Blake Walsh

15 Best Things to Do in Stone Mountain, GA

  • Published 2022/03/17

Stone Mountain is a sight to behold and steeped in history, complete with exciting adventures and wondrous natural sights.

Listed in the National Historic Register in 1991, Stone Mountain Village captures the essence and feel of bygone eras with all the convenience and features present in current life.

This DeKalb County city in Georgia sits next to Stone Mountain’s western base encompassing nearly 1.7 square miles.

It often goes by the name “Stone Mountain Village” to not confuse it with Stone Mountain Park and the bigger unincorporated area called Stone Mountain.

The city of Stone Mountain has enjoyed a lot of success over the years because of the thriving film industry in Georgia.

One of Georgia’s greatest pride and joy, this beloved Atlanta destination is a place to fulfill your curiosity and let yourself get lost in beauty.

The opportunities for enjoyment and leisure are endless, whether you prefer canyoning down the side of a mountain or canoeing through one of its calm riverfront areas.

To ensure that you’re making the most out of everything at your fingertips, here’s a list of the top 15 things to do in Stone Mountain, GA, in no particular order:

Take a Trolly Ride to the Top at the Stone Mountain Skyride

One of the Stone Mountain Skyride

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Easily one of Stone Mountain’s most sought-after attractions, Stone Mountain Skyride takes you on a high-speed Swiss cable car as you enjoy a stunning view of the Confederate Memorial Carving 825 feet above ground to the peak of Stone Mountain.

To fully enjoy the great views of the Appalachian Mountains, the Atlanta, and more than 60 miles away, you can take a trip up to the top of Stone Mountain in a trolley ride that lasts about two minutes.

Bottom part of Stone Mountain Skyride

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Consider taking a sunset ride to experience a truly breathtaking view.

Not only are cable cars wheelchair accessible, but the price is fair and much more affordable.

And if you opt for the “V.I.P” ticket, you can save yourself a good hour waiting in line!

One of the Stone Mountain Skyride

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Pop in for a Show at ART Station Theatre

ART Station is a welcoming place that offers some of the best art classes and programs to its community.

David Thomas is an experienced, visionary director who founded the organization in 1986.

He brought together a group of local artists, corporate, government, and community leaders under one roof to create a space where art enthusiasts could congregate.

Art Station is a contemporary arts center within the renovated historic Trolley Car Barn in Manor Drive, Stone Mountain.

It’s home to its own Equity theatre company, which produces new works and classic plays.

They utilize classrooms, a fine crafts gift shop, five art galleries, an art shop dedicated to Southern culture and food, plus production and administrative space.

This Stone Mountain performing arts theater also presents Atlanta’s music legends through their cabaret theatre.

Lose Yourself at Stone Mountain Park

Cable lift at Stone Mountain Park

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Nestled in the foothills of Georgia but cradled by North Carolina, Stone Mountain Park offers 3,200 acres of year-round adventure for families, groups, and lovers.

The Sky Hike family attraction in Stone Mountain Park is the nation’s largest and most thrilling obstacle course in the treetops.

And in this park’s 4D theater, you can battle orcs across the land of Middle Earth and experience the sensation of actually soaring through the air.

People scattered around Stone Mountain Park

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If those don’t tickle your fancy, then the Lasershow Spectacular might do just that, having been deemed the longest-running laser show in the world.

Additional exciting attractions include the Dinosaur Explore, Dinotorium, Summit Skyride, Farmyard, Historic Square, Scenic Railroad, Camp Highland Outpost, Geyser Towers, Great Locomotive Chase Adventure, museums, and golf.

Watermill at Stone Mountain Park

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Here, you’ll also find the world’s largest high-relief stone sculpture made with hand-chiseled depictions of three Confederate leaders who were crucial to the Civil War, namely Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson.

There’s also Stone Mountain Park’s Memorial Hall, where you’ll see the original designs of the mountain carving, scale models, and a short presentation.

Lasershow at Stone Mountain Park

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Tour Wells-Brown House

The Wells-Brown House is a beautiful historic landmark located at Stone Mountain.

The Stone Mountain Historical Society acquired this historic house as a donation to them in 2005 by the Jordan Stokes Brown family to honor Grace Harris Brown and Josephine Brown Cervantes.

This elegant neoclassical residence is now part of the Society’s headquarters to serve as not only a place to preserve architectural history but also as an informative space with exhibits, archives, and meeting rooms.

The second-story balcony of the Wells-Brown House offers a beautiful mountain view.

This house has been scored and painted to make it look like stone from the village’s early concrete constructions and one of the state’s few examples.

