The live oak trees are back in Toomer’s Corner. The intersection of Magnolia and College is the time-honored rallying spot for the Auburn University football faithful, and that makes it the symbolic heart of Auburn, Alabama. After every Auburn Tiger pigskin triumph, the iconic live oaks at Toomer’s Corner would be “rolled” with toilet paper. That tradition was interrupted after a 2010 victory against the archrival the University of Alabama—the beloved trees were poisoned by a Crimson Tide fan. When the trees were replaced in February 2015 – selected from more than 9,000 oaks in a South Carolina nursery—the crowds in Toomer’s Square were packed five deep to see them lifted into the ground.
Planning a visit? Stay at Auburn RV Park at Leisure Time CG, or consult Auburn-Opelika Tourism.
Football passion courses through the city. When Jordan-Hare Stadium fills with 90,000 people on a fall Saturday, it represents twice the Auburn population. There also are plenty of fun-filled family events throughout the year. The Auburn CityFest in Kiesel Park is a highlight of spring, and neighboring downtown Opelika transforms into a Victorian Christmas card every December. A campus must-see is the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, presenting seven galleries set on seven lakeshore acres.
Outdoor lovers will delight in the waterfalls and hiking trails of Chewacla State Park and embrace the diverse habitats of South Alabama at the Kreher Preserve & Nature Center. Golfers can tackle 54 holes of lake-hugging splendor at the Grand National that is an anchor of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, America’s first and most celebrated statewide collection of public golf courses.
And when you arrive at Toomer’s Corner to admire the live oaks, make sure to stop into Toomer’s Drugs for their famous tart and tangy lemonade, fresh-squeezed on the corner since 1896. Founder Sheldon Toomer played halfback on the first Auburn football team—this is a town where shared traditions run deep.
