This great collaboration shows so many wonderful places starting at the Blueridge Mountains and ending in Clayton, Georgia to Visit! How many places have you visited?
Starting from Blue Ridge and ending in Clayton, Georgia, along Highway 76, are a number of places of interest to people seeking non-traditional tourist stops. This will guide you to the less obvious, but certainly not the least interesting places to see, hear, touch, learn, and play at cultural entities along the ‘Cultural Corridor of North Georgia. Be sure to check each listing for dates and times of operation as they are subject to change.
1. Blue Ridge Scenic Railroad is a heritage railroad that features the gorgeous scenery of the Appalachian foothills, especially breathtaking in the fall. The 4-hour journey winds through the Chattahoochee National Forest and stops for 2 hours in McCaysville for lunch, shopping and exploring. All aboard on Main Street, Downtown Blue Ridge (877) 413-8724
2. Blue Ridge Community Theater presents excellent live comedies, dramas, music and a children’s theater camp. 2591 East First Street (706) 632-9191 for showtimes or see BlueRidgeCommunityTheater.com
3. Fannin County Heritage Foundation hosts a museum in Blue Ridge exhibiting textiles, stage coach artifacts and more in a 19th century home. 411 West 1st Street Blue Ridge in the Baugh House (706) 258-2645
4. Blue Ridge Mountain Arts Association/Center presents quality exhibits, events, and high caliber arts education programming. 420 West Main Street. Call (706) 632-2144 for current showings.
5. Blairsville/Union County Historical Courthouse (1899) is home to the Union County Historical Society, Friday Night concerts, a military museum and dollhouse collection. Close by is the Mountain Life Museum, the 1906 Grapel Mock House and the 1861 Payne Cabin. 1 Town Square, Blairsville, GA Call for calendar of events (706) 745-5493.
6. Byron Herbert Reece Heritage Farm has been preserved as a monument to this award-winning poet and novelist who saw his major calling tending his family’s farm in southern Appalachia. It is also a testament to his literary achievements and a place to learn about farm life in the early 1900s complete with live farm animals, hiking trail, book and gift shops. Picnics are welcome. 8552 Gainesville Hwy, Blairsville, (706) 745-2034.
7. Georgia Mountain Ethnobotanic Gardens and Woodland Medicine Trail offers guided tours of this Appalachian botanical sanctuary. It is intended to educate the public about the many uses of GA native plants and to encourage the preservation and use of these unique resources. Located 3 miles south of Blairsville, GA on the east side of US Highway 19/129 www.gmrec.uga.edu. 195 GA Mountain Experiment Station Rd, Blairsville, GA 30512. Call (706) 745-2655. Open M-F, 8-5 PM.
8. The not-for-profit John C. Campbell Folk School, located in Brasstown, NC on 300 scenic areas, offers hands-on instruction from book and paper arts, woodworking, woodturning, cooking, music, clay, blacksmithing, jewelry and metals, fiber arts to weaving and much more. It is a nationally acclaimed school with a craft gift shop of original work by students. An annual festival is held in the fall. See the extensive class catalog for classes 1 (800) 365-5724 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
9. William Holland Lapidary School, founded in 1983, is devoted to providing quality lapidary, earth science, and jewelry-making classes year around. 230 Lapidary Lane Young Harris, GA 30582. (706) 379-2126 to request a class catalog. Will reopen April 2022.
10. and 11. Young Harris College, established in 1886, holds excellent student performances for the public in their state-of-the-art theaters and art gallery showings. (706) 379-5182 and (706) 379-5334
12. Young Harris College O. Wayne Rollins Planetarium holds fascinating shows in the planetarium theater featuring the GOTO Chronos Space Simulator star projector. This device uses light guide technology to project a realistic and beautiful starry night. One-hour program, usually Friday nights $5. Located on YH College campus Call (706) 379-5195 for showtimes.
13. The Peacock Performing Arts Center located in historic Hayesville, NC has a comfortable 250 seat Main stage. Shows range from live music to Broadway musicals, comedies, mysteries, a children’s summer theater camp, and more. 301 Church Street, Hayesville, NC 28904 (828) 389-2787
14. Anderson Music Hall at the GA Mountain Fairground holds live music performances year-round in the 2900 seat theater. 1311 Music Hall Road, Hiawassee, GA 30546. Also, attend the Annual Ga Mountain Fair complete with a Pioneer Village. Call (706) 896-4191 for shows and events.
15. Hamilton Gardens is a must for those seeking a beautiful “walk in the woods” by Lake Chatuge surrounded by over 1500 mature rhododendrons and azaleas that provide an outstanding show in early spring. Located on the hill above GA Mountain Fairgrounds. Donations only. Open daily 8 am to dusk.
16. Artworks Artisan Center is a members gallery of one-of-a-kind items sponsored by the non-profit Mountain Regional Arts & Crafts Guild dedicated to promoting the arts and crafts of local artists. 243 Big Sky Drive Hiawassee, GA (706) 896-0932
17. Visit Hiawassee Town Square for live music, holiday celebrations, the 1st Friday Markets, Saturday yoga and seasonal activities. 0 Main Street, Hiawassee, GA (706) 896 - 7631 or (706) 896 - 2202.
18. The historical Old Rock Jail located in the City of Hiawassee’s civic building area functioned as the County jail from 1936 to the early 1970’s. The original two-story structure included quarters for the jailer and his family. S Wood Street, Hiawassee, GA 30546 (706) 896-2518
19. Barker’s Creek Grist Mill, Visit to see a demonstration of an old-fashioned, water-powered mill stone grinding corn into grits and cornmeal. Open 1st Saturday of the month, 1-4 PM. 4365 Betty’s Creek Road, Rabun Gap, GA 30568. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., (706) 746 -7324.
20. Outside Clayton, the Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center exhibits cabins, tools, trades, crafts and a look at the lifestyle of the all-but-vanished pioneer culture of the Southern Appalachian mountains. When “The Foxfire Book” became a national phenomenon, Foxfire students purchased land and created a physical presence. Check out the Foxfire book series to learn more about pioneer life. Call (706) 746-5828 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.