Conquer Stone Mountain Hiking Trails

Marker of Stone Mountain Hiking Trails

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Right in the middle of Stone Mountain Lake’s two-finger coves, the trail of the Muscogee challenges you to hike up a ridge and then go down along a serene unspoiled section of the lake for some relaxing breezes and enthralling sight of the surrounding area.

The Principal Chief of the Muscogee Nation gave the trail its name after the original inhabitants of the area.

And if you still want to hike more trails in Stone Mountain, you won’t be disappointed by the Cherokee Trail.

Of all the hiking trails in Stone Mountain, the 5-mile loop Cherokee Trail is the most immersive, thanks to the different habitats that you get to experience as you hike it.

This trial will take you to the Confederate Memorial Carving, on top of the mountain, across Grist Mill Historical Gardens, and into a private nature sanctuary.

Another Stone Mountain trail path worth hiking is the Nature Garden Trail, where you’re treated to North America’s largest single leaf, the Big Leaf Magnolia, as you follow along the trail.

This 0.75-mile loop trail starts at a garden showering you with native plants with descriptive signage and then takes you to a dense forest of towering Oak-Hickory trees.

Then, you’ll be crisscrossing by a lively stream until you reach many seeps that drain from Stone Mountain’s impervious surface.

Roam around Historic Square

Stone Mountain’s Historic Square is the place to go for architectural marvels!

With buildings dating back to the early 18th century, this location immerses guests in Georgia’s rich history.

Every building has been carefully restored and moved from its original location so that guests can experience what it felt like to live back in these bygone eras.

You can take a self-guided tour and enjoy the sights, smells, and atmosphere of the working cookhouse.

The period furniture and decorations here are a true representation of the diverse lifestyle of those living in 18th and 19th century Georgia.

Create a Photo-op Moment of the Washington W. King Bridge

Front view of Washington W. King Bridge

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Stone Mountain Park’s stupendous Washington W. King Bridge in Athens, Georgia originally cost $2,470 for its construction in 1891.

This covered bridge that spanned the Oconee River connects downtown and College Street areas of Athens with outlying farms in the surrounding region.

Side view of Washington W. King Bridge

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Out of the bridges that Washington W. King built, what now remains is only four with this historic covered bridge named after him being one of them.

Washington W. King and his family were key players in the development of many Georgia cities for decades.

In the year 2019, Stone Mountain Memorial Association’s board of directors voted unanimously to name this historic bridge after the prominent architect and engineer Washington W. King.

Visit Collectible and Antique Chair Gallery

In Stone Mountain Village lies the Collectible and Antique Chair Gallery, an impressive three-room gift shop and museum resting close to Stone Mountain Park.

Here, you’ll find a collection of miniature chairs that made it to the Guinness World Record.

With 3,000 miniature chairs recorded and set in 2008, Collectible and Antique Chair Gallery garnered attention from not only local publications, but also from national and international ones.

This museum building is a former house from the 1850 era that witnessed the civil war and how Stone Mountain Village survived an attack by Sherman’s army.

The Antique Trader Magazine identified the Collectible and Antique Chair Gallery on a national map of “Roadside Attractions,” a map highlighting unique attractions and museums throughout the country.

Play Bowling with Your Family at Stars and Strikes Family Entertainment Center

Stone Mountain Stars and Strikes is conveniently just off of Highway 78 in Stone Mountain and beside Interstate 285.

This Stone Mountain destination has all of the most up-to-date bowling lanes and bumper cars.

Aside from their twelve fully decked-out VIP lanes, you can also have fun with their laser tag arena and game room sporting an array of the greatest and latest video games.

The 7/10 Grille is a restaurant and bar located at this bowling alley that serves chef-inspired food in a grill-style setting.

There are also multiple HD screens in the full-service Blue Bar concept nearby, where you can watch sports.

Play a Few Rounds at Stone Mountain Golf Club

People playing golf at Stone Mountain Golf Club

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A golf course may seem like a complicated place to visit while you’re in Stone Mountain, but if you head over to Stone Mountain Golf Club, you’re in for an experience that can’t be matched by any other.

Stone Mountain Golf Club provides a pleasurable experience for all due to its two outstanding and distinct courses.

The Stonemont Course is a delightfully charming challenge that emphasizes precision, management, and aesthetic appeal.

The Lakemont Course matches up perfectly with Stonemont, with a less demanding golf course; yet, not lacking in entertainment or fabulous views.

The Stonemont Course’s par-70 layout stretches just under 7,000 yards and was built using Bermuda grass fairways and Bentgrass greens, immaculately kept throughout the year.

