Outlets and Antiques Near Helen

Helen's own shops are about gifts and souvenirs. If you want brand-name outlet prices or a room full of antique dealers, these are the stops to build a half-day around. Drive times are from downtown Helen with no traffic, so add time on fall weekends.

The closest big outlet center is North Georgia Premium Outlets at 800 Highway 400 South in Dawsonville, an open-air center of roughly 540,000 square feet run by Simon. Its own site features brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Adidas, Michael Kors, Coach Outlet and Nike. It's about 50 minutes from Helen, so it pairs with a trip to Amicalola Falls on the same side of the mountains.

Hours differ by day, and the table below lays them out. Sales events change often (a Friends and Family weekend ran in early October), so check the center's site before you go.

Tanger Outlets at 800 Steven B. Tanger Boulevard in Commerce, near I-85, is the other option, but it's a longer haul: about an hour from Helen. Check the center's page for current store lists and hours, since they vary by day and season.

Nacoochee Village Antique Mall is the easy one: it fills the 1876 Martin House at 7091 S Main St, about 7,000 square feet with more than 50 vendors, and the CVB lists it as open seven days a week year-round. It's south of Helen in the Nacoochee Valley and walks well with a stop at Habersham Winery.

Mountain Laurel Antique Mall & Furniture Consignment Warehouse is the big yellow building at 233 Friendship Church Rd in Cleveland, about 20 minutes from Helen. Note that it's closed on Wednesdays and opens only from 1 PM to 5 PM on Sundays.