Villa Rica
Credit Visit Villa Rica
Located just about 35 minutes from downtown Atlanta, the community of Villa Rica is a tranquil, historic, and educational town to add to your itinerary. Gold panning history, gorgeous waterside sights, and historic downtown shops and eateries will greet you here, the various choices of activities offering your group a fun half-day or full day outside of Atlanta.
Your first stop should be to the Pine Mountain Gold Museum, the shining gem of the community. This museum will offer interactive gold and gem panning, an insightful tour including an 18-minute documentary covering the history of panning on this very site since 1826 as well as the history of panning in general, and even a 3-mile walking trail highlighting the original gold processing sites used here. This museum is the only gold museum on an actual mining site in all of Georgia, as well as home to the first Gold Strike in the U.S.
Next head to historic downtown Villa Rica and stroll the scenic streets of the past to see various shops, eateries, and historic architecture. Visit Wick's Tavern, the oldest commercial structure in West Georgia, or head to Chat and Choo for a quick bite to eat! Lamar Moody Park offers an 8-acre lake, fishing pond, and 130 acres of lush landscape for picnics or just a breath of fresh air.
Villa Rica is also home to two major U.S legends, the Coca-Cola founder Asa Candler, as well as the gospel music founder Thomas Dorsey.
No matter what you're looking for, you can still discover gold in Villa Rica, Georgia! - Explore Georgia
