There are several reasons to make a trip to Helen, in the North Georgia foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Helen reinvented itself as a Bavarian-style town in the early 1970s, and since then it has reaped the benefits of visitors looking for a creative mountain escape. If you're planning a trip to Helen, several nearby attractions are worth a visit.
More than 30 adult tarantulas from all over the world make their home at the Live Tarantulas Gallery in downtown Helen. The owners are eager to answer questions about the furry-legged spiders, or you can explore the exhibits on your own. Call ahead to find out whether any educational programs are scheduled during your trip.
Live Tarantulas Gallery
8660 N. Main St.
Helen, GA 30545
706-878-7041
livetarantulasgallery.com
About a 10-minute drive from downtown Helen, the Sautee Nacoochee Center is designed to preserve the culture, history and natural resources of North Georgia's mountain communities. Visitors can check out the work of local artisans at the center's Folk Pottery Museum, explore the changing roster of exhibits at the History Museum or check out the ongoing preservation efforts at the Nacoochee Valley slave cabin, an African American Heritage site.
Sautee Nacoochee Center
283 Highway 255 N.
Sautee Nacoochee, GA 30571
706-878-3300
snca.org
On the south side of Helen's main drag, the Helen Alpine Mini Golf Village is an old-fashioned miniature golf course set amid colorful landscaped gardens. Picnic tables are scattered around the village so you can bring your own lunch, but don't miss getting a scoop of your favorite ice cream at the Scoop De Scoop Ice Cream Parlour in the village.
Helen Alpine Mini Golf Village
7914 S. Main St.
Helen, GA 30545
706-878-3328
helenminigolf.com
The original home of the Cabbage Patch Kids is less than a 20-minute drive from Helen in neighboring Cleveland. It's free to tour the facility, where you can see newborn Cabbage Patch Kids resting in the nursery and even watch a Cabbage Patch Kid doll being "born" from a cabbage. Of course, there's a gift shop where you can adopt your own Cabbage Patch Kid.
BabyLand General Hospital
300 NOK Drive
Cleveland, GA 30528
706-865-2171
cabbagepatchkids.com
Between March and January every year, check out the bear and snake exhibits at Black Forest Bear Park in downtown Helen. The park's eight friendly bears will do tricks if you throw apple slices or chunks of bread to them, and you can watch the bears swim and play from just 10 feet away.
Black Forest Bear Park
8160 S. Main St.
Helen, GA 30545
706-878-7043
blackforestbearpark.com
Model railroad fans won't be able to resist a stop at Charlemagne's Kingdom, where you can watch computerized trains chug their way along 400 feet of track through a miniature Alpine village. The village has a working seaport, moving autobahn, hot- air balloon and three-ring circus in the middle of town. Three times a day the carved Glockenspiel dancers come out to march to traditional German music.
Charlemagne's Kingdom
8808 N. Main St.
Helen, GA 30545
706-878-2200
georgiamodelrailroad.com
