A One-Day Auburn Visit Plan: Parking and Hotels

One day visiting Auburn fits the official campus tour, lunch downtown and a student-led walk of the town, because campus and Toomer's Corner sit side by side. This plan uses the admissions schedule as of October 2026, the city's parking rates, and hotels within a short walk. Our private Auburn tours start at Ross Square, behind Samford Hall, and run seven days a week.

How should we spend one day visiting Auburn?

Spend one day visiting Auburn in four steps: the official tour in the morning, lunch by Toomer's Corner, a student tour of the town after lunch, and the evening downtown.

8:30 a.m., the official visit. The admissions visit is a 30-minute information session plus a 75-minute walking tour, about 2 hours in all, per the admissions tour FAQ. Weekday sessions start at 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Central. Fall 2026 sessions meet at the Lettermen's Lounge on the east side of Jordan-Hare Stadium. Register ahead.
Late morning, walk downtown. From the Stadium Parking Deck to Toomer's Corner is about 0.8 miles, an 18-minute walk by our map measurement. Get to Samford Hall by noon, when its clock tower plays the fight song.
Lunch by Toomer's Corner. Toomer's Drugs, on the corner since 1896, sells sandwiches, ice cream and its hand-made lemonade, per Auburn-Opelika Tourism.
Afternoon, the town with a student. A private tour is 60 to 90 minutes. Riley, our Auburn Campus Lead, calls the town "big but small," so campus and the off-campus side both fit in that time.

To do the student tour first, book it for the morning and take the 2:30 p.m. session. Our guide to things to do in Auburn covers the evening.

Where should we park for an Auburn campus visit?

Park for the official Auburn campus visit in the Stadium Parking Deck, 425 Heisman Drive, on the top level, paid through ParkMobile, per the admissions tour FAQ as of October 2026. Its clearance is 7 feet 1 inch, so a tall van may not fit.

For downtown and Toomer's Corner, the City of Auburn's parking page lists these options, as of October 2026:

Wright Street Parking Deck, 140 Wright St. 350 spaces, $1 an hour around the clock, $15 for 24 hours. Pedestrian entrances on Wright and North College streets.
Street spaces and the Gay Street and Tichenor Avenue lots. $1 an hour Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., free after 6 p.m. and on weekends, with a two-hour limit.
Free lots about a 10-minute walk away. The East Glenn Avenue municipal lot, Felton Little Park and the Douglas J. Watson Municipal Complex.

Home football Saturdays change the math. The Wright Street deck charges a flat $40 that day.

What does the official Auburn tour leave out?

The official Auburn tour leaves out housing and most of the town. Admissions says the walk "will focus on Auburn's history, tradition, and student life," and that "Housing tours are not a part of the general campus tour." University Housing runs residence hall tours separately on weekdays, except holidays, finals week and breaks, so book one if dorms matter to you.

The town side is what a current student adds. Riley meets families at Ross Square, behind Samford Hall, about a 5-minute walk from Toomer's Corner. Across the street from the corner, she says, is "our whole downtown strip area where all like the social life and like restaurants and boutiques are at." From there it is a short walk to Old Row and the student apartments.

Parents ask her the questions a campus tour is not built for: what the bar scene is like, whether it is safe, and which areas she would not recommend living in. Ask those on any tour you take. For the Greek side, see our guide to Auburn sororities and rush.

Where should families stay when visiting Auburn?

Families visiting Auburn who want to walk everywhere can stay downtown, where four hotels listed by Auburn-Opelika Tourism sit within about 8 minutes on foot of Toomer's Drugs. Walk times are by our map measurement in October 2026:

Graduate by Hilton Auburn, 202 W Magnolia Ave, about 2 minutes.
AC Hotel Auburn, 146 N Gay St, about 4 minutes.
The Collegiate Hotel at Auburn, 205 S Gay St, about 7 minutes.
The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center, 241 S College St, about 8 minutes.

The list is in walking order, not a ranking. The admissions office sends families to Auburn-Opelika Tourism for more hotels, including options in Opelika.

Flying in? The bureau names Atlanta, Montgomery, Birmingham, Columbus and Dothan as the nearby commercial airports, and calls Uber and Lyft "popular and readily available."

Check prices before you lock in a home football weekend. The last two home games of 2026 are November 7 and November 21, per the athletics schedule.

How far apart are campus and downtown Auburn on foot?

Campus and downtown Auburn are close on foot. From Toomer's Drugs, by our map measurement in October 2026:

Samford Hall: about 4 minutes.
Ralph Brown Draughon Library: about 9 minutes.
Neville Arena and the Sorority Village: about 17 minutes.
The Stadium Parking Deck by Jordan-Hare: about 18 minutes.

Tiger Transit buses run for students, faculty and staff with an Auburn ID, so plan to walk or drive between stops. A full day on campus and downtown can add up to a few miles. Wear comfortable shoes.

A private tour of Auburn is $150 for your family, not per person, for 60 to 90 minutes with a current student. TourCollegeTowns is independent and not affiliated with Auburn University.

Frequently asked questions

Can we tour Auburn on a Saturday?

Yes, you can tour Auburn on a Saturday with a private tour, which runs seven days a week. The official admissions tour runs on weekdays. Its FAQ promises "select Saturdays during the fall and spring semesters," but no Saturday sessions were on the calendar from October to December 2026 when we read it on October 15, 2026.

How many people can come on the official Auburn tour?

A "Family" reservation on the official Auburn tour is for families or individuals bringing 3 or fewer prospective students and guests, per the admissions tour FAQ as of October 2026. Each prospective student needs a separate reservation. A private tour has no per-person price: $150 covers your whole family.

Do we need to register for the Auburn campus tour?

Yes, you need to register for the Auburn campus tour. Admissions says "Registration is required for all campus tours," and walk-ups get a self-guided tour brochure. The office also says not to make flight reservations until your tour registration is confirmed, as of October 2026.

Which airports serve Auburn, Alabama?

Auburn-Opelika Tourism lists five nearby commercial airports for Auburn, Alabama: Atlanta, Montgomery, Birmingham, Columbus and Dothan, in its parent guide from July 2026. Auburn University Regional Airport handles private aviation. From any of them, families rent a car or use a ride-share, which the bureau says is readily available.