Golfers will be challenged by narrow fairways and strategically placed bunkers, as well as numerous Georgia pine trees that come into play on several holes throughout the course.

With 18 stunning holes winding through stunning views of Stone Mountain Park, the Lakemont Course at the Stone Mountain Golf Club can be a formidable challenge for even the most seasoned pros.

The front 9 holes of this course are set around Stone Mountain Lake with water in play for six holes, ensuring plenty of water hazards for amateurs.

Many of this course’s back nine holes are rock-lined with four holes featuring water.

Learn Stone Mountain’s Granite Quarrying History at Quarry Exhibit

The Quarry Exhibit is located past the Grist Mill on the east side of Stone Mountain, across Robert E. Lee Boulevard.

Completed in 2001, this exhibit tells over 100 years of story of stone quarrying at Stone Mountain and welcomes you to the fascinating history of this activity.

Approximately 7,645,700 cubic feet of granite were cut and processed throughout the years from the mountain, which equates to enough surfacing stones to stretch between the South Pole and North Pole (12,444 miles)!

The Quarry Exhibit also serves as a tribute to the workers that dedicated their lives to quarrying.

Here, you’ll find photos of how prominent the industry was and a little history about how the region itself came to be through granite quarrying.

Bask in the Beauty of Stone Mountain Park’s Nature Garden

It’s rare to stumble across a garden, such as Stone Mountain Park’s Nature Garden, in the heart of Atlanta.

The Nature Garden can be accessed using the trail that runs to the Studdard picnic area for convenient access.

Or, if you prefer, you can reach it through the Cherokee Trail by traveling just east of the Memorial Lawn.

The Nature Garden at Stone Mountain Park attracts a lot of people year-round with various interests, mostly photography and painting.

There’s also Harold Cox Nature Garden Trail, a popular yet challenging hike on the park’s south side that any nature enthusiast should see.

Get More Sense of Stone Mountain’s Fascinating History

Exterior of Stone Mountain Museum

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Stone Mountain has been many things to many people, and the Discovering Stone Mountain Museum showcases that.

The museum offers a lot of insight into the mountain itself, as well as artifacts and stories that date back thousands upon thousands of years ago.

In this museum, you can get an inside look at the Civil War, Revolutionary War, and the Historic Indian Tribes of North Georgia.

You can also learn about how granite production shaped the economic history of the great city of Atlanta.

It’s a fantastic place where you can learn all about the history of how the famous massive relief carving came to be.

They also feature an 11-minute video presentation titled “The Men Who Carved the Mountain,” as well as original designs and scale models.

Enter the Haunted House of Your Dreams

Like the best-haunted houses, NETHERWORLD erases your mind of all memories, sending you through a dark world with monsters at every turn—no matter which way you go.

You’ll find this walk-through dark attraction in unincorporated Gwinnett County close to Atlanta, Georgia.

This mind-blowing haunted house has terrifying live actors and amazing special effects, including massive movie-quality sets, animatronics, and traditional props.

NETHERWORLD Haunted House opened its doors in 1997 and has been a popular seasonal Halloween-based event ever since its inception.

As with many other themed experiences, NETHERWORLD Haunted House offers its guests a plethora of photo opportunities.

They have free parking, an expansive gift shop, and a fascinating monster gallery.

And for those who feel brave enough to face their fears and work as a team against themed obstacles, they even offer escape rooms that will test your wit and set traps you must avoid.

What’s most notable, though, is that they’ve added laser tag.

Enjoy Uncovering the Mysteries of Jurassic Time at the Dinotorium

Stone Mountain Park’s Dino-rific Dinotorium makes fun of learning as it takes you through four levels of education and prehistoric discovery.

The museum is full of dinosaurs galore, activities, and more, where you can explore dinosaur-related stuff with the wicked scientist Dr. McCavius.

Conceived as a fun way to learn about dinosaurs, prehistoric life, and paleontology, this interactive science center is perfect for kids.

This indoor environment boasts many popular activities in one place, including two ADA-accessible slides, trampoline-floored climbing structures, and over 65 games unique to The Dinotorium.

At the top of their 4th-floor space, you’ll find great slides for all ages five and up.

Final Thoughts

The tall imposing mass of Stone Mountain is one of Georgia’s (and America’s) most iconic attractions.

The best things to do in Stone Mountain, Georgia are as numerous as they are fun!

You’ll have so much to enjoy when you set up camp in Stone Mountain Parks and get ready for adventure.

In the meantime, use this helpful guide of the best ways to take advantage of your time spent in Stone Mountain, Georgia!

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