This is a diamond in the rough. Visit it and see. This is…read morelocated just north of the intersection of 17 and 255. It is an old restored school building that has been converted into a museum. There is plenty of parking in front of the school. What a great display and gorgeous building. Much of the entrance has large glass windows allowing a lot of light into the building. The staff was very friendly and helpful. There is a short 10-minute Smithsonian film with many of the local artisans featured that describes the local methods that were used to make Appalachian pottery. The building houses lots of displays showing pottery workshops, a kiln model, and pottery uses in past areas. There is a large set of displays of pottery from various artists and timeframes. It is my understanding that many of the pieces in the "workshop" displays are real artwork and not re-creations with makes it all the more fascinating to look at. As a bonus, the building is adjacent to (and connected to) another set of gift shops and museums. You can also visit other buildings on the site. The entire visit was wonderful and well worth visiting. You could spend a fair amount of time as there is a lot of information on display here that tells the true story of pottery that was created and grew out of this area.

We loved this place. The volunteers and individuals that give their time to maintain this…read morebeautiful exhibit are amazing and should be celebrated. Thank you. My wife, daughter (7), and I enjoyed a rainy afternoon here while visiting Helen Georgia.

The hotel in Helen had a variety of flyers but this one caught my eye. It was for a local cultural…read morecenter performing a comedy by a local playwright. After checking the website, same day tickets could only be purchased at the box office. I made a brief call to the center and spoke with a very cordial lady, she explained the location of the center, parking accommodations, ticket costs and COVID protocols. Upon my arrival, I was warmly greeted by the same lady at the box office and purchased my ticket, given a playbill and given general directions around the theater. The play was wonderful and was a blend of Georgia history, humor and culture. This was a delightful experience. As a day hiker, I was passing through Helen for the picturesque landscapes but this experience made the area even more special.

The Sautee Nacoochee Center is a hidden gem that showcases everything wonderful about the north…read moreGeorgia mountains. The folk Pottery Museum tells the story of the indigenous pottery economy/production. Plays and performances are top notch. Events, festivals, classes and other community focused offerings make it the heart and soul of the Sautee Valle. Plus members are able to enjoy White County Rec Department membership for half price!

Helen is supposed to be a quaint Bavarian town in the Alps. It's actually just a cheesy tourist…read moretrap. Have they even been to Bavaria? First, the biggest and most obvious problem- TRAFFIC FLOW. There is no way to avoid going through the town and not waiting in endless lines of traffic. While sightseeing you get to breathe fumes from all of the cars- all day! Then there is the motorcycle problem. Dirtbags revving their engines every 5 seconds and hurting my ears. Thanks! Harleys gotta go! Anything without a muffler. The town was kind of beat looking and a little dirty. Some areas were fine but others were not. Some stores were too small for this type of environment. The public bathrooms were a problem both in size and cleanliness. I wont even talk about the ridiculous prices for things. The standouts for a positive impression was the Candle making and Glass making shops. Parking also became a problem later in the day as people continued to pour into the town. It is not managed at all. This made people aggressive or just stupid as they passed right by me as I was preparing to leave my spot; only to almost hit me later as I was trying to leave the lot. Restaurants I did not try as we had a big breakfast. We didn't stay for darkness to hit and to see the lights on. Otherwise we would have gotten an early dinner. I just wanted to get out of there! There was a nice creek flowing and picnic tables for those who wanted to use them alongside parking areas. I would not recommend visiting this town unless you live close by and go in the off season.

Lovely cute town in a world of its own! Helen is a German themed town that makes you feel that…read moreyou're literally in Germany. From the Oktoberfest to the beers and restaurants and souvenir shops along with the architecture of the buildings, Helen is a must visit. Stop in the welcome center for much needed information on where to park that's free and where you have to pay. Grab a list of restaurants and coupons to enjoy. You can walk main street from or end to the other in minutes and enjoy the sights and many restaurants and shops. Was there on a Sunday and it does get crowded by the afternoon. Many things to do locally and plenty of places for accommodations as you visit. Great city that's clean and fun. Definitely worth a visit for a weekend but not sure if it's a destination to revisit as it's good to experience. But if you want to celebrate Oktoberfest, this is the place to be!

Stopped in on a whim and just caught a guided tour heading out...so glad we did. Faye was our tour…read moreguide and she moved at a good pace and had some interesting history to share. The house is preserved to it's original state as much as they could (they've added electric lighting, etc) and there's lots of art and personal items to check out. Great way to spend an hour or two if in the area on a nice day. You will walk outside for a good portion of the tour so dress appropriately! There is a lovely gift shop that I'll keep in mind if I'm ever in the area and need a little present or hostess gift :)

Hardman Farm was a nice walk from my hotel. There is a gift shop however, they do not allow pets…read moreand walking I had my dog with me. So that was disappointing that I couldn't go in and explore. we could walk around the grounds and explore the barns and areas of the farm. There are some fantastic views. The main house is gorgeous. The barns are cool. I liked seeing the dairy barn. The land is one of my dreams. The walk back to the hotel was just as nice under the shade of trees following the river.

Definitely a unique experience. We actually had the builder and owner give us a tour. It's was a 2…read morehour tour but we felt like we got the VIP experience. You could certainly go in, run around, look at the castle in 15 mins, but we wanted to understand the art, the reason behind the build and just learn a few things. Santa was there for pictures and it's neat that you can rent a room IN the castle. We weren't able to view those rooms but, I believe there are pictures online. Maybe we will come back and stay! You can't see the castle upon arrival, they take you in a bus up the hill so, I liked that it didn't ruin the surprise. They had little Tiaras for purchase and they give you a small prize when you complete the word puzzle they hand you. And event here would be cool. It would also be great if they had more drink or snacks for purchase but imagine that's in the works!! This was a costly project so, it will only get better!

