The 19 best things to do in Atlanta
Our top Atlanta attractions to check out
Atlanta’s rich history, trailblazing culture and now successful entrepreneurial story (think Fortune 500 companies, movies and TV shows, and a booming tourism industry), the South East’s hub of sorts is a great USA travel destination if you fancy something a little different.
Here are out favourite things to do in Atlanta, covering everything from historic sites to great places to take the kids.
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Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site
Celebrate the visionary Civil Rights leader's spirit with a trip down Auburn Avenue for a few well-spent hours. The refurbished rooms and original furniture from Dr. King's youth are on display at his birth house. It's no surprise that visitors to this site find the entire site incredibly touching because Dr. King inspired minds, hearts, and socio-political change.
At the Martin Luther King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, pay your respects at his neighbouring crypt. You can also see exhibitions dedicated not only to Dr. King, but also to his wife (a talented opera singer), Coretta Scott King, and fellow social reformer Mahatma Gandhi.
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Centennial Olympic Park
This green park in downtown Atlanta was developed in 1996 for the Summer Olympics. Many of the city's notable buildings, such as the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola, are nearby, and the lovely grounds are filled with attractions.
The Fountain of Rings is the park's centrepiece and primary draw, where kids may splash around and the whole family can enjoy its spouts wonderfully dancing in tune to The Beatles, Sinatra, and orchestral symphonies.
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Georgia Aquarium
The Western hemisphere's largest indoor aquarium also serves as a teaching hospital for over 100,000 water-loving patients. The huge whale sharks, Beluga whales, dolphins, and penguins are among the aquarium's main attractions. The aquarium, which is next to Centennial Park, has enough fresh and saltwater habitats to keep even the most attention-challenged visitor entertained for hours.
A free self-guided tour app that will lead you through the exhibitions is available for download.
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Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Fernbank is more than just a school-trip destination, with its beautiful atrium boasting a suspended life-size brontosaurus skeleton and chic after-hours events. In the crowd-pleasing exhibit "A Walk Through Time in Georgia," walk through swampland and foothill dioramas populated with ancient, Mesozoic, and modern-day flora and wildlife, or watch a larger-than-life instructive 3D IMAX film.
More USA
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Atlanta History Center
The Atlanta History Center is an interactive educational complex dedicated to sharing Atlanta and the Southeast's history.
The site consists of four historic structures, a research centre, and a museum with one of the world's biggest collections of American Civil War items. Its expansive grounds include walking pathways and attractive flowers.
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World of Coca-Cola
The World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta does far more than whet your appetite for a drink, including a collection of over 200 historical relics, a 4-D theatre experience, and interactive museum displays (though it does that, too).
Pay homage to the home of the world's most popular soft drink and see how a basic beverage became into a global hit and a must-see Atlanta destination.
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Center for Civil and Human Rights
The Center for Civil and Human Rights is intended to inspire action and change by celebrating the achievements of both the American Civil Rights Movement and the worldwide human rights movement. The museum's aim is enhanced via educational activities and community conversations. The striking, modern structure features immersive exhibitions that begin with the Jim Crow era and the fight for equality in the 1950s and connect together the fight for broader human rights around the world.
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Zoo Atlanta
Zoo Atlanta, one of the oldest zoos in the United States, has a diverse variety of animals from throughout the world, including four pandas from China. You can take a safari-style tour of its African Savannah. A colourful tiny train, a handcrafted copy of an original 1863 locomotive, can transport over a hundred children in a single ride.
African elephants, lions, and Sumatran tigers are among the animals who call the zoo home.
Read next: The best zoos in the world
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Fox Theatre
The Fox Theatre on West Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta is one of the city's favourite theatres, housing a rare and famous Moller organ known as the "Mighty Mo." It has a regular calendar that includes dance performances, symphony orchestras, comic acts, and several Broadway musicals. Even when the shows aren't running, it's a terrific place to learn about the city's history and how its stunning architecture was restored to its 1920s splendour.
