If you're an Auburn student you know how valuable the Donald E. Davis Arboretum is to the…read moreuniversity and community. Although the primary objective is a living breathing outdoor museum, it is also a university classroom. I will focus on what the Davis Arboretum is best known for, The Founders Oak. I was fascinated by my visit. The native Southern trees and plants is the real gem of the arboretum. The crown jewel would be the "Founders Oak". The tree symbolizes the strong foundation and a deeply rooted history. The tree measures 88 feet tall by 47 inches wide. It's expected to see the start of the next century. The Oak serves as a symbol of the City of Auburn in history and spirit. There is much, more to the 13.6 acre arboretum that you will love to explore. They also rent out their space on the cheap for weddings. I encourage a visit.

Not that Auburn is a concrete jungle or anything, but the Davis Arboretum is a perfect escape into…read morenature, all while being on Auburn's campus and close to downtown and major roads. There's a parking lot off Garden Drive and some street parking on Lem Morrison Drive. The arboretum is free to all, not just those with university affiliations, and is open from dawn to dusk. If you like trees, especially southern ones, you're in luck. The place has undergone some cosmetic improvements over the years and seems to have expanded. I'm partial to the pond, and the pitcher plant area is super cool, especially when you can hear frogs rumbling. Spanning 13+ acres and home to 300 native plant species, the arboretum is sure to have something for you, whether you just like to wander amidst the trees, need to squeeze in a run, have to study for class, or want to explore with your kiddos.

I visit this treasure of a museum every time I'm in Auburn. I've been here at different time to…read morecapture it's beauty and also attended an evening event a few months ago. The Jule Collins Smith is not large, so it allows you to take your time walking the galleries. Upon entering look up at the Chantilly chandelier in the lobby. Admission is free, however a donation of $5 is a suggestion. There is a gift shop and cafe up front. Visitors can see unique wood art known to the area as "wood turning". A special collection from the 1930's Alabama state fair stored for 70 years was displayed during my visit. The museum is owned and operated in conjunction with Auburn University. If you have and hour or so I would recommend a tour. Although the museum closes in the late afternoon its lighting in the evening is spectacular.

Sure, it's not the Met, but for this college town, the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art is…read morepretty dandy. I will admit to being in love with the museum building itself and the grounds. They'd be a perfect setting for a wedding or some such event. It's a modern spacious building that gets lots of light and overlooks a pond next to College Street. The small size works to its advantage. Sometimes extremely massive museums can be overwhelming. Since the Smith Museum isn't that large, you can see it all in a reasonable timeframe. Just a heads up that the museum is often closed during school breaks and holidays. So check the website or call before you head over if it's during those times. But all is not lost if the museum isn't open; you can stroll around the property which includes fountains, gardens, and outdoor art. The current exhibit outside is called Out of the Box, and it is really cool. Highly recommended and Instagram-able. The little gift shop is worth a quick peek. There is lots of parking. And best of all, it's free! Pop in for your dose of culture and class.

My daughter has danced with rising for five years. We…read morecouldn't be happier with the quality of instruction, the staff, and the owner. Costumes and choreography are age appropriate, staff is supportive and helpful and class sizes are well sized. I couldn't recommend Rising Starz more highly.

Rising Starz is completely unorganized and too expensive. they charge too much for costumes, too…read moremuch for registration, and too much for tickets to the recitals. When we went to pick up our recital tickets at the office, nobody knew where they were. The first two tickets were free, but we still ended up spending $60 just on tickets. Her reasoning was that it would prevent perverts from walking in off the street to ogle little girls. But when we got to the venue, they didn't even take the tickets at the door. In my opinion, it was just an excuse for her to get more money out of us. During the recital, there were several mishaps, not on the part of the students, but on the part of the organizers. And I am NOT impressed with how well the girls are taught dance. In fact, one of the performances involved literally no dancing aside from bobbing up and down slightly. That would be fine for small children, but these students were old enough to do much more than that. They would have been better off free-styling. There are other studios in town. My advice is to take your child to one of those.

Horrible. My daughter went in happy then came out crying saying that a teacher said that she'll…read morenever be on broadway and that she was too chubby. Never again but I recommend Cathy Taylor School Of Dance!