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Georgia is the largest US state east of the Mississippi River, and you may be expecting its capital Atlanta to be just another big, sprawling city.
Think again! This spacious, orderly and green metropolis is packed with charm and steeped in history. It’s fair to say that Atlanta has it all: from world-class restaurants, top-notch bars and sassy boutiques to a diverse variety of museums, cultural facilities, and sporting attractions. You’ll need at least a week to cover the best of it.
Here’s a checklist of our top ten things to in Atlanta on a first visit.
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1. Do a trolley tour of the city
For a quick all-round introduction to the lie of the land, join a 90-minute narrated city tour on The Peachtree Trolley. Operating twice daily from Tuesday to Sunday, the trolley departs from the Hilton Garden Inn in Downtown. Get a rundown on the major tourist hotspots around town, including the CNN Center, world-renowned Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park, Oakland Cemetery, Fox Theatre and much more. It’s a great way to choose the sites you want to return to later.
2. See Centennial Olympic Park
After the tour, stroll across the road to Centennial Olympic Park — 22 acres of green space right in the heart of the city, punctuated with public artworks, ponds, and fountains. Originally built for the 1996 Summer Olympics, the park was the centrepiece for the games’ festivities. See one of the four daily shows at the Fountain of Rings, where 251 water jets are choreographed to music. There’s an hour-long self-guided walking tour on offer that takes in all the highlights. It starts and finishes at the visitor centre.
3. Take your pick of tourist attractions
From here, you have an amazing array of attractions within easy reach. While some of them may sound like kitschy tourist traps, don’t be fooled. They’re all amazing. To avoid the often-lengthy ticket lines and make a saving on entry fees, it’s worth pre-purchasing an Atlanta CityPASS.
Sadly, the iconic CNN Center — CNN’s global headquarters (located right opposite the park) — no longer offers guided tours. However, for those that watch the news just to see the sport, head next door to the College Football Hall of Fame. It offers more than 50 interactive exhibits. Check out the three-story Helmet Wall, along with the Heisman and National Championship trophies.
Atlanta is also home to the global headquarters of Coca-Cola, and the World of Coca-Cola museum (complete with a giant bottle top out front) will fill in the blanks on the drink’s 128-year history. Learn how the secret formula came about and sample exotic-flavoured takes on the central product.
Just behind the World of Coca Cola is the epic Georgia Aquarium, which houses more than 100,000 marine animals. The whale shark tank is incredible, and you can pay extra to swim with its gentle inhabitants (you’ll need to book well in advance!).
After all that activity, the perfect way to catch your breath is a ride on the Sky View ferris wheel. Towering nearly 20 stories above Centennial Park, the climate-controlled gondolas provide breathtaking panoramic views of Downtown and the surrounding metropolitan area. If you’re feeling fancy, book a VIP gondola with Ferrari-style seats, a glass floor and an extended flight time.
4. Admire amazing art
Serious culture vultures should venture north of the city centre to the Richard Meier-designed High Museum of Art. The building is covered in white porcelain that mirrors its interior. The collection of 19th and 20th century American art includes pieces by Thomas Sully, Norman Rockwell, and Frederic Church. There’s also an impressive collection of classic Italian works from the 1300s to the 1900s.
5. Visit the home of author Margaret Mitchell
Nearby, and owned by the excellent Atlanta History Center, the Margaret Mitchell House is a homage to one of American literature’s most famous names. Here in the mid-1920s, Mitchell — who died tragically at the age of just 48 — penned her famous novel Gone with the Wind. Along with her husband John Marsh, she affectionately referred to the apartment as ‘the dump’. Surrounded by second-hand furniture in rooms she painted herself, the writer penned her tale of antebellum wealth and privilege built on the back of black slavery.
6. Learn about the Civil Rights movement
Atlanta played a key logistics role for Confederate forces in the Civil War, which was fought between Northern and Southern states over the institution of slavery. Later, it would see the emergence of the Civil Rights movement, which gained momentum in the 1950s and 60s. Visit the architecturally stunning National Center for Civil and Human Rights in the city centre to learn more. The museum has two temporary exhibition spaces and three permanent themed exhibits. There’s a poignant collection of revered civil rights campaigner Martin Luther King, Jr’s personal effects, including his briefcase and handwritten drafts of notable speeches.
