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Make your vacation complete with a visit to Atlanta attractionsPart of the charm of Atlanta is its Southern heritage combined with modern amenities. Atlanta attractions offer a myriad of things to see and do, whether you're looking to fill an hour or a day. With choices as varied as museums, theaters, and historical sites, you'll never have a dull moment during your visit to Atlanta. So let us show you some of our favorite places to play. CNN Studio Tour Georgia State Capitol The World of Coca-Cola Underground Atlanta Zoo Atlanta Historical Atlanta History
Center Martin Luther King
Jr. National Historical Site Fox Theatre Oakland Cemetery The Wren's
Nest Museums APEX (African American
Panoramic Experience) Museum Atlanta Cyclorama
& Civil War Museum Center for Puppetry
Arts Fernbank Museum
of Natural History Fernbank Science
Center High Museum of Art Margaret Mitchell
House and Museum Michael C. Carlos
Museum of Emory University SciTrek (Science
and Technology Museum of Atlanta) Parks/Gardens Atlanta Botanical
Garden Centennial Olympic
Park Georgia's
Stone Mountain Park Piedmont Park Performing Arts Alliance Theatre
Company Atlanta Ballet Atlanta Opera Atlanta Symphony
Orchestra Sports Atlanta Braves Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Hawks Atlanta Thrashers Braves Museum and
Hall of Fame/Turner Field Tours ESPN Zone Atlanta
Georgia Dome Tours |
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The
CNN Studio tour, located at 1 CNN Center, takes guests behind the scenes
of the 24-hour news network. The tour starts in the Control Room Theater,
a replica of CNN's main control room. From there, guests travel
to an exhibit area, which highlights the top 100 news stories covered
by CNN in the last 20 years. The 50-minute tour also educates visitors
on special effects, and gives them the opportunity to deliver a virtual
broadcast as an anchor. Visitors should make reservations at least a day
in advance because tours frequently sell out. Call the CNN Center at (877)
4CNN-TOUR (4-266-8687) to make reservations and inquire about age restrictions.
The
Georgia State Capitol, completed in 1889, resembles the U.S. Capitol building.
Atlanta became Georgia's capital after the Civil War, and the Capitol
building served as a testament to the city's revitalization after
its war-time decimation. The exterior of the Capitol is made from Indiana
oolithic limestone; the interior's floors and walls are made with
Georgia marble. Atop the edifice's 75-foot golden dome stands Miss
Freedom, a 15-foot, 2,000-pound statue that holds a torch in one hand
and a sword in the other. Free guided tours of the structure are available
at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, April
through December; and 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. Mondays
through Fridays, January through March. The Georgia State Capitol is located
at 206 Washington St.; the Capitol Tours and Information Desk, (404) 656-2844,
is located at 214 State Capitol. 
Atlanta
is the birthplace of the fizzy drink enjoyed worldwide as Coca-Cola. Physician
and chemist Dr. John Pemberton concocted the drink as a headache remedy
in 1885 in the basement of his Atlanta house. It became one of the most
popular soft drinks on Earth, and is currently served 1 billion times
per day in 200 countries worldwide. Guests entering The World of Coca-Cola
can explore the drink's history, taste Coca-Cola products distributed
in other parts of the world besides the United States, and watch a soda
jerk prepare Coke the old-fashioned way. The World of Coca-Cola is located
at 55 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Call The World of Coca-Cola at (770)
578-4325, ext.1465, for information about its hours and admission prices.
Underground
Atlanta, located at 50 Upper Alabama St., comprises six blocks, 12 acres,
and three levels of shopping, restaurants, and entertainment. Its shops
include boutiques, art galleries, chain stores, and souvenir shops. It
restaurants, numbering over 20, offer visitors cuisines from around the
world. Guests can shop all day, stop for a meal, and then party at Underground
Atlanta's various clubs come nightfall. Underground Atlanta is open
from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Sundays (clubs and restaurant hours may vary). Call the Underground Atlanta
offices at (404) 523-2311 for additional information.