So this was the second year for CastleFaire and it was even better than last year. It's not a huge…read morefaire by any means but it's growing. And well, you can't beat having it in a castle! Their location causes some logistical issues you don't have at most faires as there is no parking field. Most people have to park offsite and catch a free shuttle to the bottom of the mountain, then they drive you up to the castle. For those of us in full costume, the shuttle buses do add a level of complication we aren't used to but is definitely worth it If you like the Renaissance faire type events you need to go check this event out.

We went awhile back to see Charlotte and were sorely disappointed. Hearing of her death today…read morereminded me I had forgotten to write a review. This location is privately run and not for educational purposes. More like going to a friends house to see their pets. Please consider going to an aquarium run by scientists for educational purposes.

I want to say this has been one of the highlights of my family trip. When your 16 yo his 17 yo best…read morefriend and wife all agree on this fact it says something. As adults we have this tendency to say "if I knew then what I knew now, I'd have paid more attention in school!" Well here's your chance. This tiny aquarium will impart more knowledge in a short visit than you probably take in most months if you take advantage of it. The interns and owner (a former teacher) are committed to answering questions. The things they are studying and sharing are amazing. If you go in and you want to learn and ask questions this will be an experience you won't forget. Think of the best science teacher you ever had, having an opportunity to show the world what she loves to talk about... and that is what you have here. Do yourself a favor, go, enjoy and learn!!

Sits out of the way, Well worth the time to go see! Would highly recommend to see the museum…read more We watched both movies, but preferred the movie in the larger room.

Cute little place. Free admission. One set of rooms goes thru the history of the town and how it…read morecame about. It was very interesting how it was created, innovative. Another room was an art gallery that was from local artists. A third room was a gift shop that had items by the local artists for sale. Also some jewelry that is on sale that was nice. The gals working were also two of the artists that have contributed to the store and the community. This was the best part of my visit to the town. I really enjoyed walking thru.

We enjoyed going to the Alpine fun factory. Even though this is a family, friendly event Center me…read moreand my husband don't bring the kids. We enjoy riding the go karts at top speeds on we can getaways. We're incredibly competitive and it's great to see who can beat the other person's time. If you're looking for a great date night, just for you and your spouse this is the place to go!

Had a great time there today with my 3 yoa grandson. The employees are very nice too!read more

The final (and perhaps the most awesome) stop on our wine tour was here at Sylvan. We stuck to the…read moredrinking areas and skipped the tour of the lodge. A bunch of folks did that because they were planning to host an event or some such. I did hear great things about the lodge. As for the drinking, we did get a special pour of the Twisted, which may or may not have been in their usual tasting menu. Sitting outside by the gas fire pits and watching the changed leaves fall to the ground is fabulous. Doing so with a tasty glass of poetry and wearing toasty clothing made it even better. Very cool, very relaxed, and pretty far away from the craziness of day-to-day life. We enjoyed our time at Sylvan Valley. [Review 18924 overall - 562 in Georgia - 2447 of 2022.]

Luke is doing GREAT business here. His vision for the future is so exciting. There is so much to…read moresee here. The back garden area is SO amazingly beautiful. The view is stunning and simultaneously relaxing. If you want a place to contemplate life's deep and beautiful mysteries. We did the (tasting of course) and the sweet Rose was absolutely perfect. Sherm had a flight and everything Luke picked for hom was amazing. Is it too soon to think about another vow renewal? What of it is destination themed? In the future Sylvan Valley lodge will feature a tapas menu, live music and group event Specialty catering. This is all according the their savant General Manager who will take you under his wing and make you feel like you are the only people who matter. I am really not sure what else to say. If the above descriptors don't let you know why you should visit this place I am not sure what would.

Such a cute restaurant! I was so looking forward to dining…read moreat this restaurant. The presentation of each dish was amazing and appetizing! They use lots of colorful vegetables and sauces! But everything was very salty. I mean....very very salty killing the natural flavors of ingredients. I ordered a grilled fish but it came cold. I paid $36 for it.....very disappointed. However, my daughter's and husband's dishes were hot. We tried to get attention from our waitress but it was so hard. We called her several times but she kept walking away. The dessert was so pretty! Since we were full, we shared one dessert. I wish I could eat more different desserts... It was a little pricey for us. But for a special occasion, it's a good idea to visit this restaurant. But please mention not to use too much salt in meals.

Harvest Habersham is the best restaurant in the area. You need reservations. My review is a summary…read moreof the half a dozen times we have been there. We go here for birthdays, anniversaries, and we have been to a couple of wine dinners. I would like to stay this is five stars because sometimes you get the best thing you have ever eaten. Like the cheddar cornbread in the photos. It was so good. Also there was the time they had the pork chop. OMG. But my review is an average of several meals. Looking through photos here, last time I had a steak that was really good on one end on ok on the other. It's not exactly a crudités but the appetizer we had was good and honestly too big. The pickled vegetables were too sour for me to eat all that. The menu is different every day and you do not know in advance what it will be so good luck! There will usually be a couple things on the menu to satisfy most everyone. The restaurant itself is in what appears to be a remodeled old house. It is cozy but not tight or cramped. If you want to try the wine dinner see if you can get on the mailing list. It is wines paired with multiple courses. I have always enjoyed the food but again it is huge. I was so bloated after the last one because yes I could have stopped eating but the food was too good to not eat it.