Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Atlanta is the capital of Georgia and the economic heart of the Southeast, a city of glass towers, leafy neighborhoods and a tree canopy so dense that it is often called the city in a forest.
For visitors, Atlanta rewards curiosity. You can trace the history of the civil rights movement on Auburn Avenue, walk or bike between neighborhoods on the BeltLine, see whale sharks downtown and eat Southern classics next to dishes from around the world.
Few American cities let you engage with history as directly as Atlanta. The Sweet Auburn district, where Martin Luther King Jr. was born, worshipped and is buried, is now a national historical park, and nearby museums tell the wider story of the civil rights movement and human rights around the world.
Atlanta is also a modern, creative city. The BeltLine has transformed old rail corridors into walking and cycling paths lined with murals, parks, food halls and breweries.
Built for the 1996 Summer Olympics, this downtown park is the hub of Atlanta's main tourist district. Its Fountain of Rings, shaped like the Olympic rings, is a favorite with children on hot days, and wide lawns host concerts and events.
Centennial Olympic Park was built for the 1996 Summer Olympics and features the Fountain of Rings. Photo: Marc Merlin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
One of the largest aquariums in the world, the Georgia Aquarium is best known for its huge Ocean Voyager gallery, where whale sharks and manta rays glide overhead as you walk through an underwater tunnel. Other galleries feature beluga whales, sea lions, penguins and river fish of the Southeast.
The Ocean Voyager gallery at the Georgia Aquarium is home to whale sharks and manta rays. Photo: Diliff, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5
Coca-Cola was invented in Atlanta, and its museum next to the aquarium covers the brand's history and ends with a tasting room of soft drinks from around the world.
Along Auburn Avenue, this national park preserves the places that shaped Martin Luther King Jr.: the house where he was born, Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he was baptized and served as co-pastor with his father, and the tombs of Dr. King and Coretta Scott King beside a reflecting pool at The King Center.
Martin Luther King Jr. was baptized at Ebenezer Baptist Church and later served as co-pastor with his father. Photo: Marc Merlin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A short walk west of the King sites, this historic public market has been operating since the early twentieth century. Inside you will find butchers, produce stands, bakeries and small counters serving everything from soul food to global dishes.
The Atlanta BeltLine is a multi-use trail on a former railway corridor that will eventually loop around the city's core. The Eastside Trail is its most popular section, running through the Old Fourth Ward and Inman Park past murals, sculptures, parks and restaurants.
The Eastside Trail is the busiest stretch of the BeltLine, a trail built on a former railway corridor. Photo: Marc Merlin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Ponce City Market fills a massive former Sears catalog building beside the BeltLine with a food hall, shops and offices. Its rooftop has carnival games, mini golf and skyline views.
Ponce City Market occupies a former Sears catalog building that was used by the company from 1926 to 1987. Photo: Keizers, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Piedmont Park is Atlanta's central green space, with wide lawns, walking trails, Lake Clara Meer and a dog park, all framed by Midtown towers. It hosts many festivals, including the Dogwood Festival in April and the Atlanta Jazz Festival over Memorial Day weekend.
Piedmont Park in Midtown hosts many of Atlanta's festivals, including the Dogwood Festival in spring. Photo: Marc Merlin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The High Museum is the leading art museum in the Southeast, with a striking white modernist building and collections of American, European, African and contemporary art, as well as folk and self-taught artists of the South.
The High Museum of Art on Peachtree Street is the leading art museum in the Southeast. Photo: DubiousSauce, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Founded in 1850, Oakland Cemetery is Atlanta's oldest public park and a classic Victorian garden cemetery, with ornate monuments, mausoleums and gardens under old oaks. It is the resting place of Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone with the Wind, and many former mayors.
Historic Oakland Cemetery, founded in 1850, is Atlanta's oldest public park and a Victorian garden cemetery. Photo: Mike Schinkel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
In Buckhead, the Atlanta History Center covers the city's past through museum galleries, historic houses including the grand Swan House, and gardens. It also displays the restored Cyclorama painting of the Battle of Atlanta.
About fifteen miles east of downtown, Stone Mountain is a huge granite dome rising above the surrounding forest. You can hike a steep trail of about a mile to the summit or ride the Skyride cable car, and the park also has lakes, trails, a historic village and family attractions.
Stone Mountain is a large quartz monzonite dome about fifteen miles east of downtown Atlanta. Photo: Daniel Mayer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Atlanta's food reflects its deep Southern roots and its growing international population. Look for fried chicken, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, shrimp and grits, biscuits and peach cobbler in soul food restaurants and meat-and-three diners.
For international food, head to Buford Highway in the northeastern suburbs, a long corridor of strip malls packed with Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, Mexican and other restaurants.
Popular dishes to try in Atlanta
Downtown is convenient for first-time visitors focused on the aquarium, Centennial Olympic Park and the civil rights sites, and it is well served by MARTA, though it is quieter in the evenings.
Inman Park and the Old Fourth Ward put you right on the BeltLine, ideal for travelers who want food halls, bars and a neighborhood feel. Buckhead suits travelers looking for upscale shopping and dining, though you will likely need a car.
Where to stay in Atlanta
N & N TIRES is a tire shop and auto repair business serving Atlanta, GA. N & N TIRES provides tire repair, auto repair, and rim repair services with certified t...
Supreme Hardwood Floors is a locally owned flooring business serving Atlanta, GA. Supreme Hardwood Floors provides hardwood floor installation, stair installati...
Plumbing Express is a plumbing business serving Metro Atlanta, GA, providing plumbing repairs, whole-home repiping, drain cleaning, and water heater services.
A Plus Appliance Solutions is an appliance repair business serving Atlanta, GA. It provides fast, reliable repair services for major home appliances.
Grip Mobile Tire Company is a mobile tire service business serving Atlanta, GA. Grip Mobile Tire Company provides tire changes, repairs, and replacements, inclu...
Affordable Remodeling is a home remodeling business serving Atlanta and Alpharetta, GA. It provides kitchen, bathroom, basement renovations, home additions, and...
Spring is a lovely time to visit Atlanta, when dogwoods and azaleas bloom across the city and the Dogwood Festival fills Piedmont Park in April.
Summer is hot and humid, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms; plan indoor attractions for the hottest part of the day.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, south of downtown, is one of the busiest airports in the world and has nonstop flights across North America and to many international destinations.
Atlanta traffic is notorious, especially on the Downtown Connector at rush hour, so plan drives outside peak times when possible.
Start at the Georgia Aquarium in the morning, then walk across Centennial Olympic Park to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.
Spend the morning at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park and have lunch at the Sweet Auburn Curb Market.
Explore the High Museum in the morning, then walk to Piedmont Park and the Atlanta Botanical Garden.
Drive to Stone Mountain Park for an early hike, then visit Historic Oakland Cemetery in the afternoon. End with dinner on Buford Highway.
Looking for a soul food spot, a bike rental, a coffee shop or a service provider during your stay?
WISERMAP PLACEAtlanta: photos, reviews & things to doSee traveler photos and reviews, or share your own →
Jekyll Island, Georgia
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Gulf Shores, Alabama
Door County, Wisconsin
Bend, Oregon
Orlando, Florida
