Location: Dahlonega
Top Things to do in Dahlonega
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Top 10 Budget-friendly Things to do in Dahlonega, Georgia (GA)
Dahlonega sits at the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail on Springer Mountain. It was the site of the first major U.S. gold rush—in 1828, 20 years before the California gold rush. Dahlonega's commercial district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s home to wineries,a thriving performing and visual arts scene and plenty of outdoor activities all year round.
Restaurants in Dahlonega
1. Chestatee River Adventures
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 30 reviews
Come relax on the Chestatee River in Dahlonega with us!! We have kayaks and tubes! We have two person kayaks for $45 and single kayaks for $25 and tubing is $5 per person! We recommend reservations for kayaking! Hope to see you soon!!
2. The Historic Holly Theater
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 55 reviews
Reviewed By NikJ - Ascot, United Kingdom
Though I did not go in, there was an event on and I was people watching outside our staff dealt with people and also the quaintness of the theatre. Staff really cared for their customers and as a non-US person reminded me of days gone by that I seen the films...
3. Dahlonega Gold Museum State Historic Site
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 398 reviews
This site tells the story of the Gold Rush of 1828.
Reviewed By JanetH537 - Portage, United States
I visited the Dahlonega Gold Museum with my husband. This museum is housed by the 1836 Lumpkin County Courthouse, which is one of the oldest courthouse buildings in Georgia and is on the town square in the center of Dahlonega. We saw the original judge's chamber and the room where juries would decide cases. There is also a gift shop. Both of us enjoyed the film about local history, the tour, and the exhibits about the area's gold rush in the 1820s and 1830s and the original gold coins produced from 1838 to 1861 by the now closed Dahlonega mint. Current American coins do not contain gold because the United States no longer uses the gold standard for money. We learned that when land values went up after the discovery of gold, the white settlers evicted the local Native Americans and sent them away to Oklahoma during the winter. Several thousand innocent Native Americans died on the Trail of Tears. We had never realized that the Southern gold rush and the mistreatment of the Native Americans were linked. I recommend that travellers visit the Dahlonega Gold Museum.
4. Consolidated Gold Mine
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,120 reviews
You and your family will enjoy a 40 minute Underground Adventure of the mine with one of our friendly and knowledgeable Miners .As you descend the stairs, you will hear tales of miner’s struggles to uncover gold deep within large Quartz veins. Your tour guide welcomes interaction from the group as you experience life as a miner at the turn of the century.After your tour, you will receive gold panning instructions from some of the best panners in the world, having won numerous awards in the field. Then you will get a chance to try if for yourself and hopefully you’ll strike it rich!While you are at the mine, don’t forget to try our “Gemstone Grubbin’” for a great family experience. Everyone will love our water powered flume boxes that quickly wash away material revealing beautiful gemstones!The Mines remain at a comfortable 60 degrees year round. As a reminder, this is a walking tour. Guests enter the mine via three flights of stairs and two ramps.
Reviewed By Leticiagodwin
Our tour guide Jason was fantastic - passionate about gold mining, energetic and knowledgeable. It was so cool to go inside the mountain and envision what it must have been like to be a miner without electricity. We even found a frog in the mine and 6 gold flakes when panning for gold. One of the better excursions we’ve done. Our son is 12 and we all really enjoyed it!
5. Crisson Gold Mine
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 408 reviews
Here at Crisson Gold Mine you can Pan for Real Dahlonega Gold, and look for Gemstones. We have instructors that are willing to help you and your family have a fun adventure. We also offer the use of Trommels, Highbankers, Gold cubes to the person that wants to do more than just pan. Please call us to find out more information. The Crisson Gold Mine has a lot of history. It is an actual open pit gold mine that was established in 1847 and was worked commercially until the early 1980s. We've been open to the public since 1969 and we are the oldest gold mining establishment in North Georgia. At Crisson Gold Mine, there is a 130-year-old stamp mill that is still used to crush quartz rock which contains gold. This crushed rock is called ore. In addition to the stamp mill, we have rod mills and jaw crushers that we occasionally use. All of these antique gold mining machines along with our open pit mine can be seen when you visit our gold mine.