Zoo
Atlanta, a source of pride for the city, houses a number of animals within
simulated natural geographical habitats. Giraffes, zebras, ostriches,
rhinos, lions, and elephants roam recreated plains of Kenya. Guests will
probably see the zoo's two cuddly giant pandas, Lun Lun and Yang
Yang, munching on bamboo in their Asian Forest home - something
they do 10 to 16 hours per day. In the Ford African Rain Forest, guests
can observe the offspring of the late Willie B., Atlanta's beloved
patriarch gorilla. Zoo Atlanta is located at 800 Cherokee Ave. S.E. in
historic Grant Park. Call the zoo at (404) 624-5600 for information about
its hours and admission fees.
The
Atlanta History Center, located at 130 W. Paces Ferry Road NW, contains
a museum, garden, and two historic homes. The two-story museum features
30,000 square feet of exhibit space and a 118-seat theatre. Museum exhibits
like "Metropolitan Frontiers: Atlanta, 1835-2000" and "Turning
Point: The American Civil War" detail Atlanta's past and how
the city evolved. The Swan House, built by architect Philip Trammell Shutze
in 1928, is resplendent with original furnishings reflecting Atlanta's
early 20th-century grandiose lifestyle. The Tullie-Smith Farm, built circa
1845, is one of the few buildings that survived the city's Civil
War decimation. Call the Atlanta History Center at (404) 814-4000 for
information about its hours and admission fees. 
Martin
Luther King Jr., a Civil Rights movement leader that advocated nonviolent
social change, transformed the social fabric of America through his powerful
words and ideas. The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Site contains
the King Center, Dr. King's crypt, his birth home, and the Ebenezer
Baptist Church, where he preached. The site is part of the historic Sweet
Auburn District (centered around Auburn Avenue) - an area that contained
a thriving black community in Atlanta from the 1890s through the 1940s
despite segregation laws. The site's visitor center, located at
450 Auburn Ave. N.E., provides guests with free tickets to guided tours
of Dr. King's birth home, and self-guided tour information for experiencing
the rest of the site. Call the visitor center at (404) 331-6922 or (404)
331-5290 for information about its hours. 
The
Fox Theatre, built in 1929 and listed on the National Register of Historic
Places, is one of the most opulent performance art venues in the country.
The theatre's architectural style is called everything from Art
Deco to Egyptian - the only resounding consensus is that the building
is absolutely magnificent. The theatre, originally built to be a temple
for the Shriners organization, became a movie palace after the advent
of the Great Depression. Today, the restored Fox Theatre hosts live performances
such as concerts, operas, ballets, and Broadway shows. The Atlanta Preservation
Center provides walking tours of the theatre (which meet at the Fox Theatre
Arcade, 660 Peachtree St.) at 10 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays,
and at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Saturdays. Call the Atlanta Preservation
Center at (404) 881-2100 for its tour prices and to verify its tour dates
(some tours are cancelled due to performance schedules).
The
Oakland Cemetery, an 88-acre Victorian cemetery founded in 1850, contains
the gravestones of approximately 40,000 Atlanta citizens. Notable gravesites
include: Margaret Mitchell, author of "Gone With the Wind";
golf legend Bobby Jones; Joseph Jacobs, pharmacist who introduced Coca-cola
as a drink; Carrie Steel Logan, an ex-slave who established the first
African-American orphanage in Atlanta; and Bishop Wesley John Gaines,
an ex-slave who served as the second pastor of Big Bethal African Methodist
Episcopal Church and founded Morris Brown College. Additionally, thousands
of Confederate and Union soldiers rest in the burial ground. Oakland Cemetery,
located at 248 Oakland Ave. S.E., is open daily to the public from dawn
until dusk. The Historic Oakland Foundation, also located at 248 Oakland
Ave. SE, offers informative guided tours and self-guiding maps. The maps
cost $1, and the tours cost $5 for adults and $3 for children and seniors.
