FILM FANS JULIETTE About an hour south of Atlanta sits Juliette – but if you’ve seen “Fried Green Tomatoes” starring Kathy Bates as Evelyn Couch, you may recognize it as Whistle Stop. Hand-lettered signs outside wooden storefronts welcome visitors to this once-bustling railroad town that today is more of a quiet hamlet with storybook charm. Stop into The Whistle Stop Cafe , where fried green tomatoes – crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside – are the top seller; another favorite is the Bennett’s BBQ sandwich (“secret’s in the sauce!”). While on McCrackin Street , the town’s shop-lined main drag, pick up local honey from The Honeycomb and peruse Verna Cora’s , so chock full of antiques that they spill onto the covered front porch. Tip: superfans should time their visit for the town’s annual Green Tomato Festival , held the fourth weekend of October – especially in 2026, which marks the film’s 35th anniversary. After exploring the town, head to the Juliette Dam . Water rushes through the gates when the dam is open, splashing against the riverbed and hissing when it hits the surface. Ruth, Buddy, and Idgie walk along the dam in a scene from “Fried Green Tomatoes,” and today the location is popular with photographers – especially if they can get its cascading white waters and nearby grist mill in the shot. Then, retreat to Dames Ferry Campground to rent an aquacycle from the park; fish for crappie, bass, and perch; or set up a picnic or camp alongside Lake Juliette , which reflects the trees along its shore and the sky above. Not far from the lake is Georgia Power Plant Scherer , which stood in for NASA’s Cape Canaveral launch site in “First Man” about the life of Neil Armstrong, played by Ryan Gosling. Other options for staying near Juliette include elevated cabins, complete with a private front porch, set along the lazy Ocmulgee River at the nearby Towaliga River Retreat and national brand hotels in neighboring Forsyth . While in Forsyth, explore Hamlin Hills Farm , home to a petting zoo, U-pick crops (juicy Georgia peaches are in season starting mid-May), and antique farm equipment like the lineup of red tractors outside the barn. Or, take in a Backlot Players community theater performance of a timeless musical or holiday classic in the historic Rose Theater . EXPLOREGEORGIA.ORG 87 TOP TO BOTTOM: WHISTLE STOP CAFE, JULIETTE | ANDREA DAVID; LAKE JULIETTE | EXPLORE GEORGIA
Official State Travel Guide 2026 Georgia Official State Travel Guide: Page 87
