Discover holiday magic in LaGrange, Georgia—where historic downtown charm meets family-friendly adventures like Sweetland on Ice, Hills & Dales Estate, and the nearby Wild Animal Safari. Whether you’re visiting for the holidays or any other time of year, LaGrange offers cozy shops, rich history, and special seasonal fun for families.
Thanks to Visit LaGrange for hosting us so we could bring all these fun adventures to our readers.
Plan Your Holiday Getaway: LaGrange, GA
📍 LaGrange in West Georgia
🏡 Family-friendly attractions in a charming town with a cozy, Hallmark feel around the holidays
🐾 Accommodations & adventure at Great Wolf Lodge
⛸️ Seasonal ice-skating rink on weekends in winter
🪴Family-friendly estate & gardens with scavenger hunt
✝️ Biblical history center with immersive exhibits and seasonal events
🛍️ Delightful local shopping and dining scene
⚠️ Plan your itinerary ahead of time to avoid missing anything that interests your family, as open hours and ticket availability for all attractions, businesses, and restaurants may be limited.
Get to Know LaGrange
The origin story of LaGrange, Georgia tells you so much about the feel of this city. Before it was incorporated in the early 1800s, General Marquis de Lafayette of France visited the area and said it reminded him of his family estate abroad, then known as “La Grange.” The city maintains the feel of a countryside escape even today, and when you visit downtown, you will find a statue of Lafayette overlooking a large, romantic fountain in the city center.
Shopping in Downtown LaGrange
We took some time to explore downtown LaGrange, and there were several little shops for families to enjoy. Every shop has a unique feel and personality, and it’s easy to spend a couple of hours just wandering from shop to shop to see what you might discover!
Top Shops in Downtown LaGrange, GA
Our favorite was Pretty Good Books, which caught our attention with quirky signs that book-lovers will appreciate. Housed in the oldest non-residential building in the city, the shop is even featured on the local ghost tour. It offers new and used books, with a dedicated room for children’s books upstairs. We loved the mural and toys that made this a great space for kids to cozy up with a book or play while parents pick out some options.
Other shopping highlights include Solomon’s Department Store, opened by an immigrant from Lebanon with his family nearly 100 years ago. Today, they offer clothing and shoes for men, women, and children in their attractive downtown store. For the kids, you’ll find Buddy’s Comics is a treasure trove of board games, card games, and comics. The Medicine Cabinet sells toys and gifts for the whole family, and even offers an old-fashioned Soda Shoppe with counter-service milkshakes and glass ice cream dishes.
Downtown Attractions and Experiences
While we enjoyed walking from shop to shop, we also found easy parking all over downtown. We decided to drive around to see what attractions were in the area, and we found a few worth highlighting for families.
Things To Do in Downtown LaGrange, GA
Sweetland on Ice
When visiting in the winter, you will not want to miss Sweetland on Ice, a temporary covered ice-skating rink in the heart of downtown LaGrange. Open only on weekends for the general public and for private parties during the week, the rink is beautifully decorated and has skates available to rent, plus concessions for sale.
We found convenient restrooms onsite, plenty of seating around the ice-skating rink, and multiple warming stations. They even had skate helpers, which allowed our toddler to join us on the ice without fear of falling. We recommend checking their website for special events, too, like their holiday movie nights or New Year’s Eve party.
Sweetland Amphitheatre
It’s also worth checking the event calendar for the Sweetland Amphitheatre, a 2,500-seat outdoor amphitheatre where you might be able to catch musicians and other performances throughout the year. We watched a beautiful sunset over the amphitheatre while visiting Sweetland on Ice, and it made us look forward to catching a show there once the weather gets warmer!
LaGrange Art Museum
On future visits, we hope to explore the LaGrange Art Museum. Even the artwork on the exterior of the building caught our eye, and we wished we had the chance to go inside and experience it. We’ve been told the exhibits are family-friendly, and they offer events for kids, including Family Days every third Saturday of the month. Admission is free, and the museum is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Find Full-Family Adventure
If you’re looking for a greater sense of adventure, we found some amazing destinations just a little way from the city center. These are guaranteed to make memories, so make sure there’s room on your camera roll and be prepared to spend several hours together at these locations!
Things to Do with Kids in LaGrange, GA
Biblical History Center
On the west side of town, discover the extraordinary Biblical History Center, open only Tuesdays through Saturdays. Of all the places we would have loved to visit if we’d had more time, this one would have been top of the list! Tour the center with your children to discover the Archaeological Replica Garden, an immersive walk-through experience with life-sized replicas of ancient Biblical structures based on modern-day archaeology. During the holidays, they also offer an extraordinary Nativity Tour with a live Nativity presentation.
Hills & Dales Estate
My favorite attraction in LaGrange was the Hills & Dales Estate. Coming from the Carolinas, it reminded me of Biltmore Estate in Asheville, but this estate is smaller with a much stronger emphasis on family ties and values. I loved watching the mini-documentary at the start of the tour, which outlined how the estate came into existence over three generations of loving marriages and family bonds:
- Blount and Sarah Ferrell originally planted the estate as Ferrell Gardens, with their Christian faith coming through as they planted boxwoods arranged to spell out God’s name at the garden entrance and “God is love” on the main terrace.
- Fuller and Ida Callaway acquired the land after the passing of the Ferrells, to whom they were close friends. They preserved the gardens and built their family home there, renaming it Hills & Dales Estate after the gorgeous hills and dales all over the property.