Joel
Chandler Harris, a famous journalist and author, introduced America to
characters such as Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox, Br'er Bear,
and Uncle Remus. The Wren's Nest, an 1870s farmhouse named after
a family of wrens that sought shelter in its mailbox, served as Harris'
home. A 30-minute tour of The Wren's Nest includes a slide presentation
of Harris' life and displays of Uncle Remus memorabilia. The best
time to visit the The Wren's Nest is during its live storytelling
presentations. The Wren's Nest is located at 1050 Ralph David Abernathy
Blvd. Call the house museum at (404) 753-7735 for information about its
fee, hours, and storytelling times. 
The
APEX Museum is dedicated to accurately interpreting history from an African-American
perspective, and highlighting the often untold stories of the ethnic group's
contributions to society and the world. In the Trolley Theatre, guests
can view films such as "Sweet Auburn: Street of Pride" and
"The Journey." In the "Hall of Achievement," visitors
can learn about the accomplishments of African-Americans from varied walks
of life - education, arts, politics, business, Civil Rights, economics,
and science are just a few of the categories covered. The museum even
houses a replica of the Yates and Milton Drugstore, one of Atlanta's
first black-owned businesses. The museum, located at 135 Auburn Ave N.E.,
educated and entertained such notable guests as Halle Berry, Gladys Knight,
and Cecily Tyson. Call the APEX Museum at (404) 521-APEX (2739) for information
about its hours and admission fees.
A
"cyclorama" is a large painting which encircles a spectator.
The Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum's cyclorama, considered
the largest oil painting in the world, took 11 artists 22 months to complete.
It depicts a five-story high cylindrical panorama of the Battle of Atlanta,
July 22, 1864, coupled with music and narration that brings the historical
event alive. The Civil War museum contains artifacts, weapon displays,
maps and photographs. A highlight among the artifacts is one of the two
steam locomotives involved in the Great Locomotive Chase of 1862. The
Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum is located at 800 Cherokee Drive
in historic Grant Park. Call the museum at (404) 658-7625 for information
about its hours and admission rates. 
The
Fernbank Museum of Natural History, located at 767 Clifton Road N.E.,
displays the world's largest dinosaurs in its "Giants of the
Mesozoic" exhibit. Housed in the museum's 86-foot tall Great
Hall, the exhibit utilizes fossils to re-create a scene from the Cretaceous
Period. A Gigantosaurus is erected to look like it is mid-chase with an
Argentinosaurus, while two species of pterosaurs are scattered in the
air to escape the tussle. The Gigantosaurus, the largest meat eater ever
classified, measured 47 feet in length and weighed 8 to 10 tons. The Argentinosaurus,
the Gigantosaurus' favorite meal, is the largest plant eater at
123 feet in length and 100 tons. Call the museum at (404) 929-6300 for
information about its hours and admission fees. 
The
High Museum of Art houses over 10,000 pieces of art, including a significant
collection of 19th- and 20th-century American artists. John Singer Sargent's
"Portrait of Ralph Curtis on the Beach at Scheveningen" is
included among this collection. Other museum highlights include Chuck
Close's photographs titled "Self-Portrait (3 Parts),"
and 18th-century master Giovanni Battista Tiepolos'"Roman
Matrons Making Offerings to Juno." The High Museum of Art, located
at 1280 Peachtree St. N.E., is part of the Woodruff Arts Center complex.
Call the museum at (404) 733-4400 or (404) 733-4444 (24 hours) for information
about its hours, admission fees, and special exhibitions.
The
Margaret Mitchell House and Museum allows guests a view of the first-floor
apartment where Mitchell wrote most of her famous novel, "Gone With
the Wind." Avid fans of the novel can learn about Mitchell's
life through film and photographs, and then tour her apartment. The museum
contains movie memorabilia from the film version of "Gone With the
Wind," and chronicles its impact on Atlanta and society. Tours are
offered continuously between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. every day,
with the exception of Christmas Eve and Day, New Year's Day, and
Thanksgiving Day. The Margaret Mitchell House and Museum is located on
the corner of 10th and Peachtree streets. Admission costs $12 for adults,
$9 for seniors age 65 and older and students with identification, and
$5 for children ages 6 to 17. 
The
Michael C. Carlos Museum houses the largest collection of ancient art
in the Southeast. Its holdings include ancient art representing Egypt,
Rome, Greece, the Near East, and the ancient Americas. The Michael C.
