frog restaurant in Waycross in the 1930s.
Human history is only part of the history of Ware County. The Okefenokee Swamp, the land of the trembling earth, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and puts the natural history of Southeast Georgia on full display. The 450,000-acre National Wildlife Refuge has an ecosystem unlike anywhere else in the world that attracts thousands of visitors annually.
There are many ways to see and experience the history of Waycross and Ware County. One of the most popular ways is to stop by the visitor center, pick up a Historic Walking Tour Booklet and take a stroll through downtown. Visit a museum, learn about the pioneers, Native American history, and environmental history along the way.