- Their sons, Cason and Fuller Callaway Jr., married a set of sisters, Virginia (Cason’s wife) and Alice (Fuller Jr.’s wife), and built houses on either side of their childhood home. Fuller Jr. eventually came into ownership of Hills & Dales Estate, and Cason went on to develop the nearby Callaway Gardens property in Pine Mountain, Georgia.
My guide was a delightfully knowledgeable volunteer named Mr. Gregory, who shared a wealth of information on the tour. My favorite stops were the living area at the bottom of the grand staircase, both of which were beautifully decorated for Christmas.
Kids on the tour should check out the Home & Garden Scavenger Hunt, available for pickup at the Visitor’s Center before you ride a shuttle up to the main house. This hunt turns the entire tour into a giant seek-and-find experience, and your kids are sure to search eagerly for every curiosity pictured!
After the house tour, Mr. Gregory led me into the gardens. We visited the garage, where workshops like wreath-making are offered regularly, and the greenhouse, where so many things were blooming even in winter.
As I walked through the gardens, my mind kept returning to the documentary at the start of the tour. There were so many personal touches and memories held there, like the large stone bench where one of the couples said they had fallen in love.
Callaway Gardens
The nearby Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain is a family favorite. You’ll find miles of hiking and biking trails through the gardens, plus a lake to enjoy during warmer seasons. In the winter, Fantasy in Lights is a fantastic drive-through experience with themed holiday light displays stretching across the 2,500-acre gardens. There is even a walk-through Christmas Village, with a large holiday gift shop and character meet-and-greets like Santa and the Abominable Snowman.
Wild Animal Safari
Also in Pine Mountain, you can check out Wild Animal Safari, offering both a walk-through and drive-through petting zoo experience with exotic animals like zebras, bison, and giraffes! You’ll have the opportunity to hand-feed the animals and take pictures with them.
For the drive-through experience, you can either take your personal vehicle, rent a zebra car, or ride on one of the zebra tour buses through the safari park. Driving a car through the park allows you to go at your own pace, but your personal vehicle can be easily damaged, so I highly recommend a zebra car!
Taste Your Way Around LaGrange
We could have spent much more time exploring the dining scene in LaGrange, but what we did get to taste was stellar. And for picky eaters? This place has its share of chain restaurants, too.
Family-Friendly Places to Eat in LaGrange, GA
Breakfast at Gus’s Grill
For breakfast, we checked out Gus’s Grill, which was recommended to us by several locals. We enjoyed classic breakfast items off the griddle, like pancakes, eggs, and bacon.
This small eatery draws a big crowd, so plan to arrive right when they open to avoid a wait. Even when we arrived only 30 minutes after opening, we still waited about half an hour for a table. If you’re comfortable sitting at the counter, that option can get you seated more quickly.
If you are looking for a more familiar place to eat, then feel free to check out the Cracker Barrel, Waffle House, or Chick-Fil-A in the city of LaGrange, too.
Lunch at Great Wolf Lodge
Combine food and fun at Great Wolf Lodge! This combined hotel and resort offers day pass bundles for their attractions, including a water park, ropes course, mini-golf, MagiQuest, and more. You’ll also find a variety of dining options, like family-sized pizzas from Hungry As A Wolf, tacos and quesadillas from Timbers Tacos, and classic American grub from Buckets Burgers & Bites.
Just be advised that food pricing inside the resort is very expensive. For a more affordable lunch, consider Charlie Joseph’s counter-service diner or Trios Cantina‘s authentic Mexican cuisine, both locally owned and located in downtown LaGrange.
Dinner at Milano’s
The dining highlight of our entire trip was our visit to Milano’s Pizza in LaGrange. Don’t let the name fool you: This is not your typical pizza joint. This authentic Italian restaurant offers a classy, romantic atmosphere—completely perfect for the family to wind down after a long day exploring.
Our server, Mr. Jackson, gave us some of the best food and customer service we’ve had in a very long time. We were impressed by the affordable pricing and generous portion sizes, too. We each ate as much as we could and still walked out with more leftovers than we could finish!
There’s also a display case near the front, packed with irresistible cakes. You can purchase these by the slice, so plan to enjoy dessert at the table, or order some to-go to enjoy back at the hotel.
There are other local options to try for dinner, but we had such a fantastic experience at Milano’s Pizza that I am not even going to name them. You do not want to miss out on trying this place first!
Choose the Perfect Hotel for Your Holiday
There are many places to stay in LaGrange, but we found a couple that are top of the list for families.
Top Places to Stay in LaGrange, GA
Courtyard Marriott
If you want to continue the cozy, upscale feeling of LaGrange at the end of the day, then I recommend Courtyard Marriott in the middle of downtown. This hotel offers the comfort and quality we’ve come to expect from Marriott, plus a 24/7 bistro with Starbucks coffee.
Great Wolf Lodge
If you want your accommodations to bring another whole level of fun to your family vacation, then I recommend Great Wolf Lodge. This resort offers standard, themed, and premium suites, plus endless fun at built-in attractions. Overnight packages include access to their indoor water park, and additional packages are available to access the ropes course, mini-golf, MagiQuest, and more.
And if you’ve stayed at a Great Wolf Lodge in the past, then just know that we had multiple readers tell us this location is their absolute favorite!
Let Your Holiday Begin
LaGrange is the perfect destination for families over the holidays. It combines historic downtown charm, seasonal attractions, and fun-filled accommodations like Great Wolf Lodge. With so many things to do, plus amazing dining and shopping, families can enjoy making memories here on a truly relaxing vacation together. How often do you find a place that special?
For more information about all that LaGrange, GA has to offer, check out Visit LaGrange.
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