Looking for a vibrant city filled with history, culture, and Southern hospitality? Head to Atlanta! Georgia’s capital offers world-class museums, sprawling parks, rich civil rights history, and a booming food and entertainment scene. Whether you’re into sports, music, art, or nature, Atlanta blends big-city energy with warm, welcoming vibes.
Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit Atlanta is in spring (March–May) and fall (September–November). Mild temperatures and colorful gardens in spring or crisp air and fall festivals in autumn make these seasons ideal for sightseeing and outdoor activities. Summer is lively but hot and humid.
How to Get There
- If you are traveling by car: Atlanta is a major hub at the crossroads of I-75, I-85, and I-20, making it easily accessible from neighboring states.
- By Air: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is one of the world's busiest airports, offering flights from nearly everywhere.
- By Train: Amtrak’s Crescent Line serves Atlanta, connecting the city to New York, New Orleans, and other major stops.
Where to Stay
- The Georgian Terrace Hotel – Historic and elegant, located near the Fox Theatre in Midtown.
- Hotel Clermont – Trendy boutique hotel with retro vibes and a popular rooftop bar.
- Hyatt Regency Atlanta – Iconic downtown hotel with a revolving rooftop restaurant and easy access to major attractions.
Best Things to Do
1. Take the kids to the Georgia Aquarium
Rating: ★★★★★
The Georgia Aquarium is the world's largest aquarium and is home to more than 500 species from around the globe that live in more than 10 million gallons of fresh and marine water.
Situated in downtown Atlanta near Centennial Olympic Park, this magical aquarium is a must-see.
The aquarium is spread out across six large galleries, with more than 70 incredible habitats, ranging from fresh water river scenes and brightly colored coral reefs to penguin colonies and deep-sea tanks.
Home to thousands of marine animals, including whale sharks, beluga whales, sea otters and exotic fish, the aquarium aims to support, preserve and educate visitors about the incredible biodiversity of the ocean system.
The aquarium has live shows, such as a dolphin show which highlights the connection between animals and humans, and the 3D underwater show, which focuses on the importance of conservation and protection of marine animals.
Special encounter programs allow you to get up close and personal with some of the animals, like dolphins, sea otters, and penguins and brave guests can dive with whale sharks and manta rays in the Ocean Voyager, the world's largest aquarium habitat. This world-famous Atlanta attraction is not to be missed.
225 Baker Street NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30313, Phone: 404-581-4000
2. Explore Georgia’s rich history and heritage at the Atlanta History Center
Located in the heart of historic Buckhead, the Atlanta History Center highlights Georgia’s rich history and heritage through award-winning exhibitions, living history programs, lectures and annual festivals.
Spread across 33 acres of pristine land, the Atlanta History Center is home to the Atlanta History Museum (one of the largest history museums in the nation), Centennial Olympic Games Museum, Smith Family Farm, Swan House, the Kenan Research Center, and six historic gardens.
Designed to honor and preserve the legacy of Gone with the Wind author, Margaret Mitchell, the Margaret Mitchell House is also part of the center, however is located off-site at the Midtown campus.
The Atlanta History Center is open seven days a week, with free parking and easy access from the I-75, and offers comprehensive tour packages for groups.
130 West Paces Ferry Road NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30305, Phone: 404-814-4000
What to do if you are traveling with kids:
3. Take a guided tour of The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site
Established in 1980, the The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site celebrates and pays tribute to the famous civil rights leader.
The park is home to several important buildings that played a role in his life.
You can take a guided tour through the park, following in the footsteps of one of America’s most famous men.
Spread over 35 acres, the park consists of several buildings surrounding Martin Luther King’s boyhood home on Auburn Avenue in the historic district of Sweet Auburn.
450 Auburn Avenue NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30331, Phone: 404-331-5190
4. See a performance at the Center for Puppetry Arts
The Center for Puppetry Arts is an institution with the goal to educate, enlighten and entertain children and adults through the ancient art form of puppetry.
Situated in the heart of the city’s arts district in Midtown, the center features live puppet performances, educational programs and one of the few puppet museums in the world.
Puppet performances held at the center include the Family Series, a collection of adapted classic stories performed in a variety puppetry styles; the New Directions Series, which features teen and adult-oriented shows by local and visiting companies; and the Film Series, productions related to puppetry.
The Center also offers a variety of classes and workshops for adults and children alike, such as ‘Create-A-Puppet’ workshops’, where children are taught how to build and make their own puppets.
