Top 10 Surprising Things to Do in LaGrange

One of North America’s largest family indoor water park resorts, Great Wolf Lodge combines a massive water park with dry-land adventures for the whole family. Great Wolf features kid-friendly activities, dining options, and a wine-down service for the adults.

Play in the 93,000-square-foot water park’s pools and slides, which are kept warm at 84 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. Hear the kiddos giggle with delight as they make their way to wave pools, floating lily pads, water treehouses, and water slides. There are even toddler-friendly pools for the little tykes. Then, once everyone in the fam is pruney, head to dry land for a ropes course, mini-golf, bowling alley, arcade, and a live-action game, MagiQuest.

Completed in 1916, this 13,000-square-foot home, designed by renowned architects Neel Reid and Hal Hentz, was created to flow gracefully into its gardens. Designed by Sarah Ferrell, the series of dwarf boxwood parterres have bedecked the terraces of the hill for more than 180 years. To this day, the lawns are considered one of the best-preserved 19th-century gardens in the country.  

As you stroll the well-trodden paths, descend the terraces, sit in the seclusion of the rose bowers or pause to gaze up at the magnificent home, you are always in the presence of Sarah Ferrell, Ida Cason Callaway and Alice Hand Callaway, three remarkable people who made Hills & Dales a home and its gardens a national treasure.

What was once the Westbrook Service & Tire Co. building is now the home of Wild Leap, the first brewery to call LaGrange home and voted “America’s Best New Brewery of 2019” by USA Today. Adorned with some of the original signage salvaged during the building’s restoration, Wild Leap features a tasting room, pet-friendly outdoor courtyard, brewhouse, and fun activities for all ages. Always expanding its menu, the brewery has stepped into the spirits world with smooth, handcrafted vodka and ready-to-drink craft cocktails. From live music to themed parties, food festivals, and weekend mystery cocktails, something is always brewing.

The Biblical History Center is a one-of-a-kind place where visitors can experience the ancient biblical world. With authentic archaeological replicas, Biblical meal presentations, daily life artifacts, lectures, and other personal experiences, the ancient Middle East comes to life.

In the Time Tunnel, visitors learn about the worship practices of Pagans, Jews, and Christians by exploring replicas of excavated houses of worship. The Archaeological Replica Garden houses 23 life-size replicas of structures found in excavations in Israel, Malta, and Jordan. The popular Biblical Meal is a four-course dining experience with food items that were available in the ancient world.

Surrounded by deep forests and rolling fields, West Point Lake extends 35 miles along the Chattahoochee River on the Alabama-Georgia state line. The lake’s 525 miles of shoreline provide excellent opportunities for fishing, camping, boating and other recreational activities. 

Around the lake are day-use parks, campgrounds, two commercial marinas, beach areas, fishing piers and public hunting areas. Most of the parks have picnic shelters, boat-launching ramps with courtesy docks, nature trails and great access to the lake for fishing.

Where tall pines sway to the rhythm of a Southern breeze sits the South’s sweetest stage in the heart of downtown LaGrange. The 2,500-seat Sweetland Amphitheatre at Boyd Park is an intimate outdoor venue for star-studded performances and community events, all within walking distance of restaurants, shops, hotels and attractions.

Music legends from Willie Nelson to Gladys Knight have performed at Sweetland, which is carefully carved into the existing hillside, creating a tiered bowl with optimal acoustics.

Beacon Brewing was established in 2018 in the historic Hillside district of LaGrange. The founder selected this area because of its rich history and ties to his family. Like many areas in the south, Hillside once flourished because of a booming textile industry that supported and employed many residents.

Beacon’s indoor and outdoor spaces are ideal for sipping hoppy IPAs and enjoying Southern-infused Asian cuisine (like Wagyu-beef hot dogs) you certainly won’t find anywhere else.

Also in the Hillside district, Pure Life House of Music is tailor-made for solo, duo and trio acts playing blues, jazz, folk and assorted acoustic genres. Housed in a renovated warehouse within a five-minute drive of downtown, Pure Life is the only live music venue in LaGrange with an intimate listening-room experience. Eclectic seating adds charm to this 130-seat venue, which focuses on singer/songwriter performances.

Tucked away in LaGrange, Nutwood Winery sits on 10 acres of land filled with 200-year-old pecan trees. Enjoy time with friends and family in the 6,000-square-foot tasting room with a full wine bar and ample seating. Specialized cheeses and meats are available for purchase and pair perfectly with the wines.

Relax in the cool indoors of the tasting room, outside on the porch or under the trees while tasting complex and crisp wines. The winery welcomes all ages and has areas for kids to play.

Winding through LaGrange’s beautiful neighborhoods and parks, The Thread is a 12-foot-wide path designed for walking, running and biking. The multi-purpose trail is an ongoing project that eventually will include more than 26 miles of greenspace.

Discover even more reasons to visit LaGrange.