Last-updated: 2026-10-18

# Downtown Roswell (downtownroswellga.com)

An independent, sourced guide to downtown and historic Roswell, Georgia (Fulton County, on the Chattahoochee River about 20 miles north of Atlanta; not Roswell, New Mexico): Canton Street, the Town Square, the house museums, the Roswell Mill and Vickery Creek, events, parking and river access. Every date, rule, fee and address links to the organisation that published it, with the date it was checked; anything not yet confirmed is marked. Published as a Gold Peach Realty community guide; not affiliated with the City of Roswell, Visit Roswell or the National Park Service.

## Key pages

- [Downtown Roswell, Georgia](https://downtownroswellga.com/): Downtown Roswell is the Historic District of Roswell, Georgia, a Fulton County city on the Chattahoochee about 20 miles north of Atlanta. Walk from the 1830s Town Square past free house museums to the mill ruins and covered bridge on Vickery Creek, then eat on Canton Street. Dates, parking rules and river access are checked at the source.
- [Things to do in downtown Roswell, GA](https://downtownroswellga.com/things-to-do/): Downtown Roswell, Georgia centers on its historic district. Walk the Vickery Creek mill ruins and covered bridge at Old Mill Park, stand on the Town Square where mill workers were held in 1864, and tour three City house museums that are free and open Friday and Saturday 11 to 4 and Sunday 1 to 4. Eat on Canton Street. The Saturday farmers market behind City Hall ends its 2026 season Oct. 31.
- [Canton Street, Roswell: restaurants, parking and events](https://downtownroswellga.com/canton-street/): Canton Street is the restaurant and shopping street of historic Roswell, Georgia. Visit Roswell says the area runs from Canton and Magnolia Streets north to Woodstock Road, and the City counts 15 restaurants on Canton inside the Alive in Roswell festival area. Street parking there is paid under a City trial through Dec. 31, 2026, with two free hours for sessions started 8 AM to 3 PM.
- [Roswell, GA history: the mill, slavery, 1864 and the district](https://downtownroswellga.com/history/): Roswell, Georgia grew from a mill. Roswell King saw waterpower where Vickery Creek meets the Chattahoochee, and the Roswell Manufacturing Company was incorporated in 1839. Planter families, some of them enslavers, built the town around it. Union troops destroyed the mill on July 6, 1864, and more than 400 mill workers were charged with treason and sent north. The Historic District was listed on the National Register in 1974.
- [Roswell historic homes: Bulloch Hall, Barrington Hall and Smith Plantation](https://downtownroswellga.com/historic-homes/): Roswell, Georgia has three City-run house museums: Bulloch Hall, Barrington Hall and Archibald Smith Plantation. Admission to all three is free. The City lists museum hours of Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 4 p.m., with grounds open daily sunrise to sunset. Visit Roswell says Smith Plantation is closed for repairs while the City still lists its hours, so call first.
- [Roswell Mill and Vickery Creek: ruins, bridge, trails and fees](https://downtownroswellga.com/roswell-mill/): The Roswell Mill ruins sit on Vickery Creek in Roswell, Georgia, beside a 30-foot dam and millrace. Start at the City's Vickery Creek Old Mill Park, 95 Mill Street, with free admission and free parking, and cross the 2005 covered footbridge. On the far side you are in the National Park Service's Vickery Creek Unit, where an entrance pass costs $5 a day or $40 a year.
- [Roswell, GA events: fall 2026 into 2027](https://downtownroswellga.com/events/): Downtown Roswell, Georgia events for the rest of 2026: the farmers market's last Saturdays, Oct. 24 and 31; Sip and Stroll on Canton Street, Oct. 25; the Motoring Festival at City Hall, Nov. 14; an added Alive in Roswell night, Nov. 19; the City tree lighting at Heart of Roswell Park, Dec. 4; and The Nutcracker, Dec. 11 to 13. Each listing links to its organiser.
- [Alive in Roswell 2026: dates, parking and rules](https://downtownroswellga.com/alive-in-roswell/): Searching for Alive After 5 in Roswell, Georgia? The City's current downtown street party is Alive in Roswell: free, on Canton Street, every third Thursday from April to October, 5 to 9 PM. The regular 2026 season ended Oct. 15. The City cancelled June 18 for weather and added a make-up night on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026, with free public parking at City Hall.
