This part of the Guide focuses on the downtown and midtown sections of the city of Atlanta. Here you will find the heartbeat of a modern international city – the “city too busy to hate”. Atlanta has such energy!
As a tourist, your problem will be deciding what to see and do and where to eat. The Atlanta Tourist Guide can help you plan your visit so that your experience is complete and enjoyable.
In downtown Atlanta, you should visit Centennial Park, which was built as a lasting symbol for the 1996 Olympic Games that Atlanta hosted.
The park has a large water fountain in which children can play and hosts a number of events and concerts. Near the park, you will discover several other neat attractions. The Georgia Aquarium, the world’s largest aquarium, is unlike anything you might have seen before.
There are over 100,000 animals representing 500 species from all over the world and they swim and play in eight million gallons of fresh and marine water. Next door is the new World of Coca Cola, hosted by the most known company in the world and whose headquarters overlook the park.
You can also tour the CNN Center, which is on the opposite side of Centennial Park. Another great attraction is Underground Atlanta, which has a number of shops, nightclubs, and restaurants.
Since there is so much to do, be sure to use our “Flag This” feature in the Atlanta Tourist Guide to add items of interest to your “My Travel Ideas” folder, so that you will not have to remember them and can quickly retrieve them.
Atlanta has great professional sports teams and you can see them play in some of the most attractive parks and arenas in the country. There is something for every season – Braves baseball, Falcons football, Hawks basketball, Thrashers hockey, and Georgia Force arena football. For the true baseball fan, a visit to the Ivan Allen Jr. Braves Museum & Hall of Fame, located at Turner Field, will be a great experience. Of course, Atlanta also hosts the premier 10-K event in the world each Fourth of July, the Peach Bowl around New Years, and The Tour Championship at East Lake, the season finale for the PGA Tour.
If you prefer cultural activities and the arts, Atlanta has some incredible offerings.
The Woodruff Arts Center in Midtown is a campus center and cultural hub for the fine arts and includes: the High Museum of Art, the Atlanta College of Art, the Alliance Theatre, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Young Audiences of Atlanta and the 14th Street Playhouse.
The High Museum of Art, through a unique partnership with the Musée du Louvre in Paris, has recently brought hundreds of works of art from the Louvre’s collection to the High.
Just down Peachtree Street, the incredible, grand old Fox Theatre hosts a variety of concerts and Broadway shows. Be sure to explore the “Cultural” option on the Atlanta Tourist Guide to discover all of the great cultural sites, exhibits, and activities.
For those that enjoy trendy shopping and dining, be sure to visit the quaint little neighborhood of Virginia Highlands. Nearby you will find the famous Atlanta Botanical Garden in Piedmont Park.
Atlanta was the scene for Margaret Mitchell’s famous book Gone with the Wind. In downtown Atlanta, you can tour the Margaret Mitchell House and Museum. Then you can go to Grant Park and visit the Atlanta Cyclorama, which houses the world’s largest painting, a masterful work of are depicting the Battle of Atlanta.
You will sit in the middle of the large, round room surrounded by the enormous painting. The theater then rotates as guests are treated to music, sound effects, and narration. A truly great experience! A Civil War Museum and the famous locomotive, “Texas”, can also be toured.
Visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site and understand one of the great men in our country’s history. Another educational opportunity awaits you at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library.
Getting around Atlanta is easy with MARTA. The rail line cuts through the heart of Atlanta and will stop at many convenient locations.
However, you should also check out the Atlanta Tourist Loop, the MARTA bus route that loops around to most all the major attractions and shopping areas. And for a real bargain check out the Atlanta City Pass, which offers a substantial discounted pass for six major Atlanta attractions.
