Four downtown stops cover Dawsonville’s racing story: the Dawsonville Pool Room at 9 Bill Elliott Street, the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame at 415 Hwy 53 East, Grandaddy Mimm’s Distilling Co. in the same complex, and the historic courthouse at 31 Main St. All four are in downtown Dawsonville, Georgia, and they fit easily around a festival day or a quiet weekend.
We have not published a walking distance or time between them, because no source we trust gives one. The cards below are pinned to sourced addresses, so open them in your map app and judge the route for your own feet.
Food
Dawsonville Pool Room
Racing-memorabilia burger joint on the square, famous for its Elliott victory siren. It is a 2026 festival food-vendor sponsor.
- Open daily for lunch and dinner (own site)
- 9 Bill Elliott Street, Dawsonville, GA 30534
- (706) 265-2792
Source: Dawsonville Pool Room, checked Oct 17, 2026
Museum
Georgia Racing Hall of Fame
Georgia's racing museum and hall of fame, and one of the festival's two main sites. Parade race cars park behind it.
- Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 1-5pm; closed holidays; doors lock 4:30pm
- Adults (15-54) $15; Seniors (60+) & Military $10; Youth (7-14) $5; under 6 free; Dawson County residents free with ID during normal hours, but admission is charged to all during special events
- 415 Hwy 53 East, Dawsonville, GA 30534
- 706-216-7223
Source: Georgia Racing Hall of Fame, checked Oct 17, 2026
Landmark
Grandaddy Mimm's Distilling Co.
Small-batch moonshine distillery next to the Hall of Fame. Tommy Townsend plays a special show Sat Oct 24, 1-3pm.
- 415 Hwy 53 E, Suite 130, Dawsonville, GA 30534
- 706.781.1829
Source: Destination Dawsonville, checked Oct 17, 2026
Landmark
Historic Dawson County Courthouse (1858)
Restored 1858 courthouse on the square, listed on the National Register (per Destination Dawsonville).
- 31 Main St, Dawsonville, GA 30534
Source: Destination Dawsonville, checked Oct 17, 2026
The four stops at a glance
| Stop | Address | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Dawsonville Pool Room | 9 Bill Elliott Street | The victory siren, racing memorabilia, Bully Burgers |
| Georgia Racing Hall of Fame | 415 Hwy 53 East | Hemphill Service Station out front, Elliott Family Room inside |
| Grandaddy Mimm’s Distilling Co. | 415 Hwy 53 E, Suite 130 | Small-batch moonshine from a Depression-era family recipe |
| Historic Dawson County Courthouse | 31 Main St | The restored 1858 courthouse on the square |
Stop 1: the Dawsonville Pool Room
The Dawsonville Pool Room has operated on the town square since 1966. It is known for racing memorabilia and made-from-scratch Bully Burgers, and it lists itself as open daily for lunch and dinner. Phone (706) 265-2792.
The reason race fans come is the siren. When Bill Elliott won his first Cup race at Riverside in 1983, owner Gordon Pirkle found an old fire-station siren, plugged it in, took it outside and let it roar, as NASCAR.com told the story in 2014. The Pool Room says it now sounds the siren for every Chase Elliott NASCAR win. By its own account the siren is for victories, so do not expect it on demand.
Festival weekend, the Pool Room is also on the 2026 vendor list as a sponsor food vendor.
Stop 2: the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame
The museum, which also calls itself the Dawsonville History Museum, shares the City Hall municipal complex. As you walk up, the first thing you see is the Hemphill Service Station, which the museum links to Hall of Famer Raymond Parks of Dawsonville.
Inside, the museum lists:
- A replica of Red Byron’s 1948 car.
- Gober Sosebee’s Ford, which the museum describes as Daytona 500-winning.
- An Elliott Family Room.
- Bill Elliott’s first Cup-winning car, from Riverside in 1983.
- The engine from his 1985 Winston Million car.
- Chase Elliott exhibits, including his 2020 Cup championship trophy.
