Things to do in  Atlanta

The 1996 Summer Olympic Games live on at Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park, a 22-acre (9-hectare) site that remains one of the city’s top public spaces. Come to splash in—or photograph—the park's main icon, the Fountain of Rings, a computer-controlled fountain with lights and jets of water that display the Olympic logo.

The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park commemorates the life, work, and legacy of the Civil Rights Movement leader. Walk in the footsteps of a legend as you explore the home where King was born and the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where both his father and grandfather served as ministers. The site is also home to the crypt where Dr. King is buried alongside his wife, Coretta Scott King; their graves feature an eternal flame.

At World of Coca-Cola—one of Atlanta's must-see attractions—you can delve into the history of one of the world's most beloved beverage brands. The multi-part museum offers plenty for you to see and do, including exhibitions of Coke artifacts, a scent discovery lab, an interactive beverage lab, plus the chance to sample more than 100 different Coca-Cola beverages at the end of the tour.

Atlanta’s first planned suburb—and the first “electric trolley neighborhood” in the country—Inman Park was established in the 1880s, and is now one of the city’s most desirable areas. The neighborhood is known for its grand Victorian homes and the annual Inman Park Festival, plus a wealth of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and boutiques.

Sitting next to Liberty Plaza in downtown Atlanta, this gold-domed capitol celebrated Georgia’s emergence after the American Civil War. A National Historic Landmark, the neoclassical building features a statue of Lady Freedom holding a sword and lanterns atop the dome, plus a museum about art and state history.

Among the largest urban redevelopment projects underway in the US, the Atlanta BeltLine is a multipurpose trail that occupies a former railway corridor. Poised to transform the city upon its projected completion in 2030, the circular route will link 45 intown neighborhoods, creating an extensive path for pedestrians and cyclists.

Founded in 1889, Zoo Atlanta is among the country’s largest zoos. Based in Grant Park, the zoo is home to more than 1,500 animals from around the world, including one of the country’s largest population of great apes. Plus, it’s one of very few American zoos to house giant pandas.

More than just Atlanta’s oldest cemetery, dating back to 1850, Oakland Cemetery’s large grounds serve as a tranquil sanctuary from the urban bustle. Take a quiet moment to meander past stunning mausoleums, grand oaks, and notable graves including those of Bobby Jones, Margaret Mitchell, and Maynard Jackson.

Housed in a restored cast iron stove factory, Krog Street Market is a colorful food hall in the heart of the Inman Park neighborhood. Stalls showcase southern and international cuisine, featuring artisan food, local bakeries, produce, and gourmet specialties. A ‘living room’ offers a communal space for you to dine and relax.

Though much of the epic Pulitzer Prize–winning novelGone with the Wind takes place in famously grand houses, author Margaret Mitchell penned the tome from a tiny Atlanta apartment. Today her home is the Margaret Mitchell House, which serves as a tribute to where the author lived and worked while writing the novel from 1925 to 1932.

Located in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn neighborhood, Ebenezer Baptist Church is where Martin Luther King, Jr., the most prominent figure of the American civil rights movement, was baptized, grew up, and served as pastor until his death. Part of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park, the church is a memorial to King and has been restored to look as it did when King and his father were ministers.

Admire more than 500 species of fish and marine mammals from sea otters to beluga whales at the Georgia Aquarium, the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The aquarium comprises seven main habitat exhibits—with massive tanks housing showstoppers such as sharks and manta rays—plus offers dolphin and sea lion presentations, behind-the-scenes tours, animal encounters, tank swimming and diving experiences, and even aquarium sleepovers.

A welcome swath of green in Atlanta’s urban core, Piedmont Park is where Atlantans come to play outside, catch cultural events, and shop for produce at the weekly Green Market. You’ll also find the Atlanta Botanical Garden in the Olmstead-designed park, along with playgrounds, paths, and photogenic Lake Clara Meer.

Opened in 2014, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights is a museum and human rights center in Downtown Atlanta. Housed in a modern building designed to resemble two cupped hands, its exhibitions focus on the Civil Rights Movement and modern struggles for human rights; Martin Luther King, Jr’s papers and artifacts are also on display.

As the center of Atlanta’s countercultural scene, Little Five Points is often described as the city’s answer to San Francisco’s bohemian Haight-Ashbury district. It's home to vibrant street art, eclectic thrift shops, performance venues, brewpubs, record stores, and other cultural stops, making it the best place to discover Atlanta’s alternative side.