Carlos Museum is located at 571 S. Kilgo St. It is open from 10 a.m. to
5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, with hours extended until 9 p.m. on
Thursdays, and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Guests are asked to pay a
$5 per person donation. Call the museum at (404) 727-4282 for information
about its special exhibitions. 
SciTrek
demystifies science, math, and technology through its various hands-on
exhibits. In the museum's "Virtual Reality" exhibit,
visitors can participate in volleyball, soccer, hockey, or basketball
games. In its "Perceptions and Illusions," guests watch their
bodies change in size in a distorted room, and learn how their minds compensate
for optical illusions. SciTrek is located at 395 Piedmont Ave. N.E. Call
the museum at (404) 522-5500, ext. 249 for information about its hours
and admission fees.
The
Atlanta Botanical Garden, located at 1345 Piedmont Ave. N.E., enchants
the eye and stimulates the mind. Its Fuqua Conservatory, which features
plants in tropical and desert environments, is divided into four sections:
the Tropical Rotunda, Desert House, Special Exhibits, and Orangerie. Guests
hear the trills of blue dart frogs and the calls of geckos and colorful
birds as they peruse the palm and flower species in the Tropical Rotunda.
Desert House contains rare South African succulents, and special exhibits
explore the symbiotic relationship between ants and certain plant species.
Outdoors, the Atlanta Botanical Garden displays a playful Children's
Garden and 12 other distinctive gardens - the Mountain Bog, which
displays rare plant life found only in Southern Appalachian bogs, is an
example of the unusual horticulture found within the gardens. Call the
Atlanta Botanical Garden at (404) 876-5859 for information about its hours
and admission rates. 
Centennial
Olympic Park, located at 265 Park Ave. N.W., is a gorgeously landscaped
legacy of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, and the largest new park
created in the United States in the last 20 years. Its "Quilt Plazas"
and the Fountain of Rings commemorate the 1996 Olympics. The Fountain
of Rings is a water display of five interlocking rings, each 25 feet in
diameter, that plays seven different songs accompanied by light and water
movement four times a day - Neil Diamond's "Coming to
America" and John Williams' "Summon the Heroes"
are two of the seven songs. The 60-by-60 "Quilt Plazas" commemorate
the 197 nations and 10,000 athletes that competed in the 1996 Olympics,
and memorialize the 111 victims lost in the bombing incident. The 21-acre
park also features a restaurant, visitor center, art, statues, 330,000
square feet of grass, and 750 trees. Centennial Olympic Park is open from
7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily and is monitored by security 24 hours a day. Call
the park at (404) 222-7275 (recorded) or (404) 223-4412 for additional
park information. 
Georgia's
Stone Mountain Park draws families in droves. The 3,200-acre park, located
25 minutes from Atlanta in Stone Mountain, features natural beauty coupled
with fantastic attractions. Guests can enjoy Stone Mountain Park's
natural splendor by walking nature trails, picnicking, fishing, camping,
or enjoying a scenic ride around Stone Mountain Lake in the Scarlett O'Hara
riverboat. Those looking for additional excitement might check out the
park's Laser Spectacular or Crossroads, a re-creation of an 1870s
Southern town with a 4-D theatre. Admission fees vary according to activities
- a one-day, all-attractions pass costs $23 for adults and $17 for
children ages 3 to 11, plus a $7 vehicle charge. Call the park at (800)
317-2006 for information about its hours and various fees. 
Piedmont
Park, once a farmhouse and a World War I encampment, is Atlanta's
most-loved public green space. It hosts various concerts and festivals
throughout the year, and receives 3,000,000 visitors annually. The park
features sports fields, recreational paths, tennis courts, and a swimming
pool. The Piedmont Park Conservancy offers free one-hour walking tours
of the park every Saturday at 11 a.m., April through October. The tours
meet at the park's Visitors' Center, located at the intersection
between 12th Street and Piedmont Avenue. Call the Visitors' Center
at (404) 875-7275 to make reservations.
