This post contains affiliate links. When clicked, I may receive a commission at no cost to you. Please see our disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting RA and keeping it free!
Roswell, Georgia is a wonderful, developing suburb in metro Atlanta. This guide will document the best things to do in Roswell GA. All the wonderful attractions, entertainment restaurants, bars and breweries. In addition, an overview of wonderful outdoor adventures and parks near the historic downtown will be reviewed.
Roswell, Georgia is located about 20 miles north of Atlanta and borders the Chattahoochee River. According to this study, as of 2020 Roswell has a population of 94,872, making it the 9th largest city in Georgia.
Roswell, Ga Brief History
Roswell started out as part of the Cherokee Nation, but transitioned into a textile manufacturing town. Roswell King, a New Englander, noticed he could harness the power of the Chattahoochee River. He purchased the acreage from the Cherokee Nation and encouraged some wealthy friends to join him.
King came upon the confluence of the Chattahoochee River and Vickery (Big) Creek, which would become part of Cobb County, and saw the power potential of the rushing waters. With his experience in the production of cotton and the sale of it to northern markets, he had long realized the economic and commercial advantages of coupling production and processing, a rare procedure in the South at that time.
From Georgia Encyclopedia
The textiles flourished for a hundred years and King left his mark on the central town center, textile mills, boutique shops and many mansions scattered throughout the city.
Roswell, Ga Name Origins
Roswell was named after the entrepreneur who purchased the land and built the Roswell Mill. His name was Roswell King.
What Roswell, GA Is Known For
Roswell is best known for 2 things:
- Historical sites, landmarks and antebellum homes. The city oozes with classical Southern architecture and charm.
- Bordering the Chattahoochee River, Roswell has many parks, greenspaces, walking/biking trails and hiking spots.
A Map of Things to do in Roswell GA
Roswell GA Best Things To Do
For the things to do section in these neighborhood guides, we don’t usually write up a top 10 best things to do. Instead, we try to be as comprehensive as possible.
Typically the guide is broken down into the following categories: Historic Sites and Landmarks, Attractions, Shopping, Food and Drink, Parks and Recreation.
Some neighborhoods have unique offerings and some neighborhoods may not have anything in a section, so it is omitted.
Visit Historic Sites, Landmarks and Musuems
Galen Parks Smith (Gsmith), CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons
- Barrington Hall was build by Barrington King, son of Roswell King who co-founded the the colony that became Roswell. There is a walking tour where you can visit the garden and many outbuildings.
By SimonATL at English Wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Kurpfalzbilder.de using CommonsHelper., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5943585
- Bulloch Hall is where Theodore Roosevelt’s mother, Mittie Bulloch lived as a child. The house was built in 1839.
- The Archibald Smith Plantation home was built in 1845 after moving moving from coastal Georgia. The home features numerous outbuildings you may tour.
By JT – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2044132,
- The Dolvin House, also known as the Roswell White House, is where Jimmy Carter’s Aunt Sissy lived.
- The Computer Museum has one of the world’s largest collections of artifacts from the digital revolution. Exhibits are The Apollo, supercomputing, a timeline of computer history and a byte wall of magazine covers
Roswell Attractions and Entertainment
- The Chattahoochee Nature Center is a wonderful place to take the kids for a stroll and some education. The kids love seeing the Owls, beaver habitat, and many hiking trails.
- Sky Zone Trampoline Park is a large, indoor trampoline park filled with activities like rope swing, foam pits, jousting, dodgeball, wipe out and an obstacle course.
- Aurora Cineplex and Miniature Golf – is a large movie theater and one of the only places in the area to play miniature golf.
- Whirley Ball is a fun game, played in bumper cars. Its 5 vs 5 team building fun and is great for kids or adults. The objective is to score points by hitting a target. Both teams scramble to control the whiffle ball.
- Roswell Ghost tour is a fun way to tour the city and get spooked. The tours are offered on the weekends. Check the schedule and book your tour.
- Naylor Hall is a beautiful wedding and event space along Canton Street in downtown Roswell.
Roswell Shopping
Downtown Roswell is home to cute, one of a kind shops and antique stores. There is much more, just get out there and stroll down Canton Street in Roswell, GA.
- Spirited Boutiques is a womes shop and gift store.
- Historic Roswell Antiques and Interiors is unique antique shop.
- Top Dogs Pet Boutique is a local pet store.
- Evimero Marketplace is a gift shop
If you have serious mall style shopping needs, your best bet drive the short way to Alpharetta and go to either the North Point Mall or the Avalon.
Alternatively, you could go check out the Perimeter Mall.
Roswell GA Restaurants
Here are a few of our favorite restaurants located in Alpharetta. This is by no means an all inclusive list, these are some of my favorites and is a great start for someone visiting or just moving to the area. Please check out our guide to the very best restaurants in historic downtown Roswell.
- Pure Taqueria – Atlanta based Mexican restaurant with tasty taco’s.
- Little Alley Steak – Upscale steakhouse with mouthwatering dry aged steaks.
- Ceviche has great skinny margaritas and excellent taco’s as well
- Salt Factory Pub is an international inspired menu is complemented with traditional pub food like burgers and pizza.
- Peach and the Porkchop is a farm to table restaurant with some Pittsburgh and Southern influences.
- The Freakin Incan has traditional Peruvian food in a fun environment
- Table and Main – Upscale Southern style food in a converted house with a large patio for outdoor dining.
