Courtesy of Bo Bartlett Studio
Celebrated painter and filmmaker Bo Bartlett was born and raised in Columbus, Georgia. Today, he and his wife, artist and musician Betsy Eby, live in his childhood home in the city’s historic district. “Columbus is a small, wonderful hamlet and cultural center,” says the artist, who has more than 300 works displayed in his namesake Bo Bartlett Center, a local gallery space and experiential learning center. Here, he shares his perfect day in the city that shaped him.
Courtesy of Visit Columbus
Morning Walk
“My wife and I walk at Lakebottom Park every morning. The loop there is a couple of miles. We also love the Riverwalk and go there to watch the kayaks and whitewater rafters go along the rapids.”
Sweat Session
“After our morning walk, we go to River Flow Yoga, then sit in the sauna for a bit. Some mornings, we go to Club Pilates over at Highside Market—they have a lot of great shops there. For a post-workout treat, you can’t beat the butter-pecan doughnut at Parlor Doughnuts. The blueberry doughnut is also amazing; it’s like a cronut.”
Perfect Stack
“For lunch, I like Animal Farm, which has the best burger in town: a double patty made with local beef on a brioche bun. They have great salads, too. I love the atmosphere—it’s a neighborhood place where everybody knows everybody.”
Courtesy of Visit Columbus
Gallery Stroll
“The Columbus Art Museum is a fabulous place to go, and they just finished a $25 million expansion and refurbishing. The museum has a great collection of American art from colonial times to the present, including a painting by Amy Sherald, a famous Columbus native.”
Batter Up
“We’re excited for baseball this spring because the farm club for the Atlanta Braves is moving here to old Golden Park, which is changing its name to Synovus Park. I was a bat boy there in the 1960s and early ’70s for the Columbus White Sox, so that’s a fun full-circle moment for me.”
Landmark Dining
“For dinner, I like the Goetchius House, which has a unique menu that’s always changing. There’s usually live jazz and a nice, creative crowd. It’s in an old antebellum house in the historic district and still has the original interiors. It was actually my pediatrician’s office when I was a kid.”
Courtesy of Visit Columbus
Perfect Harmony
“Often, we end our day with free concerts at the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, especially at Legacy Hall. It’s an incredible educational hub with beautiful old buildings. They host classic musicians of all stripes from piano to cello to guitar.”
This article appears in the Winter 2025 issue of Southbound.
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