An adventure awaits you in Atlanta....
‘For family fun, romantic getaways, urban adventure, unique events and so much more, Atlanta is a city you'll love visiting again and again.’ – Discover Atlanta
There really is so much to do in the bustling city of Atlanta. It is a hub of entertainment of all kinds and will delight families, couples and travellers from all over the USA and the world.
From world-class restaurants to magnificent museums, from amazing nightlife to spectacular sports events and from the finest cultural activities to the best in shopping, Atlanta is the place to visit in the South. We can guarantee you will never have a quiet moment . . . unless, of course, you want one!
To help you to decide what to do in Atlanta, we’ve compiled a list of our pick of the top 20 attractions the city has to offer.
You will find an even more comprehensive guide at https://discoveratlanta.com/
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1. SkyView Atlanta
At a height of nearly 20 stories above Atlanta’s world-famous Centennial Park, the SkyView ferris wheel has 42 climate-controlled and private ‘gondolas’ providing guests with amazing views of downtown Atlanta and the surrounding metropolitan area. It is a must-see attraction for all visitors to Atlanta.
2. Georgia Aquarium
The Georgia Aquarium is now the biggest aquarium in the western hemisphere . . . and it keeps growing all the time too! You really have to go if you’re in the city! Check out its expansive new gallery, ‘Sharks! Predators of the Deep’, which takes you from fear to fascination as you explore the epic views and experience unique encounters with the aquarium’s fierce new residents. A brilliant, sometimes scary and always enlightening experience for all ages!
3. Zoo Atlanta (Grant Park)
The world-renowned Zoo Atlanta is all about conservation these days and it is a great place to learn about animals and how they live. It is an eye-opening experience for children and adults - and great to see the giant pandas, the elephants, the lions and so many more.
The zoo is also involved in field conservation programs for wildlife and wild places around the globe, including work in Africa, Asia, Central and South America and in Georgia.
4. Centennial Olympic Park
Centennial Olympic Park is the centerpiece of Atlanta’s Olympic legacy and dynamic downtown entertainment district. It is great to just wander around and soak up the buzz of the city.
Pretty much everyone who comes to Atlanta will end up here at some point. It also hosts concerts and fireworks displays. It is part of the Georgia World Congress Center which hosts a range of events all year round.
If you’re a fan of the outdoors, also check out the beautiful Atlanta Botanical Garden. Also worth visiting is the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Just a short drive from the city, it is perfect for a walk, rafting, fish or just enjoying a picnic.
5. College Football Hall of Fame
‘More than a game. More than a museum.’ Many people come to Atlanta just to visit the amazing College Football Hall of Fame – and it is worth it! Its mission is ‘to educate, inspire, entertain, and connect audiences while honoring the people, traditions and passion of the game’.
The museum immortalizes the greatest of the amateur gridiron. More than 5 million people have coached or played the game and fewer than 1,300 are inductees in the Hall. This makes the College Football Hall of Fame an extremely selective group of individuals.
6. World of Coca-Cola
Find out all about the world’s most popular drink at Atlanta’s ‘Coke Museum’. You can spend a whole day here, interacting with multiple exhibits, learning about the storied history of the iconic beverage brand and sampling beverages from around the world. A very tasty day out!
7. Peachtree Center
‘Experience excitement, convenience and inspiration like never before, only at Peachtree Center.’ It is called the ‘city within a city’ and with good reason! It has over 2 million square feet of office space in six buildings as well as more than 50 top-class restaurants and shops. And it is all linked by a unique series of skywalks that create an authentic, urban experience.
You can spend a lot of time savoring the sights and sounds here!
8. AmericasMart Atlanta
AmericasMart is the world’s largest collection of wholesale gift, décor and apparel showrooms and is visited by millions of people each year.
Throughout the year, it hosts 14 markets for the gift, decor and apparel industries, connecting thousands of buyers and sellers. The campus is also open year-round between markets with over 400 permanent showrooms across three buildings serving the retail, commercial and design communities. It is a staggering operation.