Reviewed By Janattheriver
Informative shop with supplies and nice gift shop to culminate a fun panning for gold experience and nice open-air ride through nature to see interesting animals. Great for families with kids.
6. Dahlonega General Store
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 121 reviews
Reviewed By bettylouc12 - Dahlonega, United States
This a great place to shop for things from years past! Coffee is 5 cents a cup on the honor system. We had a great time browsing here.
7. Cavender Creek Vineyards and Winery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 151 reviews
“We capture what the true spirit of a north Georgia winery should feel like.” Here at Cavender Creek Vineyards & Winery, we have a simple mission, to create good wines and make good friends. We are a small winery dedicated to hand-crafted wines made on-site. We are members of a close knit community that enjoys having fun, learning about wine and most importantly drinking it! Claire Livingston is a the proud owner of Cavender Creek Vineyards and Winery and those were her goals from the beginning. The winery is rustic, honest and welcoming. Cavender Creek is not a Napa Valley look alike. Everyone and everything is shown appreciation and attention at Cavender Creek Winery. We can focus on details because we are a small winery. Cavender Creek doesn’t just have a tasting room, it has a center for community and good wine. We invite you to relax with us, drink wine with us, celebrate, spend a weekend, and take things a little slower pace.
Reviewed By 492RyanB - Atlanta, United States
Cavender Creek is an amazing experience not just their wine, but also the grounds and the staff! We drove up from ATL to spend an afternoon on a Saturday and it was packed with visitors as well as a wedding so you may want to try a weekday if possible. The place is huge as it is an actual working farm complete with vineyards, donkeys and alpacas. There are several buildings as well as a huge outdoor field where people brought blankets to sit too. We managed to find a few stools on the patio and ordered a couple of tasting flights. Even through they were so busy the gentlemen did a great job finding us and walking us through several of their wines. I especially liked the Viognier and the Donkey Hotie (great name) and would recommend trying them. The patio was lively and there was some live music too which added to the atmosphere. They do serve some food as well, but if you just want a snack they also make amazing popcorn! Of all the wineries in the area this is one of my favorites and the staff does a great job – well worth the trip, we’ll be back.
8. Habersham Winery Tasting Room
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 30 reviews
Drop in to shop or do wine tasting. Open daily. $5.00 for tasting some of Georgia's best wines. Chardonnays to Cabernet and Merlots along with some great blends. If you have a sweet tooth then try our Southern Harvest wines made with the southern Grape muscadine.
Reviewed By angelam142017 - Charlotte, United States
My fiancé and I loved our visit to your winery! The gentleman that help us with our tasting was very knowledgeable and kind which made it that much more enjoyable. There was a good variety of wines for those that like sweets as well as dry reds all of which we truly enjoyed. The winery was very clean and well organized with a sign in sheet for the tasting and staff were all extremely friendly making it a comfortable and relaxing experience. If you're a wino visiting Helen I definitely recommend stopping in!
9. Dahlonega Walking Tours
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 278 reviews
Dahlonega Walking Tours offers 5 different walking tours of the Historic Dahlonega Square: The Historic Ghost Walk, The Ghosts and Grapes Wine Tour, Bos and Brews Pub Crawl, Dahlonega History Tour and our Savoring the Square Food and Cultural Tour. Dahlonega has a very haunted history, thanks to its gold mining, Civil War and Trail of Tears past, as well as it's geology. Ghost tours take guests on an eerie and intriguing journey full of local tales and legends. The Historic Ghost Walk is 1.2 miles and includes Mount Hope Cemetery. The pub crawl and wine tours are all indoor and include an up close and intimate look at several of Dahlonega's very haunted pubs and wine shops. If you are looking a for a interesting and informative way to explore Dahlonega, we recommend our Savoring the Square Food and Cultural Tour or our Dahlonega History Tour. The History tour is a one hour tour around the Square and is a history lovers dream. The food tour is a 3 hour tour and includes 5-7 food stops as well as cultural stops and stops in some very interesting merchant locations. Join us for a tour!
10. Lake Zwerner Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 44 reviews
Reviewed By 63Kathyd - Winter Haven, United States
This is more of a walk than a hike but it’s a beautiful walk. You follow the edge of the lake. Cross over a few streams. Great way to spend a few hours in nature.
