Where to Find the Real Theo of Golden in Columbus, Georgia

Golden, Georgia, appears on no map, yet millions of readers could probably find their way down its main street by heart. The town lives only in "Theo of Golden," the once quietly self-published novel that climbed to No. 1 on The New York Times best-seller list. Its streets and gathering places borrow heavily from Columbus, Georgia, where author Allen Levi grew up.

With more than 3.5 million copies sold and a Warner Bros. film in development, the story pulls readers off the page and onto the road. Columbus tourism officials answered with a self-guided literary walking tour and a three-day itinerary that pins the novel's fictional landmarks to real addresses.

"There's a certain magic to Columbus that's difficult to put into words, but Allen Levi managed to capture it beautifully in ‘Theo of Golden,’” says Danielle Ackerman, director of marketing and communications for VisitColumbusGA. "Our city has long been a place that inspires artists, storytellers and creatives, and it's wonderful to see that inspiration reach readers across the country. We hope the book encourages visitors to explore the places, people and experiences that make Columbus, Georgia, such a memorable destination."

In the novel, Theo arrives in Golden as an elderly stranger with an unusual habit. He buys the charcoal portraits hanging in a local coffee shop and delivers each one to the person pictured. Oprah Winfrey's Book Club helped carry that premise to a national audience, and Levi's own account of the book traces its path from a small self-published run to an international following. Visitors retracing Theo's steps can start at Broadway and 10th Street in Uptown, the corner Visit Columbus recommends as home base for its “Theo of Golden” walking tour.

Coffee, Portraits and a Fountain Called The Fedder

The first stop, Fountain City Coffee, inspired The Chalice, the fictional cafe at the center of Theo's gift-giving. The real shop displays 90 drawings by Garry Pound, Levi's longtime friend and the artist behind the novel's character Asher. The tourism bureau notes the two cafes share no floor plan, but fans tend to recognize Pound's work on sight.

Visit Columbus counts almost a dozen fountains within three miles of Uptown, which explains the city's Fountain City nickname. Levi has pointed fans to the one in the median of the 1000 block of Broadway as The Fedder, and a drawing he posted on social media marks the whole block as the novel's Promenade. Nearby, Ride on Bikes at 1036 Broadway inspired the book's bike shop, and its real owner shares a first name with the fictional one: Jason.

Theo's Bench Along the Chattahoochee River

More from this section

As Fed Holds Steady, Are 7.5% Mortgage Rates Still Possible?

Pittsburgh’s ‘Green Man’ was a real person – why the legend outlives the facts

NICU babies don costumes for Halloween

The Chattahoochee River marks the line between Georgia and Alabama, and its current once powered the cotton mills that made Columbus a Southern textile hub. Mill buildings such as Eagle & Phenix still line the riverfront today. Later restoration work produced what the tourism bureau calls the world's longest urban whitewater course.

A staircase at Bay Avenue and 12th Street drops down to the Columbus Riverwalk, directly across from Waveshaper Island and its view of the rapids. This stretch of the Dragonfly Trail matches the path Theo walks each evening to sit on his bench and greet the first evening star. Nobody knows which bench belonged to Theo, so readers simply claim one, ideally while a great blue heron works the shallows nearby.

Concerts, Historic Homes and a Theo-Inspired Chef's Table

At the corner of 10th Street and Broadway, RiverCenter for the Performing Arts houses the Schwob School of Music, where Theo's friend Simone studies in the novel. Legacy Hall, the venue for Simone's senior recital, hosts free student concerts that let visitors fill a seat the way Theo did.

Greek Revival mansions and Craftsman bungalows fill the city's Historic District, which shaped the look of Golden. In the book, Theo spends Thanksgiving there and visits Asher's studio inside an old church, and Pound still works out of an old church in the district. Guests at the Rothschild-Pound House Inn, a restored Victorian mansion, can book a “Theo of Golden” package that pairs a curated walking tour with a reproduction of an original Pound drawing, among other extras.

Levi says the meal Theo has catered for a friend drew on his years of dining at EPIC, a Four Diamond restaurant led by chef Jamie Keating. The restaurant now offers a “Theo of Golden”-inspired chef's table experience, and diners should request it when they make reservations.

Where to Buy “Theo of Golden” in Columbus

Readers who arrive without a copy can find one at Columbus Bound Bookshop in Midtown, which keeps the novel in stock year-round and sometimes carries signed editions. The full three-day itinerary adds The Columbus Museum and Minnie's Uptown Restaurant, a meat-and-three known for its fried chicken and banana pudding.

Deadline reported in August that Tom Hanks is in talks to play Theo. If that casting holds, the competition for a quiet bench along the Chattahoochee may soon pick up.