Home › Road trips › Georgia Foothills: Gainesville to Athens
★ Featured road trip · Georgia
Georgia Foothills: Gainesville to Athens
A loop north and east of Atlanta through Gainesville (Moe's Record Shop) to Bavarian-style Helen, then south to Athens for Wuxtry, Low Yo Yo Stuff and The Record Booth.
Route: Atlanta → Gainesville → Helen → Athens · 10 record stores across 4 stops
Stop by stop
Stop 1: The Record Loft Crawl: East Atlanta to Little Five Points
The Record Loft
Husband-and-wife run shop with plenty of LPs and 45s, some stereo gear, and a coffee shop next door.
Tip: Open every day into the evening, so it works well as a late-afternoon stop.
720 Moreland Ave SE Ste A, Atlanta, GA 30316, USA
Hours
Monday 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM Tuesday 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM Wednesday 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM Thursday 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM Friday 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM Saturday 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM Sunday 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM Black Habit Records
Compact East Atlanta Village shop selling vinyl alongside cassettes, VHS and retro games, and known for being dog friendly.
Tip: Hours are afternoon-to-evening, so plan an after-lunch visit; the shop is small and easy to pair with the Record Loft.
532 Flat Shoals Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30316, USA
Hours
Monday 2:00 PM - 10:00 PM Tuesday 2:00 PM - 10:00 PM Wednesday 2:00 PM - 10:00 PM Thursday 2:00 PM - 10:00 PM Friday 2:00 PM - 10:00 PM Saturday 2:00 PM - 10:00 PM Sunday 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM Moods Music
Little Five Points shop mixing vinyl with books, incense, art and apparel, with a leaning toward soul, R&B and hip-hop.
Tip: Sits a few doors from Criminal Records on Euclid Ave, so the two are easy to hit together.
1131 Euclid Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307, USA
Hours
Monday Closed Tuesday 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM Wednesday 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM Thursday 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM Friday 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM Saturday 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM Sunday 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM Criminal Records
Atlanta's best-known indie shop, with in-store performances and a strong new-release wall.
Tip: Watch for Record Store Day events — it's one of the busiest, most organized RSD stops in the city.
1154 Euclid Ave NE A, Atlanta, GA 30307, USA
Hours
Monday 12:00 - 6:00 PM Tuesday 12:00 - 6:00 PM Wednesday 12:00 - 6:00 PM Thursday 12:00 - 6:00 PM Friday 12:00 - 7:00 PM Saturday 12:00 - 7:00 PM Sunday 12:00 - 7:00 PM Wax 'N' Facts
Little Five Points mainstay since 1976, with an outstanding selection of used vinyl and 45s starting at 25 cents.
Tip: Leave yourself real time — the organization isn't always obvious at first glance, but the staff knowledge behind the counter makes up for it.
432 Moreland Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307, USA
Hours
Monday 1:00 - 6:00 PM Tuesday 1:00 - 6:00 PM Wednesday 1:00 - 6:00 PM Thursday 1:00 - 6:00 PM Friday 1:00 - 6:00 PM Saturday 1:00 - 6:00 PM Sunday 1:00 - 6:00 PM
Stop 2: Gainesville
Moe's Record Shop
Owner Moe Lyons' used and new vinyl shop, which moved from Flowery Branch to a downtown Gainesville spot on Bradford Street. Spotless and well organized, with turntables on display and occasional live in-store sets.
Tip: Closed Mondays. They'll order anything not in stock, so ask. Pair it with a walk around the downtown square.
119 Bradford St NE, Gainesville, GA 30501, USA
Hours
Monday Closed Tuesday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Wednesday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Thursday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Friday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Saturday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Sunday 12:00 - 6:00 PM
Stop 3: Helen
Southern Fried Vinyl Records / Media Mania of Helen
A record shop in the Bavarian-style tourist town of Helen that also carries comics, CDs and movies. Vinyl ranges across many genres, including imports, and prices lean toward tourist-town levels.
Tip: Closed Tuesday and Wednesday, so plan around that. It sits on the main strip, easy to combine with a stroll through town.
8160 S Main St, Helen, GA 30545, USA
Hours
Monday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Tuesday Closed Wednesday Closed Thursday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Friday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Saturday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Sunday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Stop 4: Athens: Wuxtry, Low Yo Yo Stuff and the Record Booth
Wuxtry Records (Athens)
Athens flagship open since 1976, where R.E.M.'s Peter Buck and Michael Stipe met. New and used vinyl, CDs and cassettes, with the discount-vinyl Sidecar in the original corner space.
Tip: Look for the bronze guitar-pick sidewalk plaques nearby honoring Athens' music history.
197 E Clayton St, Athens, GA 30601, USA
Hours
Monday 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM Tuesday 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM Wednesday 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM Thursday 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM Friday 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM Saturday 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM Sunday 12:00 - 6:00 PM Low Yo Yo Stuff Records
Widely regarded as one of the best record stores in Georgia, with sharp curation and fair trade-in values.
Tip: Ask for recommendations — regulars say the staff picks are consistently excellent.
261 W Washington St, Athens, GA 30601, USA
Hours
Monday 12:00 - 7:00 PM Tuesday 12:00 - 7:00 PM Wednesday 12:00 - 7:00 PM Thursday 12:00 - 7:00 PM Friday 12:00 - 9:00 PM Saturday 1:00 - 6:00 PM Sunday 12:00 - 6:00 PM The Record Booth
A vinyl booth inside Lexington Antiques with vintage records at low prices, a discount bin, and vintage stereo receivers and turntables. New stock arrives weekly.
Tip: It is a booth inside an antique store, so browse the antiques too. Closed Mondays.
1743 Lexington Rd, Athens, GA 30605, USA
Hours
Monday Closed Tuesday 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Wednesday 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Thursday 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Friday 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Saturday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Sunday 1:00 - 5:00 PM
Hours and details come from public listings and may have changed. Small shops often keep short or irregular hours, so check or call before a long trip. See something wrong? Use Still open? in the app and we will look into it.