Downtown Lawrenceville, The DTL: the 1885 courthouse, the Lawn and HYRO Park, the arts center, free parking, open container rules and events.

Last checked Oct. 6, 2026. Facts come from the City of Lawrenceville, its Downtown Lawrenceville site and Gwinnett County, linked. Hours change; check before you go.

Downtown Lawrenceville, which the city brands The DTL, centers on the courthouse square. The city programs four areas for events: the Lawrenceville Lawn, the Downtown Square, the Depot District and Bicentennial Plaza, according to its events page. Explore Gwinnett calls Lawrenceville the county seat and the oldest city in Gwinnett (Explore Gwinnett).

Who to call

  • City of Lawrenceville: 770-963-2414
  • City events: 678-407-6670
  • Gwinnett Historic Courthouse: 770-822-5450
  • Aurora Theatre and arts center box office: 678-226-6222

The square and its landmarks

  • Gwinnett Historic Courthouse, 185 W. Crogan St.: the 1885 courthouse with a four-story clock tower over the square, on the National Register of Historic Places. It is open for self-guided tours 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, and houses the Gwinnett Historical Society and the Gwinnett Veterans Memorial Museum (county page).
  • Lawrenceville Female Seminary, 455 S. Perry St.: built in the 1830s as a school for young women and rebuilt in 1855, now home to the Gwinnett History Museum, open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday (county page).
  • Lawrenceville Arts Center, 125 N. Clayton St.: owned and run by the city, with Aurora Theatre as its resident theater company, two buildings and free parking next door (arts center). Aurora’s box office address is 128 E. Pike St.
  • The Lawrence Hotel, 120 E. Crogan St.: the downtown hotel, with Bellfire restaurant and the courtyard bar Old Nick’s (hotel).
  • Heritage Trail: a medallion walk from the Fallen Heroes Memorial through downtown to Rhodes Jordan Park (city page).

The Lawrenceville Lawn and HYRO Park

The Lawn is a city park with a playground and volleyball courts. A $1.8 million renovation in 2020 added a permanent 40-by-60-foot amphitheater, shade arbors for tables, restrooms and parking. It is open dawn to dusk and hosts the city’s concerts, movie nights and fireworks (city page). In a quiet corner at Jackson and Luckie streets is HYRO Park, the city’s dog park, with large and small dog areas (HYRO Park). More in our dog-friendly guide.

Eating and shopping

The city keeps a downtown dining directory and a shopping directory. On Crogan, Perry, Pike and Clayton streets you will find Mexican, Cuban, Italian, barbecue, seafood and burger restaurants, a steakhouse, coffee and tea shops, Slow Pour Brewing and the Truck & Tap beer hall, plus used books, comics, candy, gifts and jewelry. See our guides to brunch, date night, live music and nightlife and holiday shopping.

Open container rules

The city allows drinks to go inside its marked Downtown District, under the rules on its open container page:

  • Drinks must be in clear plastic cups of 16 ounces or less.
  • They must be bought from a licensed business in the Downtown District.
  • Open containers are allowed only on sidewalks and walkable areas inside the district, which the city’s map shows running roughly from Reid Street south to Nash Street, between Culver Street and Buford Drive and out along Jackson Street.

Parking

Parking downtown is free. The city’s EZ-2 Park program counts more than 1,200 public spaces (parking page):

Lot Address
Purple Deck 147 E. Crogan St.
Blue Deck 225 Luckie St.
Green Lot (Lawn) 210 Luckie St.
Gold Lot (City Hall) 70 S. Clayton St.
Navy Lot 69 S. Clayton St.
Orange Lot 112 W. Pike St.
Gray Lot 245 N. Perry St.
Red Lot 400 N. Clayton St.
Silver Lot 252 S. Clayton St.

Some lots close for big events; the city posts closures on each event page.

The downtown year

From the city’s 2026 events pages, all free:

When (2026) Event
March WellFest, a teen-led wellness night on the Lawn
April 11 The Lawrenceville Boogie: music, art and a classic car show
Thursdays, April 30 to July 23 Beats on the Streets DJ nights, Crogan Street Plaza
May to September LIVE in the DTL concerts on the Lawn
May to August Lawrenceville Movie Club screenings
July 1 Prelude to the Fourth fireworks
Sept. 18-19 CULTURA
Sept. 25-26 Around the World in the DTL
Oct. 16 Not Your Mother’s Art Fest
Oct. 23 BOO Fest
Nov. 7 Red Clay Ramble, Slow Pour Brewing and the Depot District
Nov. 26 Lighting of the Tree, Gwinnett Historic Courthouse

Gwinnett County also holds Music on the Square and Night Market on the Square evenings at the courthouse (fall 2026 guide).

Frequently asked questions

Can you walk around downtown Lawrenceville with a drink? Yes, inside the city’s marked Downtown District. Drinks must be bought from a licensed downtown business and carried in a clear plastic cup of 16 ounces or less, on sidewalks and walkable areas only.

Is parking free in downtown Lawrenceville? Yes. The city’s EZ-2 Park program has more than 1,200 free public spaces in color-coded decks and lots, such as the Purple Deck at 147 E. Crogan St. and the Blue Deck at 225 Luckie St.

What is the Lawrenceville Lawn? A city park downtown with a 40-by-60-foot amphitheater, a playground, volleyball courts and HYRO Park, the city’s dog park. It hosts concerts, movies, BOO Fest and the Prelude to the Fourth fireworks.

When is the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse open? 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, for self-guided tours.

What this means for you

  • Park once in a deck and walk; the square, the Lawn and the arts center are all inside the Downtown District.
  • Keep to-go drinks in the clear cups, inside the district.
  • Follow the city’s events pages; most downtown events are free.

Related: Halloween events, Thanksgiving, kids’ activities and walking and biking trails.