Top 13 Things To Do in Atlanta | 2024
Things To Do in Atlanta
Things To Do in Atlanta. The so-called capital of the South isn’t called Hotlanta for nothing, people. Atlanta is a frenzied, visually pleasing kaleidoscope of Southern hospitality, food, and culture. The top things to do in Atlanta are listed below.
Explore the delicious culinary landscape of Atlanta
Over the past ten years, Atlanta’s once-stuffy food culture has changed to become one of the liveliest and most exciting in the Southeast, if not the country.
Hearty your tummy in Atlanta ain’t no joke. You may go all out at various New Southern and New American gastronomic hotspots, or you can eat abundant, hearty fare at Southern-fried cafés. Among the most inventive cooks in the city are top names like Hugh Acheson, Kevin Gillespie, Anne Quatrano, Kevin Rathbun, and Ford Fry.
Experience the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park
Though Atlanta and its most well-known son, Martin Luther King Jr., are virtually inextricably linked to the Civil Rights movement, the movement owes a great deal to the deeds of many martyrs, communities, and political movements throughout the American South.
Walking in the footsteps of this Baptist pastor who became a global Civil Rights icon at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park is an incredible experience.
Visit the High Museum of Art
Acclaimed as the best museum in the Southeast, the High Museum of Art was the first to display artwork loaned from the Louvre in Paris and is a must-see for its architecture and top-notch displays.
With its curved ramps and massive arching three-story glass atrium that protects natural light like a priceless treasure, the dazzling, bright-white art repository is a Midtown icon. Its front of reflecting white enamel contrasts sharply with the surrounding trees and towers. It brought Richard Meier, its designer, the 1984 Pritzker Prize.
Sleep at a historic bed & breakfast
Most of the exquisite lineup of old Queen Anne Victorian homes in Atlanta’s neighborhoods are found on the East Side in hip areas like Virginia Highland and Inman Park. A handful of them have been transformed into breathtaking B&Bs.
The decision is obvious between a beautiful bed and breakfast with Southern hospitality such as the Social Goat B&B or Sugar Magnolia B&B and a cookie-cutter chain hotel in Downtown or Midtown. Shut up.
Bike or walk along the Atlanta BeltLine
A fantastic day out is spent strolling or riding Atlanta BeltLine’s Eastside Trail, which is a portion of the city’s biggest greenway and the most extensive transportation and economic development project ever done in Atlanta.
This 3-mile segment of the multi-use route combines major attractions like the Atlanta Botanical Garden with some of the city’s best clubs, breweries, restaurants, markets, and urban parks. It connects Piedmont Park in Midtown with the young and happening neighborhood of Inman Park.
Cheer on the Braves at Truist Park
Ten miles northwest of downtown Atlanta, in Cobb County, the Atlanta Braves relocated into this brand-new, 41,149-capacity stadium in 2017. It was a component of the Battery, an entertainment complex valued at $1.1 billion. Since the MLB season lasts from late March to early October, there’s always time to cheer for the home team with some peanuts and crackerjack.
Lounge at Piedmont Park
The largest green space in Atlanta, Piedmont Park is a spotless 185-acre urban haven in the heart of Midtown. It offers everything from history (the first professional baseball team in Atlanta played there in 1902–1904) to bars, breweries, and major attractions like the Atlanta Botanical Garden. However, it also functions well as a spot for a picnic, a bike ride or run, or a late afternoon snooze tucked away behind a tree.
Take in a game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Unquestionably the coolest sports stadium in North America is the visually stunning and sustainably bent Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Atlanta Falcons and Major League Soccer team Atlanta United FC play in the $1.6 billion multifunctional, eight-petal retractable roof stadium.
It’s worth stopping into the newest addition to the city’s skyline even if you can’t make it to a game; scheduled tours include visits to the field and locker rooms, among other behind-the-scenes sites.
Spend a day in Centennial Olympic Park
It makes for a nearly painless big day out to hop from museum to museum throughout the Olympic legacy-concentrated Centennial Olympic Park. Without even breaking a sweat, you can cheer for your favorite college football team while romping through the Chick-Fil-A College Football Hall of Fame, get a history lesson inside the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and drink yourself silly on international sodas inside the World of Coca-Cola.
Go wild at Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve
Smack in the heart of the city (well, OK – out in Decatur, but you get the picture), Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve is a 28-acre nature preserve that is home to beavers, foxes, box turtles, red-spotted newts, coyotes, and entire clouds of birds. In the center of a massive metropolitan area, it’s a refreshing bit of wilderness.
Enjoy Atlanta’s drink scene
Atlanta has historically lagged behind more brew-friendly Southern communities like Asheville, Nashville, or Memphis because of laws that forbade brewers from selling beer on the premises.
As of 2017, that legislation is history, and Atlanta, under the direction of one of the most recognizable figures in American brewing, Mitch Steele of New Realm Brewing Co., is positioned to become the next best beer city in the South. In other drinking news from Atlanta, handmade cocktails are the cornerstone of the vibrant bar scene that drives midnight craziness in trendy neighborhoods from Buckhead to Decatur.
Play at the Center for Puppetry Arts
A treasure trove of puppets, some of which you can operate yourself, the museum, which was extended in 2015, is a wonderland for people of all ages and unquestionably one of Atlanta’s most unusual attractions. One of the biggest additions is the Worlds of Puppetry Museum, which has the largest collection of Jim Henson puppets and mementos worldwide.
Spend a night out at the Apache
For anyone hoping to explore Atlanta’s rich Black music culture, this is a must-see performance-art venue for rising soul, spoken-word poetry, and hip-hop performers. Come empty-handed since the hip place also offers delectable Southern food.
Have lunch at the Ponce City Market
An Atlanta mixed-use complex housed in the largest brick building in the Southeast, the historic former Sears, Roebuck & Co. headquarters. This food hall houses over 30 vendors, including candy merchants, Holeman & Finch (the finest burger in Atlanta), At the Tap (56 taps of craft beer), Spiller Park Coffee, Five Daughters Bakery, and a Mediterranean market.