One of the best hobby and model shops anywhere in the southeast can be found in the beautiful North GA Mountains. Free Time Hobbies has become a fixture in the popular town of Blue Ridge, and is a hobbyist’s paradise that offers a huge selection of indoor craft kits, model kits, and more. Free Time Hobbies’ collection of model planes, rockets, kites, metal detecting supplies, telescopes and Pinewood derby kits is extensive, so plan on spending some time exploring the shop when you’re in town!
Roadside attractions are part of the fun of traveling for most folks. This corner of Georgia (the gateway to the Blue Ridge Mountains, start of the Appalachian Trail) now has one of the most historic and well-traveled attractions in the U.S.
It’s hard to miss Free Time Hobbies, as outside is one of Blue Ridge’s newest and most unique attractions. Mr. Muffler, a larger than life mascot, stands outside the store and welcomes in the droves of hobby enthusiasts that come to Blue Ridge to shop at Free Time Hobbies.
Mr. Muffler spent much of his “advertising career” in Chicago, where he stood since the 1960s outside of a muffler repair shop. Over the years suffered some damage from the harsh Chicago winters, including the loss of his head and torso during a bad storm in 2010. In early 2015, Mr. Muffler's future was guaranteed when Free Time Hobbies purchased him and sent him on a road trip to Georgia to become a historic roadside attraction in Blue Ridge. Instead of clutching a muffler, he now proudly holds a model airplane. It’s safe to say that Mr. Muffler has found a new place to call home, where he won’t have to worry about a harsh northern weather.
Make sure to head on over to Free Time Hobbies to check out Mr. Muffler. While you’re there, you may want to pick up an RC car or model airplane to build during your stay at a Blue Ridge cabin rental, or buy an RC boat to play with on Lake Blue Ridge. Either way, fun for the whole family can be found at Free Time Hobbies.