Dahlonega
Heritage District · Dahlonega, Georgia
The town at the centre of the first major gold rush in the United States, twenty years before California — gold was found in these hills around 1828 and within a few years there were thousands of prospectors and a federal mint stamping coins. The square is intact, with the 1836 courthouse in the middle of it now holding the gold museum. What the town runs on now is north Georgia wine: the valleys around it hold the densest concentration of vineyards in the state.
13 Park Street South, Dahlonega, Georgia, 30533, United States
The town and square are open at all hours. Shops and the Dahlonega Gold Museum keep daytime hours, with the museum following Georgia state historic site opening. The wineries in the surrounding valleys close early, generally by 17:00 or 18:00 — plan them before the town rather than after. Autumn weekends are busy and parking is limited then.