- [Christmas in Roswell, GA 2026: tree lighting, markets and shows](https://downtownroswellga.com/holiday-season/): Christmas in Roswell, Georgia centers on the City's tree lighting, Friday, Dec. 4, 2026, 6 to 8 PM at Heart of Roswell Park on Canton Street, with a 40-foot tree, Santa and s'mores. The Roswell Makers Market is Dec. 5, The Nutcracker plays the Cultural Arts Center Dec. 11 to 13, and the Christkindlmarket returns to Bulloch Hall's lawn, though its 2026 dates are not yet confirmed.
- [Roswell Farmers Market 2026: Saturdays behind City Hall](https://downtownroswellga.com/farmers-market/): The Roswell Farmers Market in Roswell, Georgia meets on Saturdays from 8 AM to noon behind Roswell City Hall, 38 Hill Street. The market's own site gives the 2026 season as April 18 to Oct. 31, so the last two market days are Oct. 24 and Oct. 31. After Oct. 31 the season is over, and no 2027 dates have been published yet.
- [Downtown Roswell restaurants: Canton Street and the Town Square](https://downtownroswellga.com/restaurants/): Most downtown Roswell, Georgia restaurants line Canton Street between Magnolia Street and Woodstock Road: Table & Main, Osteria Mattone, Little Alley Steak, Zest, Ipp's Pastaria, Madrid Spanish Taverna and more, plus Gate City Brewing at 43 Magnolia Street. A second cluster sits by the Town Square on Atlanta Street: Summit Coffee, Souper Jenny and Tipsy Thaiger. Posted hours below, checked Oct. 18, 2026.
- [Parking in downtown Roswell, GA: free deck, paid Canton Street](https://downtownroswellga.com/parking/): In downtown Roswell, Georgia, the City's 394-space deck at 1056 Alpharetta Street is free while Green Street is under construction, and the City Hall lot at 38 Hill Street is free. Canton Street from Magnolia to Norcross, Elizabeth Way, East Alley and the East Alley lot are paid through Dec. 31, 2026: two free hours if you start between 8 AM and 3 PM, then $3 an hour, $24 a day.
- [The Chattahoochee River in Roswell, GA: parks, Riverwalk and NPS units](https://downtownroswellga.com/chattahoochee-river/): Roswell, Georgia sits on the north bank of the Chattahoochee River, and Visit Roswell counts a nine-mile stretch in the city. The City runs the Roswell Riverwalk and Azalea Park on Azalea Drive. The National Park Service runs the Vickery Creek Unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, where a $5 day pass is required. Riverside Park is closed for renovation until summer 2027.
- [Chattahoochee River access in Roswell: kayak launches, rentals and fees](https://downtownroswellga.com/river-access/): To put a kayak on the Chattahoochee in Roswell, Georgia, use the City's launches at Azalea Park (203 Azalea Drive) or Don White Memorial Park (925 Riverside Road), both free with no published fee. Nantahala Outdoor Center rents from both. The National Park Service launch at Island Ford needs a $5 day pass. Riverside Park is closed for renovation until summer 2027.
- [Plan a day in downtown Roswell, GA](https://downtownroswellga.com/plan-your-visit/): Roswell, Georgia is in Fulton County on the Chattahoochee, about twenty miles north of Atlanta. Downtown runs from the Town Square north along Canton Street, with the mill ruins on Vickery Creek. The three house museums open Friday to Sunday, free. Park free in the deck at 1056 Alpharetta Street, stop at the visitor center at 1099 Alpharetta Street, and let the planner below order your stops.
- [Living in Roswell, Georgia](https://downtownroswellga.com/living-in-roswell/): Roswell, Georgia is a Fulton County city on the Chattahoochee, about twenty miles north of Atlanta. The 2020 Census counted 92,833 residents, up from 88,346 in 2010. Downtown life centers on Canton Street, the Historic District and the river parks. Roswell High School is part of Fulton County Schools, and attendance zones follow each address. Current Gold Peach Realty listings are below.
- [About this guide](https://downtownroswellga.com/about/): Downtown Roswell is an independent guide to downtown and historic Roswell, Georgia, published by Gold Peach Realty, a North Georgia real estate brokerage. We link every fact to its source, date every check, mark anything not yet confirmed and correct mistakes when readers tell us.
- [Contact](https://downtownroswellga.com/contact/): Use the form on this page to reach the people behind this guide at Gold Peach Realty: questions about buying or selling around Roswell, a correction to a page, or an event we should add. You can also call (770) 283-1223 or email info@goldpeachrealty.com.
- [Want your home featured here? List with Gold Peach Realty](https://downtownroswellga.com/feature-your-home/): Homes listed with Gold Peach Realty can appear in the featured-homes section of this guide and on our other North Georgia community sites, beside pages people read while deciding where to live. Listing with the brokerage is the only way in; we do not sell placements to other agents.

