Atlanta greets visitors with a mash-up of soaring skylines, street-level murals, and Southern storytelling, and this guide— 13 Things to Do in Atlanta Georgia —is your key to unlocking it all. From watching whale sharks glide overhead in the nation’s largest aquarium to tracing Martin Luther King Jr.’s footsteps along Auburn Avenue, the city invites you to pair history with high-energy creativity at every turn.
Follow an old rail bed turned art-splashed greenway, sip secret-formula soda in its hometown shrine, or toast twilight views from a rooftop carnival perched atop a century-old warehouse. Charge your camera, lace up your comfiest shoes, and dive into a metropolis that proves tradition and innovation can happily share the same block.
Georgia Aquarium
Dive into the blue at the record-breaking Georgia Aquarium, where four whale sharks cruise through a window the length of a school bus. Wander beside penguins, belugas, and manta rays before walking the glass tunnel that surrounds you with swirling sea life. Curious travelers can book behind-the-scenes tours or even a shark-cage encounter. Plan two hours minimum, then step outside to Centennial Olympic Park just next door.
World of Coca-Cola
Taste your way through 130-plus fizzy flavors at the World of Coca-Cola, a shrine to the Atlanta pharmacist who created the syrup in 1886. Vintage ads, a vault rumored to guard the secret recipe, and a 4-D film keep all ages entertained. The tasting room’s global beverages (try Italy’s infamous Beverly) prove how far one Southern soda has traveled. Your ticket includes unlimited samples—pace yourself.
Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park
Walk Auburn Avenue at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, where rangers guide you through Dr. King’s 1895 birth home and Ebenezer Baptist Church. Recorded sermons echo in the sanctuary, raising goosebumps even decades later. Outside, an eternal flame burns beside the reflecting pool where Dr. King and Coretta Scott King rest. Arrive early for timed house tickets and quieter contemplation.
Atlanta BeltLine & Ponce City Market
A former freight railway now pulsing with life, the Atlanta BeltLine threads 22 miles of art, parks, and patio bars around town. Its buzziest Eastside Trail glides straight into Ponce City Market, a 1926 Sears warehouse reborn as a food hall and boutique hub. Rooftop carnival rides at Skyline Park pair skyline views with mini-golf and craft cocktails. Keep biking south to watch murals change with each visit.
Atlanta Botanical Garden
Leafy Piedmont Park hides the 30-acre Atlanta Botanical Garden, where a mist-filled tropical conservatory and orchid house brighten gray days. Seasonal shows such as winter’s Garden Lights transform giant sculptures into a twinkling wonderland. Don’t miss the 600-foot Canopy Walk that floats 40 feet above an old hardwood forest. Thursday “Cocktails in the Garden” events let you toast blooms with locally mixed drinks.
High Museum of Art
Inside Richard Meier’s gleaming white complex, the High Museum of Art showcases more than 20,000 works ranging from Renaissance portraits to boundary-pushing installations. Rotating blockbusters—think Kusama infinity rooms or Basquiat retrospectives—keep locals returning. Third-Friday jazz nights let visitors roam galleries to live music, while kids’ guides turn art into scavenger hunts. Budget at least two hours—and leave time for the tempting gift shop.
Centennial Olympic Park & SkyView Atlanta
Built for the 1996 Summer Games, Centennial Olympic Park remains downtown’s playground with its dancing Fountain of Rings and grassy lawns. For a bird’s-eye view, ride the 20-story SkyView Atlanta Ferris wheel whose climate-controlled gondolas reveal the evolving skyline. Sunset flights glow neon, making it a favorite date-night stop. Families linger afterward for splash-pad fun under stadium spotlights.
Fox Theatre
Step into 1929 glamour at the Fox Theatre, where a star-speckled ceiling mimics a twilight sky and the “Mighty Mo” organ still rattles seats. Saved from demolition by locals in the 1970s, the Moorish-Egyptian palace now hosts Broadway tours, classic-film nights, and holiday sing-alongs. Guided backstage tours share tales of secret tunnels and resident ghosts. A selfie under the neon marquee is an Atlanta rite of passage.
College Football Hall of Fame
At the interactive College Football Hall of Fame, 95,000 square feet celebrate Saturday legends. Tap your team’s helmet to personalize every screen, then test your spiral on a 45-yard indoor turf. A three-story video wall replays iconic plays that leave even casual fans buzzing. The Hall moved from South Bend to Atlanta in 2014, saluting the South’s gridiron devotion.
Zoo Atlanta
What began with a stranded circus in 1889 is now Zoo Atlanta, one of only three U.S. zoos housing giant pandas. Watch gorilla families lounge in leafy habitats, feed giraffes eye-to-eye, and catch keeper talks that spotlight global conservation. Newly revamped African Savanna enclosures give elephants space to roam. Pair the zoo with a picnic under Grant Park’s century-old oaks.
National Center for Civil and Human Rights
Opened in 2014, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights connects Atlanta’s civil-rights legacy to worldwide freedom struggles. Sit at an audio-immersive lunch-counter simulation, then trace progress from the 1963 March on Washington to modern-day movements. Rotating exhibits highlight changemakers from Nelson Mandela to Malala Yousafzai. Allow quiet reflection time afterward beside the outdoor water wall.
Krog Street Market & Tunnel Art
A 1920s stove factory reborn as Krog Street Market dishes ramen, oysters, and Southern barbecue under one industrial roof. Grab a local craft beer, then stroll to the Krog Street Tunnel—Atlanta’s most democratic gallery—where graffiti and murals can change overnight. Photographers flock for neon-painted walls and moody lighting. Evening crowds create a party vibe without the cover charge.
Stone Mountain Park
Twenty miles east, Stone Mountain Park centers on a 1,683-foot granite monolith hikers conquer via the mile-long Walk-Up Trail. Prefer less sweat? Ride the summit skyride for sweeping city views. Seasonal attractions range from autumn’s yellow-daisy bloom to winter’s tubing hill, while a nightly laser-light show has dazzled crowds since 1983. The mountain’s massive Confederate carving sparks necessary conversations about how the South remembers history.
