Lake Lanier offers many park venues.

• Parks & Recreation– The Gainesville Parks & Recreation and the Hall County Parks & Leisure Services support award winning programs for both youth and adults. Hall County has more parks than any county in the United States, 23 U.S. Corps of Engineers parks on Lake Lanier and another 47 parks located throughout the county.
• Frances Meadows Aquatic Center– Managed by the City of Gainesville Parks and Recreation Agency, the Frances Meadows Aquatic Center is a tremendous asset to the community. The Center features indoor pools for competitive use, indoor and outdoor pools for recreation, and a Splash Zone with two water slides and a children’s spray ground. There are also group swim lessons as well as water and land based fitness classes available for members.
• Rowing & Kayaking– Lake Lanier Olympic Park , the rowing, canoe and kayak venue for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, is now home to the very active Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club and the Lake Lanier Rowing Club which offer lessons and events for teams and individuals. The park is the site of several major competitions annually, with a heavy contingent coming from major college and university rowing teams.
• Nature– Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve, a 2,500 acre park, features miles of nature trails, the Elachee Nature Science Center, a wildlife garden and nature activities. More than 2,000 people every year enjoy hiking, biking, jogging and horse back riding in Chicopee Woods. The Chicopee Woods Agricultural Center hosts a number of major horse shows, garden shows, and dog and livestock shows annually.
• Golfing– Avid golfers will find an array of challenging golf courses with breathtaking scenery and unique features against the backdrop of the mountains and Lake Lanier. Check out the following courses for your next 18 holes:
  • Chattahoochee Golf Club, Gainesville 770-532-0066
  • Legacy on Lanier Golf at Lanier Islands 770-945-8789
  • Chicopee Woods Golf Course 770- 534-7322
  • Chateau Elan Winery and Resort 678-425-6051

• Horseback Riding– If horses are your Georgia recreation pastime, you’ll be happy to know that Hall County is a growing center for the horse industry featuring a number of stables and nearby riding trails.
• State Parks– Georgia recreation doesn’t get any better than the Georgia State Parks. Don Carter State Park opened on the shores of Lake Lanier, and Hall County is ideally situated for residents to take advantage of the many other nearby state parks such as Amicalola Falls, with its 720-foot waterfall, and Black Rock Mountain with panoramic 80-mile views at scenic overlooks.

Quinlan Arts Center hosts museum-quality national and local exhibitions as well as workshops.

• The Arts Council, Inc. serves as a hub for the Northeast Georgia art community. Contact: (770) 534-2787.
• The Gainesville Symphony Orchestra is Northeast Georgia’s regional 70-piece professional orchestra. The group presents four concerts each season including the favored “Patriotic Pops Concert” each July 3rd at Brenau University Amphitheater. Contact: (770) 532-5727.
• The Gainesville Ballet Company stages an annual performance season, including The Nutcracker at Christmas and a repertory performance in the spring to give ballet students an opportunity to perform with guest artists. Contact: (770) 532-4241.
• The Gainesville Theatre Alliance is a cooperative venture joining the theatre programs of the University of North Georgia, Brenau University, a professional company and the community for a truly enriching Georgia culture opportunity. Four productions are staged annually. Contact: (770) 718-3624.
• The Voices of North Georgia is a community chorus presenting a variety of music of high artistic quality to the people of Gainesville and North Georgia. They annually present the Christmas portion of Handel’s Messiah, and three to four concert weekends each season.
• Located on the Brenau University campus, Northeast Georgia History Center is a not for profit institution dedicated to promoting and displaying historical artifacts and displays from the Northeast Georgia area from the past 150 years. Contact: (770) 297-5900.
• The Quinlan Visual Arts Center is a comprehensive visual arts and education center offering art classes and workshops. The galleries of the Quinlan Arts Center are dedicated to monthly exhibitions of local, regional and international artists. Contact: (770) 536-2575.

Georgia’s #1 Hospital and Top 10 in the Nation in rankings.

• Health care system, not-for-profit, serves over a million people, dozens of services and specialties, locations in Gainesville, Braselton, and Barrow.

North Georgia Schools

Gainesville City Schools: Elementary:

• Centennial Arts Academy
• Enota Multiple Intelligences Academy
• Fair Street International Academy
• Gainesville Exploration Academy
• Mundy Mill Academy
• New Holland Knowledge Academy

Middle School:

• Gainesville Middle School

High School:

• Gainesville High School

Hall County Schools:

• Elementary: 20 Elementary Schools
• Middle School: 8 Middle Schools
• High School: 7 High Schools
• Private Schools:
  • Lakeview Academy
  • Riverside Military Academy
  • Chattahoochee Christian School
  • Chestnut Mountain Christian School
  • Heritage Academy
  • Hopewell Christian Academy
  • Maranatha Christian Academy
  • Montessori Children’s House Of North Forsyth
  • North Georgia Christian School

• Dress Up Boutique
• Image Boutique
• The Next Chapter Book Store
• R. Crider’s
• Saul’s

Malls:

• Lakeshore Mall
• Dawsonville Outlets
• Mall of Georgia

 Other:

• Kohl’s
• Target
• Marshall’s
• Old Navy
• Dick’s Sporting Goods
• Best Buy
• Home Depot
• Walmart
• Lowe’s
• Michael’s
• Joann’s
• Ulta Beauty

• 2 Dog Cafe: 317 Spring St SE, Gainesville, GA 30501
• Avocado’s Restaurant: 109 N W Bradford St, Gainesville, GA 30501
• Johnny’s BBQ: 1710 Cleveland Hwy, Gainesville, GA 30501
• Poor Richard’s Restaurant: 1702 Park Hill Dr, Gainesville, GA 30501
• Sherry’s Bait and Barbeque: 2807 Dawsonville Hwy, Gainesville, GA 30506
• Blue Fin: 1642 Park Hill Dr, Gainesville, GA 30501
• Natural Juice Café: 2480 Limestone Pkwy, Gainesville, GA 30506
• Scott’s Downtown: 131 Bradford St NE, Gainesville, GA 30501
• El Sombrero: Multiple Locations
• Little Italy: 990 Riverside Dr, Gainesville, GA 30501
• Mellow Mushroom: 700 Green St NE, Gainesville, GA 30501
• Southern Baked Pies: 302 Broad St SE, Gainesville, GA 30501
• Vine and Cheese: 1290 Thompson Bridge Rd, Gainesville, GA 30501
• Green’s Grocery: 971 Riverside Dr, Gainesville, GA 30501
• Tap It Brewery: 1850 Thompson Bridge Rd, Gainesville, GA 30501
• Downtown Drafts: 115 Bradford St NE, Gainesville, GA 30501