9. Underground Atlanta
‘New experiences coming to the oldest streets in Atlanta.’ Underground Atlanta is a really cool shopping and entertainment district in Five Points in downtown Atlanta. It has been undergoing some renovation work so check website above for the latest news. Also worth checking out is the Ponce City Market, which is a vibrant community hub housing the Central Food Hall and various shops.
10. Atlanta BeltLine
The Atlanta BeltLine has in a short time become one of the most popular tourist attractions for visitors to the city – but it is also hugely popular with Atlantans too! Itis a former railway corridor that runs around the core of the city. It is a great place to walk or hike through. You can also explore it by bike or bus on one of the various tours.
11. High Museum of Art
The city’s High Museum of Art has something for everything with a range of fascinating exhibitions on all year round. It has grown from its origins in a stately home on Atlanta’s Peachtree Street to become the leading art museum in the south-east of the USA.
With more than 18,000 works of art in its permanent collection, the High has an extensive anthology of nineteenth and twentieth century American and decorative art. It also has important European paintings, an extensive collection of African-American art and growing collections of modern and contemporary art, photography, folk and self-taught art.
12. Children’s Museum of Atlanta
If you get to bring the kids to the High Museum of Art, then they get to bring you the amazing Children’s Museum of Atlanta.
It’s only fair! It is a wondrous world of hands-on exploration and discovery that will spark the imagination and inspire learning. You might even enjoy it more than the kids!
13. Atlanta History Center
The Atlanta History Center is in the Buckhead district and comprises nine permanent exhibitions as well as temporary ones throughout the year. Its 33-acre campus also features historic gardens and houses, including Swan House, Smith Farm and Wood Family Cabin. Well worth a visit – if only for the stunning grounds!
14. Martin Luther King Jr National Historical Park
One of Atlanta’s top tourist destinations, the Martin Luther King Jr National Historical Park attracts huge numbers of national and international visitors each year.
You will learn his story, visit the home of his birth and where he played as a child. You can walk in his footsteps, and hear his voice in the church where he moved hearts and minds. You can pay tribute to and marvel at how Martin Luther King Jr was such a powerful instrument for social change.
15. National Center for Civil and Human Rights
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights ‘believes in justice and dignity for all – and the power of people to make this real’. The center aims to inspire visitors and other audiences with immersive exhibitions, dynamic events and conversations, and engagement and education/training programs. It is housed in a stunning building too.
16. Mercedes-Benz Stadium (‘The Benz’)
The Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is known locally as ‘The Benz’, is a multi-purpose stadium in Atlanta. It was opened in August 2017 as a replacement for the Georgia Dome and it serves as the home stadium of the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League and Atlanta United FC of Major League Soccer.
There’s always something happening there and if you can, get to a game! The atmosphere is unbeatable.
17. State Farm Arena
Situated in the heart of downtown Atlanta’s Centennial Park District, State Farm Arena (formerly the Philips Arena) is a multi-purpose indoor venue. It is surrounded by an array of world-class attractions, restaurants, parks and lounges, so is a great place to visit.
As well as concerts, the arena also serves as the home venue for NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. A must visit for basketball fans!
18. Center Parc Stadium
The Center Parc Credit Union Stadium (Turner Field) is a world-famous college football stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, home of the Georgia State University Panthers football team as of the 2017 season. It was originally built for the 1996 Summer Olympics as Centennial Olympic Stadium.
19. Capitol Building
For more 120 years the Georgia Capitol has inspired Georgia’s citizens. It was built to symbolize Georgia’s reemergence after the Civil War and it is still one of the most impressive buildings in the state. The Georgia Capitol Museum seeks to preserve and interpret the history of the Georgia Capitol building as well as the events that have taken place within its walls. Well worth a visit!
20. Georgia World Congress Center
Located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) features 1.5 million square feet of prime exhibition space and is the world’s largest LEED certified convention center.
Consisting of three interconnected buildings, the GWCC offers a variety of flexible and dynamic spaces and hosts hundreds of world-class events each year.
If you’re in Atlanta for business, there’s a good chance you’ll be in the Georgia World Congress Center.
For a full detailed guide to everything to do in Atlanta, click here.