Its visit page gives regular hours of Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m., with doors locked at 4:30. Admission is $15 for adults 15 to 54, $10 for seniors 60 and up and military, $5 for youth 7 to 14, and free under 6. Visitors under 16 need an adult with them. Dawson County residents usually get in free with ID, but the museum charges everyone during special events, so do not count on a free pass on festival weekend.
Know the house rules before you go in: no food or drink in the galleries (sealed bottled water is fine), no flash, no selfie sticks or tripods, and no video recording. The museum is on one level with a step-free entrance facing Highway 53, and wheelchairs are available at guest services. On festival weekend the museum also lists its own Holiday Market and Silent Auction on October 23, 24 and 25 (Georgia Racing Hall of Fame); hours for it have not been published. Its 2026 inductees are Kevin Barrett, George Bryce, Rick Minter, Freddie Neely and Gerald Voyles. Our Hall of Fame guide has the rest.
Stop 3: Grandaddy Mimm’s Distilling Co.
Grandaddy Mimm’s is at 415 Hwy 53 E, Suite 130, in the same complex as the Hall of Fame. Per Destination Dawsonville, it makes small-batch moonshine and opened downtown in October 2024. It says it was founded by Tommy Townsend, great-grandson of mountain moonshiner Jack “Mimm” McClure, using a Great Depression-era recipe. Phone 706.781.1829.
On festival Saturday, October 24, Destination Dawsonville lists Tommy Townsend playing there from 1 to 3 p.m. Like every 2026 festival-weekend time, that is as published and subject to change; Kare for Kids posts the main schedule at kareforkids.org.
Stop 4: the historic courthouse
End on the square. The New Georgia Encyclopedia says the county’s earlier courthouse was built around 1858 and has since been restored, and the current courthouse opened in 1980. Destination Dawsonville says the historic building at 31 Main St is on the National Register of Historic Places and houses the Dawson County Historical and Genealogical Society. It is not a racing site, but it stands on the same square as the Pool Room. We have no published visiting hours for it. The newer courthouse is out at 25 Justice Way, and on festival weekend Kare for Kids sends car haulers to park there.
Before you set out
- On a Sunday, the museum’s regular hours start at 1 p.m., so start at the Pool Room.
- Get to the museum before 4:30, when the doors lock.
- Leave the video camera off inside the museum.
- On festival weekend, budget museum admission for everyone 7 and up.
- Remember City Hall is closed October 23 to 25, though the museum shares the building.
- Expect no vehicles in the festival area from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. that weekend, per the organizer’s vendor terms.
On festival weekend, the Hall of Fame sits in the middle of the grounds. The festival’s parade race cars park behind it, and a KARE booth is there too. For the people behind these stops, read Dawsonville’s moonshine runners and NASCAR. For the longer list, see things to do in Dawsonville, and for a meal or a bed after, where to stay and eat.
Questions people ask
Where is the Dawsonville Pool Room?
The Dawsonville Pool Room is at 9 Bill Elliott Street on the town square and has operated since 1966. Phone (706) 265-2792.
Source: Dawsonville Pool Room, checked Oct 17, 2026
Why does the Dawsonville Pool Room sound a siren?
The tradition began in 1983, when Bill Elliott won his first Cup race at Riverside and owner Gordon Pirkle plugged in an old fire-station siren and let it roar, NASCAR.com reported. The Pool Room says it now sounds the siren for every Chase Elliott NASCAR win.
Source: NASCAR, checked Oct 17, 2026
What are the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame's hours?
Regular hours are Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m., closed holidays, with doors locked at 4:30 p.m. The museum has not posted separate festival-weekend hours.
Source: Georgia Racing Hall of Fame, checked Oct 17, 2026
Is there a moonshine distillery in downtown Dawsonville?
Grandaddy Mimm's Distilling Co. is at 415 Hwy 53 E, Suite 130, in the same complex as the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame. Destination Dawsonville says it makes small-batch moonshine and opened downtown in October 2024.
Source: Destination Dawsonville, checked Oct 17, 2026
Written by the Dawsonville Moonshine Festival Guide Editorial Team. AI tools help us draft; people check every fact before it publishes.
