Travel guide for planning a vacation or visit to Atlanta, including top tourist attractions.
Atlanta, Georgia, offers tourist attractions for visitors of every age. Because the Atlanta metropolitan area is so spread out, it's a good idea to rent a car if you intend to visit some of the outlying attractions. The metropolitan transport system is excellent within the downtown area, so that is always an option if you staying downtown and expect to do most of your sightseeing in the central district. That said, plan to spend a few days touring the city.
Martin Luther King Memorial Site
The Martin Luther King Memorial Site includes the house in which the famous Civil Rights leader was born and lived for his pre-adolescent years. The house is a museum now. The Memorial Site also houses the King Center, where King was buried. The center contains an exhibition about King and his wife, as well as Mahatma Gandhi. The free guided tours run every hour from August 15-June 14 and every half hour during the busy summer season. The King Memorial Site is located on Atlanta's Rapid Transit System MARTA.
CNN Studio Tours
If you're a television aficionado of CNN news, you will enjoy visiting the CNN studio, where you watch the International News and Headline News shows. The tour includes information about the creation of special effects, the control room and the opportunity to see news clips of importance from the past twenty years. If you're lucky enough to visit CNN on a weekday, you might be able to participate as an audience member on CNN's "Talk Back Live" show. The CNN studio is located downtown and is easily accessible by bus or rapid transit.
The Cyclorama and Zoo Atlanta
Further out from the central district is The Cyclorama, located on the same grounds as Zoo Atlanta. The Cyclorama is a truly fascinating place to visit, as it contains the largest oil painting in the world. The painting is 358-feet-long and is circular, with the subject being the Battle of Atlanta during the Civil War. A platform slowly turns so you can see the whole painting, which is complete with models that are extremely lifelike.
The Atlanta Zoo has undergone many changes during the last several years. It's not a huge zoo, but the layout is pleasing and easy to walk, though it does become quite hilly. A train travels around the grounds and a carousel that is fun for all ages. In 1999, the zoo acquired two giant pandas, Lun Lun and Yang Yang. They'll be at the zoo eating as much bamboo as they can hold until 2009. There are scheduled feeding times, videos, animal shows and movies, all captivating insights into the natural world.
You won't be able to take MARTA to the Cyclorama and the zoo, but buses are available.
Stone Mountain Park
Stone Mountain Park is one of the attractions where a car really makes the trip easier, as it is located sixteen miles east of Atlanta. For a fascinating glimpse into Southern life, Stone Mountain Park is the place to go. A faithfully reproduced 1860s town features an Antebellum Plantation House and Farmyard. The buildings in this part of the park were brought from many locations in Georgia. Adults and kids love riding the riverboat around Stone Mountain Lake, and if you want to get away from it all, you'll find many walking trails.
Fernbank Science Center and Natural History Museum
The Fernbank Science Center features a Natural History Museum and planetarium. If you go on a Thursday or Friday night, you'll be able to see the sky as astronomers view it through the modern telescope. One of the center's most popular attractions is the dinosaur exhibit that features full size model dinosaurs. Children love the discovery rooms at the museum because it gives them a chance to be creative while learning. You can take public transportation to this attraction.
Jimmy Carter Library and Museum
Jimmy Carter's Library and Museum provide an opportunity to learn more about this fascinating president. Letters that he and his wife Rosalind wrote are on display, as well as some of the elegant gifts he received while in office. There is a full-sized reproduction of the famous Oval Office. It is painstakingly true in every detail of its eminent Washington, D.C. counterpart. There are thirty acres of lovely gardens on the grounds of the museum and library. The Carter Center is also housed in the complex. It is dedicated to fulfilling the Carters' goals of making the world a better place. Public transportation is available to this site.
Margaret Mitchell House
If you read "Gone With The Wind," or if you saw the movie, you must visit the Margaret Mitchell house. It was in an apartment in this Tudor Revival mansion that the best-selling author penned her masterpiece. Some of the letters between Mitchell and her husband John Marsh are on display. The Mitchell House offers a 90-minute tour, which includes captivating details about this author's 1920s flapper girl life. There is a museum on the grounds, which houses posters from the movie, the original costumes and various other items connected with the movie. The Mitchell House is located downtown, so it's easily available by public transportation.
World Of Coca Cola
Loved the world over, Coca Cola is an Atlanta icon. The headquarters of the company are located downtown and displays and exhibits capture the essence of Coke. There's a soda fountain in 1930s retro style where visitors may taste various drinks. There are videos and a film featuring Donald Keough, the former president of the company. If you visit on a weekend, expect to wait quite some time, as this is one of the most popular attractions in Atlanta.
I've just touched the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Atlanta's tourist attractions. Other places you might want to check out include the Atlanta History Center, the High Museum and the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. A Jewish museum includes an exhibition about the Holocaust, a puppetry center has puppet shows, and many more things to see and do in Atlanta, no matter what time of the year you visit.
