20 Things to Do in Atlanta

Six Flags Over Georgia, the SkyView Ferris wheel, Georgia Aquarium and Centennial Olympic Park are just a few reasons why you should visit the ATL.

By: Kwin Mosby

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Centennial Olympic Park

Visit Centennial Olympic Park, which was built for the 1996 Summer Olympics. The 21-acre park hosts fun events such as Music at Noon, where local bands perform midday; Wednesday WindDown, featuring jazz during rush hour; and Fourth Saturday Family Fun Day, a free event with performers and children’s activities. Don’t miss the dancing water show harmonized with pop music, lights and sound effects at the Fountain of Rings.

Georgia Aquarium

Dive inside the Georgia Aquarium and discover more than 10 million gallons of water, where tens of thousands of animals — including 500 species from around the world — call home. Get up-close and personal with whale sharks, beluga whales, penguins, dolphins, sea otters and other marine life.

College Football Hall of Fame

Head to Marietta Street in the heart of downtown Atlanta to explore the College Football Hall of Fame. The new 94,256-square-foot facility features the history of college football, a 45-yard indoor football field, the Game Day Theater, football artifacts and interactive multimedia exhibits.

Atlantic Station

Walk the brick-paved streets around Atlantic Station to shop at more than 50 stores and boutiques, eat at hip restaurants or sit at a sidewalk café. This multipurpose area features a central park and hosts festivals, concerts and Cirque de Soleil.

The Wren's Nest

Visit the Wren’s Nest on Saturdays and see the famous Uncle Remus stories come to life through storytelling at author Joel Chandler Harris’ historic home. Take a guided tour and stand on the front porch where Harris gave life to the Brer Rabbit tales.

Atlanta Braves Game

If you're planning a trip to Atlanta in the spring or summer, watch the Atlanta Braves play ball. The team called Turner Field home for nearly 20 years, but as of 2017, the SunTrust Park stadium in Cobb County is their home base.

Zoo Atlanta

See more than 1,500 animals at Zoo Atlanta, home to the largest collections of gorillas and orangutans in the US. This zoo is also one of only 4 in the country to house pandas.

Legoland Discovery Center

Enjoy family fun at Legoland Discovery Center Atlanta, at Phipps Plaza. Kids ages 3-10 will have fun with interactive, hands-on attractions, the 4-D cinema and classes with LEGO Master Model Builders. Check out Atlanta’s famous landmarks in Legos at the Miniland exhibit.

Atlanta Botanical Garden

Explore more than 30 acres of beauty at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, located next to Piedmont Park in Midtown. Take the Canopy Walk, discover seasonal food in the Edible Garden, take the kids swimming in the Sunflower Fountain, and find out more about honeybees in the observation hive. Stop by the garden during the holidays to see a million lights illuminate one of the city’s popular attractions.

Six Flags Over Georgia

Take a 200-foot free fall on the Acrophobia at Six Flags Over Georgia. Batman: The Ride, Dahlonega Mine Train, Carrot Patch and Convoy Grande are just a few rides featured at the largest regional theme park in the Southeast. It has 11 roller coasters, 3 children’s areas and water rides, including those in Hurricane Harbor, an area full of wave pools and slippery slides.

Stone Mountain Park

Welcome to Georgia’s most-visited attraction, Stone Mountain Park. This 3,200-acre park features live shows, shopping, dining and attractions such as the SkyHike, a scenic railroad, the Summit Skyride and Geyser Towers. Look up and gaze at the faces of Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and Jefferson Davis carved into the mountain. Stick around at night to see the Lasershow Spectacular, where lights are choreographed with toe-tapping tunes and amazing pyrotechnics.

SkyView

Step into one of 42 climate-controlled gondolas on this 200-foot-tall Ferris wheel, which towers high above Centennial Olympic Park. We recommend SkyView for breathtaking panoramic views of downtown Atlanta, and don’t miss seeing this grand ride light up the sky at night.

Atlanta Movie Tours

Hollywood comes to Atlanta, and visitors to this Southern city can take a tour to see local spots captured on TV shows and in movies including The Walking Dead, Driving Miss Daisy, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, We Are Marshall, Remember the Titans and Anchorman 2. Atlanta Movie Tours also offers Zombie Tours and Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind Tour. And frankly, my dear, you will give a damn.

Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site

Take a journey through the struggles of the South, as well as the life and legacy of civil rights pioneer Martin Luther King Jr. The 35-acre historical site features King’s original gravesite and current tomb, the King Center and an International Civil Rights Walk of Fame that displays authentic shoe prints of civil rights leaders. We recommend taking a tour of King’s childhood home, Ebenezer Baptist Church and historic Fire Station No. 6 — one of the South’s first desegregated firehouses.

World of Coca-Cola

Explore the history of the pop empire since John S. Pemberton invented the sugary concoction that is now a pop-culture icon. Visit the World of Coca-Cola to see advertisements through the years, pose for a photo with the Coca-Cola polar bear, sample more than 60 Coke products from around the world, and try your hand at mixing your own drink recipe. Visitors also get a closer look behind the fizzy beverage’s secret formula in a new interactive experience, Vault of the Secret Formula.

High Museum of Art

Art aficionados can’t leave Atlanta without a trip to the High Museum of Art, which houses American art, European art, African art, folk art, photography and more. The museum hosts visiting exhibitions throughout the year in addition to its main collection, which features Monet, O'Keeffe and other renowned artists. Sip on a glass of wine while listening to live jazz music on Friday nights or visit on a Thursday for family and youth programs.

Peachtree Trolley

Take a 90-minute tour on the Peachtree Trolley, which originates near Centennial Olympic Park. CNN Center, the Fox Theatre, Oakland Cemetery, the Georgia Aquarium and the state Capitol are a few city attractions that trolley riders will see during the tour.

Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum

The library and museum dedicated to Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the US, allows visitors the opportunity to peek inside an exact replica of the Oval Office and see what it was like to be the president on an interactive, virtual trip around the world.

Sun Dial Restaurant, Bar and View

Spectacular views, classic American cuisine and live jazz create the perfect ambience at the Sun Dial. Located 723 feet above the city, it is Atlanta’s only tri-level dining complex, featuring a revolving upscale restaurant, a rotating cocktail lounge and an observatory that offers patrons 360-degree panoramic views of the city’s skyline.

Margaret Mitchell House

Take a guided tour of Apartment 1, where the famous author wrote her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Gone With the Wind. The 3-story Tudor Revival house, built in 1899, is on the US National Registry of Historic Places. We recommend checking out the “Making of a Film Legend: Gone With the Wind” exhibition to get the scoop on how the best-selling novel was transformed into a film classic.

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Atlanta

20 Things to Do in Atlanta

Shop This Look

Centennial Olympic Park

Georgia Aquarium

College Football Hall of Fame

Atlantic Station

The Wren's Nest

Atlanta Braves Game

Zoo Atlanta

Legoland Discovery Center

Atlanta Botanical Garden

Six Flags Over Georgia

Stone Mountain Park

SkyView

Atlanta Movie Tours

Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site

World of Coca-Cola

High Museum of Art

Peachtree Trolley

Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum

Sun Dial Restaurant, Bar and View

Margaret Mitchell House