To get more of a sense of who King was, climb aboard the Atlanta Streetcar at Centennial Park and travel a mile east to the Sweet Auburn neighbourhood. Here you can explore the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park, which encompasses several buildings. See the modest home where King was raised (free 30-minute tours begin at 10am, but get there early as they operate on a first-come-first-served basis) and the still practising Ebenezer Baptist Church — where he was co-pastor with his father from 1960 until his assassination in 1968).
7. Enjoy the fast food fun
Atlanta has more than its fair share of fancy restaurants, but cheap eats can be just as memorable. For the quintessential American diner experience, you can’t go past the original family-owned Varsity on North Avenue in Midtown. It has what’s billed as the world’s largest Drive-Thru, and the renowned cry: ‘What’ll ya have? What’ll ya have?’ has been ringing in the ears of diners for decades. Wash down your burger or hotdog with a Frosted Orange — a vanilla milkshake mixed with orange soft drink.
South of the city in Hapeville, seek out the original Chick-fil-A Dwarf House, founded in 1946. Along with the original chicken sandwich, waffle fries, and nuggets, the Dwarf House’s full-service dining room offers burgers, hot ham-and-cheese sandwiches, and a popular all-day breakfast. Their signature bite is the Hot Brown. It’s claimed to be the perfect hangover cure — a hearty mass of chicken, bacon and toast, suspended in a gravy boat of gooey cheese.
8. Shop fresh at Peachtree Road Farmers Market
For a taste of Atlanta community spirit (and some healthy picnicking!), make a point of checking out the Peachtree Road Farmers Market. It’s held in the heart of Buckhead (just to the north of the CBD) on Saturday mornings from early March to early December. Shop for certified organic produce, alongside handmade items like pottery and jewellery.
9. Park yourself in a park
Sprawling across 200-plus acres, Piedmont Park is Atlanta’s answer to New York’s Central Park. There are walking and jogging paths, picnic facilities, playgrounds, tennis courts, a public swimming pool, and another Saturday farmers’ market. Annual events held in the park include the Dogwood Festival (a celebration of art and creative spirit), the Jazz Festival, and Atlanta Pride.
Just a stone’s throw from the park is the fabulous Atlanta Botanical Garden. Yet again there’s a huge amount to see, including The Lou Glenn Children’s Garden, the Edible Garden, the Tropical Rotunda, and one of the few remaining mature hardwood forests in the region. If you’re bamboozled by the choice, use the handy itinerary planner on the garden’s website. The Fuqua Orchid Center houses a variety of rare high-elevation orchids and a colourful collection of poison dart frogs! If you’re around on a Saturday morning, catch the endangered frog feeding.
10. Tour Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Atlanta loves its sport and sports fans will love Atlanta. Pro teams include the Braves (baseball), the Falcons (American football), the Hawks (basketball), and more. Take a tour of the glittering Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Downtown, which is home to the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United. Featuring a giant stainless-steel falcon out the front, an in-house art gallery, and a soaring central dome that opens like a giant flower, this is arguably one of the most impressive stadiums on the planet.
For more travel inspiration, visit www.atlanta.net.
Browse our range of USA tours and experiences here.
Do you have any tips for top things to do in Atlanta on a first visit? We would love to hear from you. Join the conversation on our Facebook page.
Cover image: Explore Georgia. Additional images: Bigstock
About the writer
Nannette Holliday was obviously born to travel — Holliday is her real name. A former TV and radio presenter, Nannette’s globetrotting has earned her the nickname ‘International Woman of Mystery’ amongst friends, while also providing a rich library of experiences to draw on creatively. Many are woven into her first novel: The Sting of Fate, and Nannette is currently working on the sequel. When she’s not drafting chapters for herself, Nannette writes for a variety of magazines, and even ghostwrites books for other people. It all helps keep her in the manner she has become accustomed to — indulging in world travel, fine food and great wine!
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