The
Atlanta Ballet, founded in 1929, is the longest continually operating
ballet company in the United States - its dancers performed "The
Nutcracker" for the first time in 1964. The company boasts an ensemble
of professional dancers from around the world, including Africa, South
America, and the United States. The dancing, whether part of classical
or innovative works, pushes the boundaries of the ballet art form. Past
performances included musicians and dancers sharing the stage. The Indigo
Girls are one famous band that had this privilege. All of Atlanta Ballet's
performances are held at the Fox Theatre, located at 660 Peachtree St.
Call the ballet company at (404) 892-3303 for information about its season
schedule and tickets. 
The
Atlanta Opera strives to bring the city high-quality performances that
display all the visual and aural elements of the art form. All of the
opera's productions feature English translations of the songs, projected
above the stage, so that viewers can understand the story lines without
knowing a foreign language. The Atlanta Opera performs at the Fox Theatre,
located at 660 Peachtree St. Ticket prices start as low as $19. Call the
opera company at (800) 35-OPERA (356-7372) to get information about its
schedule. Call Ticketmaster at (404) 817-8700 to purchase opera tickets.
The
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is one of the youngest orchestras to achieve
global renown. Their performances delight people from all walks of life
and of all ages. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performs in the Woodruff
Arts Center, located at 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Call (404) 733-4800 for
information about the symphony's schedule. Call the Woodruff Arts
Center box office at (404) 733-5000 to purchase tickets. 
Come
baseball season, Atlanta visitors can see their favorite Braves players,
such as Mike Hampton, play at Turner Field. The baseball team consistently
performs well every season. Turner Field, located at 755 Hank Aaron Drive,
is a world-class ballpark. Fans might want to arrive at the field a few
hours prior to the game and browse through the Braves Museum and Hall
of Fame. Tickets prices range from $5 to $48. Call Ticketmaster at (800)
326-4000 to purchase tickets. 
Be
your own Falcons cheerleader with a ticket to watch them play in the Georgia
Dome. Sports Illustrated named three Falcons - Ray Anderson, Michael
Vick, and Warrick Dunn - on its "101 Most Influential Minorities
in Sports" list. Blazingly fast Michael Vick is revolutionizing
the way football's quarterback position is played. The Georgia Dome
is located at 1 Georgia Dome Drive. Visitors should purchase tickets,
which are extremely hard to obtain, at the earliest possible date. Call
(404) 223-8444 to purchase individual tickets, or (888) 333-4406 to procure
season tickets. 
The
Atlanta Thrashers, a relatively new NHL team, brought hockey back to Atlanta
fans. The team, named after Georgia's state bird, is a welcome addition
after the Flames departed to Calgary. The Atlanta Thrashers play in the
state-of-the-art Philips Arena, located at 1 Philips Drive. Game tickets
cost between $10 and $200. Call the box office at (404) 584-PUCK (7825)
to purchase tickets. 
Sports
fanatics play hard and eat hearty at ESPN Zone Atlanta. Guests can spend
their time playing arcade and interactive games, or watch televised sporting
events. The restaurant serves stick-to-your-ribs American favorites like
wings, steaks, burgers, and chili cheese fries. Live broadcasts, such
as WCNN's Max and Perry Show, are regularly held at ESPN Zone Atlanta.
ESPN Zone Atlanta is located at 3030 Peachtree Road in the heart of Buckhead.
Call the complex at (404) 682-3776 to find out what days and hours you
can get in the zone.
The
Georgia Dome tours provide guests with an intimate look at the largest
cable-supported domed stadium in the world. Tour participants get to view
the 71,500-seat stadium, visitors' locker and dressing rooms, Astroturf
storage room, press box, executive concourse and suites, and the Kicker's
Sports Lounge. Tours begin on the hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at
Gate E (the north side of the dome). Admission costs $2 for adults, and
$1 for students, seniors age 65 and older, and children ages 3 to 12 (the
tour is not recommended for children younger than age 3). Groups of 15
or more people can tour the facility by reservation only. Call the Georgia
Dome at (404) 223-TOUR (8687) for reservations and directions.