Welcome to Dalton!
Conveniently located on I-75 between Atlanta and Chattanooga, you’ll find the Carpet Capital of the World will “floor” you with our southern hospitality and an exciting mix of tradition and modern flair.
The Cherokee called this area The Enchanted Lands for the beauty and serenity of the Appalachian Mountain foothills. Later the ingenuity and entrepreneurship of a 15-year-old girl, Catherine Evans-Whitener, would revolutionize textile production, expanding Dalton to a worldwide industry leader. We’ve come so far, but the people have never lost the connection with this land that has enchanted so many for generations.
We’re here to give you The Local Experience when looking for treks through the great outdoors, dining and drinks, live music, entertainment, history, mystery and more. Explore to learn more and Let Us Floor You!
Looking for things to do in Dalton? We’ve got you covered! You’ll receive a copy of our free Visitor’s Guide right in your inbox — ready for you to browse anytime.
If you’d prefer a physical copy, just send us a request through our Contact Us page, and we’ll be happy to mail it to you. We hope you enjoy discovering everything Dalton has to offer!
Local Visitor Center
The historic freight depot in the heart of Downtown Dalton is the home of the local visitor center. We are here to welcome you to our city and give you “The Local Experience”
Learn about Dalton’s textile history and the beautiful chenille bedspreads that gave us the name Peacock Alley.
Stop by 305 South Depot Street or call (706) 270-9960. Open Monday-Saturday. 10 am – 4 pm.
#VISITDALTONGA See what people have been doing in Dalton!
Anthony Johnson Showalter was a celebrated American gospel music composer, teacher, and publisher who made a lasting mark on Dalton when he moved here in 1884 and founded the A. J. Showalter Company, a major Southern music publishing house.
His most famous composition, “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms,” published in 1887, became one of the most enduring hymns in American religious music and is still sung in churches across the country.
Showalter also wrote widely used music theory and harmony books and taught shape-note singing schools that helped spread musical education throughout the South. In Dalton he was an elder and choir leader at the First Presbyterian Church, shaping both the city’s cultural life and its musical traditions. He died in 1924 and is buried in West Hill Cemetery, leaving a legacy of song and education that enriches Northwest Georgia’s historical and cultural heritage.
Fiddle Fest is an annual celebration of Fiddleheads—and this year, they are celebrating 15 years of getting dirty!
Come out Saturday, October 3, for a day filled with fall fun, local vendors, good food, activities for the kiddos, and plenty of reasons to wander the greenhouse.
🍂 Shop mums, pansies & other fall favorites.
🎃 Pumpkins, hay bales, corn stalks & all the fall things
🎨 Face painting, pumpkin painting & more
🌿 Local vendors, food & Fiddleheads fun
The Bandy Heritage Center, Creative Arts Guild, and Prater’s Mill Foundation are proud to partner with Jayme Laney of Laney Pottery to present a Face Mug Workshop! Discover North Georgia’s folk pottery tradition at the Face Mug Workshop! Sculpt your own unique mug with guidance from Jayme Laney. All supplies are included. Ages 13+. No experience needed—just creativity! Sign up here: https://ow.ly/54wN50ZQz5Z
Girl’s Night Sing-Along: Movies on the Green is back with Mamma Mia! at Patterson Farms. Shop pop-ups, enjoy treats, charcuterie & champagne, free popcorn, and picnic blankets (while supplies last).
Movie starts at 8:30 PM—bring your girls, a chair, and sing under the stars! 📅 Sat, Sept 26 | ⏰ 6:30–8:30 PM (Movie at 8:30) 📍 370 Kempton Lane 🎟️ Free & open to all
Mill schools in Dalton’s mill villages, like Crown Point, Elk (later Boylston Crown), and Atcooga, were established in the early 20th century to educate the children of textile mill workers right where they lived. Because these schools were subsidized by the mills and part of the county system, they offered nine months of classes—far more than most rural schools at the time—and even included kindergarten decades before it was widespread in Georgia. Serving students through seventh grade, mill schools helped promote literacy and basic education that mill families saw as essential preparation for both work and everyday life, even though many children still entered mill jobs after finishing. The presence of schools such as Crown Point and Atcooga helped make mill villages more stable and attractive places for families, reinforcing the close ties among work, community, and education. Unlike many other county schools of the era, mill schools remained intact through the wave of school consolidation in the 1920s and 1930s, reflecting their importance to village life. Today, the legacy of Dalton’s mill schools highlights how education and industry developed side by side in Northwest Georgia, shaping generations of workers and communities in the region’s long story within America’s first 250 years.