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Atlanta BeltLine
An old railway corridor encircling Atlanta's heart has been transformed into a colourful, multi-use route adorned with art, native flora, and attractions. It will eventually connect 45 areas within the city when completed around 2030. Walk between places like Ponce City Market and Piedmont Park, or attend activities like fitness classes, art shows, and more along the BeltLine. The loop is totally accessible, despite the fact that not all sections have been paved.
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College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame, commonly known as the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame, is located in Atlanta and recognises the finest players in college football history. Their lives and accomplishments are honoured in this one-of-a-kind experience. Exploring the galleries in the Hall of Fame allows visitors to learn about exceptional players and the records they set.
Each Hall of Fame player is permanently represented by etched-glass depictions. There are also ten augmented reality displays where visitors may see photographs and video of their favourite school's players and coaches.
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CNN Center Atlanta
New network CNN's headquarters are located in Atlanta at the Atlanta CNN Center. Inside, visitors may witness the 24-hour news cycle in action by getting a behind-the-scenes look at newsrooms, control rooms, production studios, and sets, in addition to interactive exhibits that document the network's history.
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Senoia
Senoia is a small suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, with a population of about 3,300 people that was founded in the mid-nineteenth century. This sleepy hamlet has recently garnered popularity as a result of its involvement in the television and film industries.
Senoia's downtown area has a substantial amount of historical buildings, which creates an interesting environment for filming. Several films have been filmed there throughout the years, including Fried Green Tomatoes, Sweet Home Alabama, and Drop Dead Diva.
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Piedmont Park
Piedmont Park is Atlanta's version of Central Park. Isolated from the bustling concrete metropolis of the city, it's an oasis in the middle of an expanse of greenery.
The Dogwood Festival, a springtime celebration of flowers and fine art, the Atlanta Jazz Festival on Memorial Day weekend, outdoor performances by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in the summer, and farmers' markets are just some of the cultural events that take place in this natural paradise throughout the year.
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Starlight Drive-In Movie Theater
Despite its age, locals continue to flock to this Art Deco drive-in, which first opened its doors in 1949. You can catch double features and Tex-Mex food at this old-school drive-in theatre, so get your wheels and head on over! (also providing sodas, sweets, and popcorn).
Come to Starlight on Saturdays between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. to participate in a swap meet packed with Americana goods, vintage apparel, records, and some good old-fashioned people-watching. The entry fee is 50 cents.
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The Goat Farm Arts Center
An expansive arts space built on a former goat farm, you’ll find that people from all walks of life converge here for coffee and a diverse calendar of activities in the exposed-brick breezeways of this high-brow art gallery. Look out for painters, singers, dancers, authors holding seminars and experimental art shows.
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Ponce City Market
Since it was established in 1926, the Sears & Roebuck building in downtown Atlanta has been turned into one of the city's most fascinating mixed-use structures.
Big-name businesses, modest local boutiques, and a bevvy of buzzy restaurants may all be found here (featuring several James Beard award-winning chefs). A visit to the RoleCall Theater, the farmers market or Trivia Night (or the gym) are just few of the activities available in the area.
Get a weekend guided tour of Ponce City Market to access the best food joints.
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The Wren’s Nest
Storytellers bring African-American culture to life in the historic home of Uncle Remus author Joel Chandler Harris.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter, who spent four years working on a plantation as a youngster, popularised classic tales of Brer Rabbit, Mr. Fox, and others through the persona.
See the author's bedroom, which has been virtually unchanged since the early twentieth century, in the well-preserved Victorian Harris family home.
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Atlanta Botanical Garden
Packed with amazing plants, trees, flowers and wildlife from around the world, you can get lost exploring gorgeously manicured gardens and pretty greenhouses at Atlanta’s Botanical Garden. Look out for the huge woolly mammoth, made entirely of foliage!
See the gardens on a nature tour of Atlanta
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