- Osteria Mattone – award winning Italian restaurant with fine dining and homemade pasta’s.
- The Fickle Pickle is a cute sandwich shop on a historic home.
- Hugo’s Oyster Bar is a great spot for seafood and of course Oysters.
- Roux on Canton is southern comfort food and has some Creole influences
- The Mill Kitchen and Bar is a casual southern style restaurant with a great outdoor patio.
- Luckys Burger and Brew is a burger shop with a pet friendly patio.
Bars
Many of these bars you can order food, but the main story, are the drinks. Please tell me if you disagree!
Best Spots to Grab a Beer:
- Mac McGee’s is a traditional Irish pub and on the very popular Canton Street. Enjoy Irish brews, local craft brews or a whiskey from an extensive list. It is one of the best Irish pubs in metro Atlanta.
- Canton Street Beer Market Located in the heart of Roswell, this dog friendly bar features unique craft beer from all over the country.
Best Wine Bars in Roswell
- Vin 25 has a great selection of wines and a large patio enjoy them.
- Deep Roots Wine Market and Tasting Room is a cute wine shop and offers tastings.
Best Cocktail Bar in Roswell
- 1920’s Tavern has a long list of whiskeys to sample and some serious selection of cocktails
- The Vick Koffee and Kocktails start and end your day at the same place!
Breweries and Brew pubs
There are three breweries, of the many breweries in Atlanta, found in Roswell, Ga. You’ll find delicious brews and sours. Most of them plan outdoor activities and often have live music.
- Variant Brewing Company was started by owner and brewmaster in 2017, Matt Curling, the brewer offers many IPA’s, stouts, seasonal brews and even a few sour beers. The beers at this brewery are rated as some of the best in Georgia.
- Gate City Brewing features multiple tap rooms and an outdoor courtyard perfect for bringing the dogs or kids. There is plenty of room to run around on a nice day. The tap room opens up with multiple garage doors and provides a perfect indoor/outdoor taproom. The brewery also has an adjacent space called The Artillery Room, which serves up house-made cocktails.
- From the Earth Brewing Company was Roswell’s first brew pub. It has well crafted brews and a full menu sources from local farms
Coffee and Tea
There are many fantastic, local coffee shops and cafe’s found here. Check out some of the very best coffee shops in Roswell.
- Crazy Love Coffee – Located in downtown, historic Roswell, this cute café was converted from a historic home. Come for the coffee, stay for the waffles or one of the many breakfast treats. Bring your pups and people watch from the large front porch.
- Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee – Small coffee chain with a location in Roswell with occasional Friday night live music.
- Pop’s Coffee – Order coffee and browse amazing motorcycles all at the same time.
- Fellows Cafe – Traditional breakfast café and some legit coffee to enjoy.
Parks and Recreation
Roswell is home to some wonderful parks, walking trails, hiking and moutain biking. Also, spend a day on the Chattahoochee from your kayak or stand up paddle board.
Greenspaces, Hiking Trails and Parks
- The Chattahoochee River Recreation Area has a 4 mile river board walk that can be walked or biked and many other trails in the area.
- The Vickery Creek Trail is located in Old Mill Park. It has a scenic hike that includes the Vickery Creek Waterfall, a covered bridge and an old historic mill.
- The Gold Branch Trail is a wonderful hike along the backs of the Chattahoochee river. They parking lot is small so get their early on the weekends.
- The Roswell RiverWalk allows you to walk or ride along the banks of the Chattahoochee River
- Big Creek Park has many mountain biking trails and walking trail. It also connects to the Greenway.
- The Big Creek Greenway has a Roswell section of the trail which starts at Big Creek Park. It is which is a paved trail for walking, running or biking that extends over 10 miles up through Alpharetta.
- Riverside Park has something for everyone. In the summertime, there is a splash park for the kids and multiple playgrounds. There are paved and unpaved trails perfect for walking and access to the River Walk. They even host concerts in the summer.
- Azalea Park has access to drop a kayak in the Chattahoochee river and access to the Roswell Riverwalk.
- Roswell Area Park has a lake, soccer and rugby fields, playgrounds & and a recreation center.
- East Roswell Park has sports fields, disc golf and a dog park
- Sweet Apple Park has walking trials and sports fields and a playground and a large sand box.
- Leita Thompson Memorial Park
- Mabry Park
- Don White Memorial Park
- Grimes Bridge Park
- Hembree Park
Information for Getting to and Visiting Roswell
Only 20 miles from downtown Atlanta, Roswell certainly has some attractions, excellent restaurants and wonderful outdoor activities. It is an easy stop off exit 6 or 7 from Highway 400.
Parking is generally free unless arriving after 6pm. To both the free and paid options for parking, please see this site.
Hotels In Roswell Georgia
Looking for a great place to stay while visiting Roswell? Check the map for the great rates nearby!
- DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Atlanta – Roswell is conveniently located just off Exit 7 from 400 and is a few miles from Downtown Roswell.
- Home2 Suites by Hilton – Roswell, Ga is just off exit 8 on Mansell Rd and is close to the North Point Mall in Alpharetta.
Now that we’ve shared all of our favorite attractions and dining options it is your turn to check it out! Have you found a place you love in Roswell, but it didn’t make it here? Please leave a comment.
References:
Dillman, Caroline M. “Roswell King (1765-1844).” New Georgia Encyclopedia. 13 July 2018. Web. 03 September 2020.