Convention & Meeting Center

The Classic Center is Athens-Clarke County's premier convention and meeting facility. Located in and anchoring the eastern edge of downtown Athens, the facility has hosted everything from Broadway musicals to performances by Bob Dylan. It contains 50,000 square feet of flexible meeting and exhibit space, as well as a 2,100-seat performing arts theatre. Additionally, the center also holds the offices for the Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB).

The main area of the Classic Center was completed in April 1996 as one of 17 projects funded by a 1987 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). Area citizens had direct input into the design and mission of the facility and have since supported it tremendously. The center today operates as a self-supporting facility while hosting events that make an economic impact on the community.

In fiscal year 2002, the facility hosted 575 events with a total attendance of 350,000 people. These numbers translate into an economic impact in Athens of more than $7 million. The center also helped raise more than $129,000 for charities.

In 2000, the Classic Center was selected as the fourth in a series of holiday ornaments celebrating landmarks in Athens-Clarke County. The ornament is on sale for $10 at the Athens Welcome Center, located at 280 East Dougherty Street. You can contact the Athens Welcome Center at 706-353-1820.

For detailed information about the Classic Center's facilities and its calendar of upcoming events, visit the Classic Center website.