Roswell is located about 20 miles northeast of Atlanta and is easily accessible to visitors via Route 400. More than 16 miles of walking trails that wind through Roswell offer visitors the opportunity to leisurely stroll through Roswell’s 876-acre historic district filled with a diversity of intriguing restaurants, antique stores and unique shopping boutiques.
Visitors to Roswell may take advantage of certain times of year when festivals sponsored by the City of Roswell provide free entertainment for the public. Roswell Roots is an annual celebration of African-American history and culture that is held during February. The Roswell Criterium Bicycle Race and the Historic Roswell Kiwanis Kids Bike Safety Rodeo occur during May. The Roswell Memorial Day Ceremony is the largest Memorial Day Ceremony in Georgia. The Roswell Magnolia Storytelling Festival occurs in June and the Riverside Sounds Concert Series spans from May through October. The Roswell Youth Day Parade and Festival and the Keep Roswell Beautiful Duck Race are both held in October.
Historic tours and cultural events in Roswell
Roswell contains many historic homes that offer fascinating tours for visitors. The Archibald Smith Plantation Home was built in 1845 and purchased by the City of Roswell in 1940. In addition to the historic home, the plantation grounds include a guest house, slave quarters, a separate kitchen facility, a carriage house, a barn and water well, plus over 14,000 antique artifacts. The Archibald Smith Plantation Home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006, and it is located at 935 Alpharetta Street, 770-641-3978. Another historic property in Roswell also listed on the National Register of Historic Places is Bulloch Hall. Bullock Hall was built in 1840, it was the home of Martha Bulloch, the mother of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, and its property includes 142 different trees that are listed on the Historic Tree Register. Bulloch Hall is located at 180 Bulloch Avenue, (770) 992-1731, and it is open for tours every day.
The Chattahoochee Nature Center’s 127-acre nature preserve draws thousands of visitors to Roswell each year. The Chattahoochee Nature Center at 9135 Willeo Road, (770) 992-2055, is a private non-profit environmental education facility that offers a wide variety of fun and educational programs for families and children. People of all ages may enjoy musical shows, dance performances and other cultural entertainment events at Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest Street. For a listing of current entertainment and events, call (770) 594-6232.