If you are looking for fun things to do in Atlanta with kids, this is a great choice. The Center’s museum - Puppets: The Power of Wonder – is an interactive museum with an excellent collection of over 350 puppets from around the world.
1404 Spring St. NW at 18th, Atlanta, Georgia 30309, Phone: 404-873-3391
5. View classic and contemporary art at the High Museum of Art
Situated in a stately home on Peachtree Street, the High Museum of Art is one of the leading art museums, housing an acclaimed collection of classic and contemporary art.
The museum boasts more than 14,000 works of art in its permanent collection, including an extensive treasury of 19th- and 20th-century American and decorative art, a handpicked selection of African American art, and growing collections of European paintings, modern and contemporary art, folk art, photography, and African art.
The museum offers special family programs and teen events, as well as guided tours, lectures, and late Friday night openings.
The museum has two cafés that serve light meals and beverages, as well as a full service restaurant with a local farm-to-fork menu and an excellent wine list.
1280 Peachtree Street N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30309, Phone: 404-733-4444
6. See Coca Cola memorabilia at the World of Coca-Cola
Explore the fascinating story of Coca Cola, the world’s most famous beverage and brand at this dynamic, multimedia museum at Pemberton Place.
Name after the pharmacist who created Coca-Cola in 1886, Pemberton Place covers 20 acres of green urban space in the heart of Atlanta. The museum has a range of exciting and interactive exhibits to explore.
Wander through the Bottle Works and watch the fully functioning bottling line at work, filling and bottling the world’s favorite beverage.
Visit the vault where the legendary secret formula for Coca Cola is kept and take in a thrilling 4-D theater show about the brand.
See the world’s largest collection of Coca Cola memorabilia in the Milestones of Refreshment exhibit, and taste beverages from around the world in the ‘Taste It!’ lounge.
World of Coca-Cola, 121 Baker Street NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30313, Phone: 404-676-5151
Activities and Attractions for Couples:
7. Stop for a meal at Wagaya Westside
When you’re craving quality Japanese noodles in Atlanta, you go to Wagaya Westside.
339 14th ST NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, Phone: 470-575-5799
8. Enjoy a sunny day in Piedmont Park
Situated between Atlanta’s Midtown and Virginia-Highland neighborhoods, Piedmont Park is a 189-acre urban park that serves as a cultural and recreational green space for the city.
Originally designed by Joseph Johnson and later by Central Park designer Frederick Law Olmsted, the park has served as an athletic center for baseball and football, playing host to Atlanta’s first professional baseball team and the Georgia versus Auburn football rivalry.
Today, the park is a beautiful green space from which to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, with lovely picnic areas, children’s playgrounds, tennis courts and the Lake Clara Meer dock.
The granite staircases and lush green landscapes of Magnolia Hall and Lawn, Greystone, Dockside and Promenade offer picturesque spaces for special occasions like weddings, parties and other events.
1342 Worchester Dr. NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30306, Phone: 404-875-7275
9. See works by Southern artists at Swan Coach House Gallery
Swan Coach House Gallery was founded in 1965 as an extension of the Forward Arts Foundation, which brought together a group of Atlanta's most visionary female art patrons and connoisseurs.
The gallery is housed within the renovated carriage house of Edward Inman's Swan House estate, which is located on the grounds of what is today the Atlanta History Center.
Today, the gallery showcases exhibitions of works by Southern artists, striving to engage the Atlanta community in appreciation of the fine arts.
A restaurant and gift shop are also located on the gallery's premises.
Annual special events include a holiday fashion show, an annual Fall Flea Market, and a ceremony for the gallery's annual Emerging Artist Award scholarship.
3130 Slaton Dr NW, Atlanta, GA 30305, Phone: 404-266-2636
10. Attend the annual Festival on Ponce
Twice a year, in spring and fall, Atlanta residents flock to their beloved historic Olmsted Linear Park to enjoy the Festival on Ponce, Atlanta’s popular annual arts and crafts festival.
The festival is an opportunity for locals and visitors to stroll through the beautiful landscapes designed by one of America’s best known landscape architects, Fredrick Olmsted Sr.
The green fields, groves of mature trees, and blooming flower beds are dotted by more than 125 displays of arts and crafts, food trucks and stalls, kids’ play areas, non-profits’ information booths, music performers, and thousands of folks having a great time outdoors in the heart of the city.
Ponce de Leon Avenue Northeast, Atlanta, GA 30308, festivalonponce.com
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