## Journal

- [Is the Roswell farmers market still on? The last 2026 Saturdays](https://downtownroswellga.com/roswell-farmers-market-last-saturdays-2026/)
- [Alive in Roswell 2026: the November 19 added date](https://downtownroswellga.com/alive-in-roswell-november-19-2026/)
- [Parking in downtown Roswell after the 2026 changes](https://downtownroswellga.com/downtown-roswell-parking-2026/)
- [The Roswell mill workers of 1864: what happened and where to see it](https://downtownroswellga.com/roswell-mill-workers-1864/)
- [Roswell's house museums are free: when each one is open](https://downtownroswellga.com/roswell-house-museums-free-hours/)
- [Roswell Christmas 2026: tree lighting, Christkindlmarket, Nutcracker](https://downtownroswellga.com/christmas-in-roswell-2026/)

## Tools

- Day planner: https://downtownroswellga.com/plan-your-visit/#planner (walking order of sourced downtown stops)
- River access matcher: https://downtownroswellga.com/river-access/ (Chattahoochee launches, trails, fees and hours as each operator publishes them)
- Date checker: https://downtownroswellga.com/events/#market-check (farmers market, Alive in Roswell and house-museum days computed from the published rules)
- Parking picker: https://downtownroswellga.com/parking/ (public lots and decks ranked by distance to your destination, with the City's 2026 rules)

## Facts we hold (each sourced on-page, checked 2026-10-18)

- Roswell is a city in Fulton County, Georgia, on the Chattahoochee River north of Atlanta. The New Georgia Encyclopedia puts it twenty miles north of Atlanta. This is Roswell, Georgia, not Roswell, New Mexico. (Source: New Georgia Encyclopedia: Roswell (last modified Sep 4, 2019), https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/roswell/)
- The 2020 Census counted 92,833 people in the city of Roswell, Georgia. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census Redistricting Data (P.L. 94-171), Table P1, Roswell city, Georgia, https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2020.P1?g=160XX00US1367284)
- In the mid-1830s Roswell King and his sons Barrington and Ralph built a textile mill complex that was incorporated in 1839 as the Roswell Manufacturing Company, in what was then Cobb County (New Georgia Encyclopedia). (Source: New Georgia Encyclopedia: Roswell (last modified Sep 4, 2019), https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/roswell/)
- Roswell King died in 1844, and the town of Roswell was incorporated in 1854, according to the New Georgia Encyclopedia. (Source: New Georgia Encyclopedia: Roswell (last modified Sep 4, 2019), https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/roswell/)
- The New Georgia Encyclopedia says Sherman approved destroying the mills and ordered more than 400 mill workers, mostly women, charged with treason and sent north. They and their children went by wagon to Marietta, then by train toward Louisville, Kentucky; many were sent on to Indiana. (Source: New Georgia Encyclopedia: Roswell (last modified Sep 4, 2019), https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/roswell/)
- The Roswell Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places as NRIS 74000682. The NPGallery record gives the date 5/2/1974 and the location as roughly bounded by Big Creek, King and Dam Streets, and southwest along New Marietta Highway. (Source: NPS NPGallery: Roswell Historic District, NRIS 74000682, https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/74000682)
- The City lists the same museum hours for all three houses: Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., closed Monday through Thursday. Grounds are open daily from sunrise to sunset. The same page also says the museums are closed Mondays through Wednesdays. (Source: City of Roswell: Historic House Museums, https://www.roswellgov.com/discover-us/historic-house-museums/)
- Visit Roswell says the Vickery Creek Covered Pedestrian Bridge in Old Mill Park links the historic district with the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. It says the bridge was built in 2005, spans 161 feet and is the newest covered bridge in Georgia. (Source: Visit Roswell (Roswell CVB): Historic Sites, https://www.visitroswellga.com/things-to-do/history-tours/historic-sites/)
- Under the City's downtown parking pilot, which runs through December 31, 2026, the first two hours of on-street parking are free from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting August 1, 2026; after that the rate is $3 an hour up to $24 a day. (Source: Roswell Connections (City of Roswell news): Roswell Offers Two No-Charge Hours for On-Street Parking (July 30, 2026), https://roswellconnections.com/roswell-offers-two-no-charge-hours-for-on-street-parking/)
- The City opened a 394-space downtown parking deck at 1056 Alpharetta Street (SR 9) on May 4, 2026, paid for with $20 million in bond funds. Entry is from Alpharetta Street via Kevin Cash Memorial Drive. (Source: Roswell Connections (City of Roswell news): City of Roswell Celebrates Opening of Downtown Parking Deck (May 6, 2026), https://roswellconnections.com/city-of-roswell-celebrates-opening-of-downtown-parking-deck/)
- The Roswell Farmers Market meets behind Roswell City Hall at 38 Hill Street on Saturdays. Its site gives the 2026 season as April 18 to October 31, 8 a.m. to noon. (Source: Roswell Farmers Market: home page, https://www.roswellfarmersmarket.com/)
- The City says Alive in Roswell is a free festival held every third Thursday evening, 5 to 9 p.m., April through October, on Historic Canton Street and the Roswell Antique and Interiors Lot. Canton Street closes to cars from Hwy 9 to Norcross Street at 5 p.m. (Source: Alive in Roswell (City of Roswell event page on Roswell365; AliveInRoswell.com redirects here), https://www.roswell365.com/AliveInRoswell)
- The National Park Service says an entrance pass is required in the Chattahoochee River NRA. The standard pass is $5 and valid for one day, and the annual pass is $40. (Source: National Park Service, Chattahoochee River NRA: Fees & Passes, https://www.nps.gov/chat/planyourvisit/fees.htm)

## Contact

Gold Peach Realty, (770) 283-1223, info@goldpeachrealty.com. Corrections: https://downtownroswellga.com/contact/