If you’re looking for a perfect place to have tons of fun and create some unique memories, Atlanta should definitely be your next destination of choice. It is a vibrant city with a southern charm that will leave you absolutely speechless. A major economic and cultural center, the capital of the state of Georgia is one of the largest and most visited metropolitan cities in the United States.
Atlanta is home to numerous art museums and historical sites, which draw in over 35 million tourists a year. Among its most popular tourist attractions are the World of Coca-Cola, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, the CNN Center, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, the Georgia Aquarium and many other sites worth visiting.
Atlanta offers various fun activities that can provide you with some of the best experiences in your life, so make sure not to miss the amazing opportunities that pop up around every corner in this city. Take a look at all the fun stuff you can do while in Atlanta.
13 Fun Activities in Atlanta
There are so many things to see and do in this beautiful city and it is difficult to choose merely a few to fill your day, so be sure to make time to explore them all. Here are some of the most fun activities in Atlanta.
Walking Along the Eastside Trail
The Eastside Trail is the first finished section of the Atlanta BeltLine trail in the old rail corridor. Opened in 2012, it runs from the Piedmont Park to Inman Park and the Old Fourth Ward and it is perfect for taking a relaxing walk, breathing the fresh air of its green space and enjoying its beauty. You can take a tour or take a day to explore it all by yourself.
Enjoying the Art of the Fox Theatre
The Fox Theatre is a former movie palace, now a performing arts venue with a number of entertainment options, such as rock concerts, ballet, operas and movies. Apart from the theatre where you can witness some of the most amazing performances throughout the whole year, there are two ballrooms, the Grand Salon and the Egyptian Ballroom, which has the perfect setting for weddings, corporate events and receptions.
Going to the Red Brick Brewing Company
The former Atlanta Brewing Company, the Red Brick Brewing Company, is a brewery in Atlanta that attracts a number of visitors from all over the world. If you want to relax after all the strolling and discovering the hidden gems of Atlanta, make sure you go to the brewery for a taste of some of the best ale in the world.
Swimming with the Fish
One of the most popular tourist attractions in Atlanta is the Georgia Aquarium, which is the largest aquarium in the Western Hemisphere. It is home to tens of thousands of animals and several thousand different species. You can see them all from the inside of an acrylic tunnel you can walk through. This amazing place, where you can experience the wonders of ocean life, offers many interactive activities. One of the most exciting opportunities on offer is diving or snorkelling with the sharks. However, you must have a SCUBA diving certificate to be allowed to do that.
Reliving the 1996 Olympic Games
In the summer of 1996, the Olympic Games were held in Atlanta and, in order to commemorate the event, the Centennial Olympic Games Museum was built at the Atlanta History Center. It has eight sections: Origins of the Games, The Modern Olympic Games, From Dream to Reality, The Centennial Olympic Games Experience, The World Comes to Atlanta, Legacy of the Games and Sports Lab. Each of the sections offers a stunning experience and the museum should definitely be on your tour to do list when in Atlanta.
Relaxing at the Piedmont Park
Piedmont Park is a 189-acre urban park in Atlanta that offers a lot of entertainment options. It is a favourite place among the locals for hosting a variety of events, such as weddings and other receptions, as well as a lot of activities for musical entertainment and fitness programs. Perfect for weddings and receptions is the Greystone, a stunning lakefront venue at the park. You can have plenty of fun at the Piedmont Park Aquatic Center, as well as further explore the park and see the beautiful Legacy Fountain, the Magnolia Greenway, fishing piers and natural areas with walkways and trails.
Taking The Walking Dead Tour
This one’s for the fans of the zombie apocalypse TV show The Walking Dead. If you are a true fan, The Walking Dead tour is a must when in Atlanta. It is a grand tour of Atlanta that takes you past multiple filming locations. It really offers a remarkable experience and you can be sure that you will have the best adventure ever. Make sure you snap a photo from Freedom Parkway – it’s the shot from The Walking Dead, after all, and it is definitely one of the most beautiful skyline views there.
Exploring the World of Coca-Cola
The World of Coca-Cola is a museum that illustrates the history of the Coca-Cola Company and the world’s most famous soft drink. It has a lot of entertainment areas where you can explore multiple exhibits, some of which are interactive and offer some real fun. There are a lot of attractions to see, as well as films and memorabilia, and there is even a tasting room with samples of more than 100 different beverages. If you have Coca-Cola running through your veins, this is certainly the first place you would want to see when you arrive in Atlanta and you can be sure that it will exceed your greatest expectations.
Watching Movies under the Stars
If you want to go to an amazing place to relax after a whole day of sightseeing and exploring the city, you can go to an old-fashioned drive-in for a movie. Bring some popcorn and enjoy first-run movies at the Starlight Six Drive-In Theatre. It will be one of the most memorable experiences in your life.
Visiting the Atlanta History Center
At the Atlanta History Center, you can visit the Centennial Olympic Games Museum, the Atlanta History Museum, the Smith Family Farm, the Kenan Research Center, the Swan House and six historic gardens. The Atlanta History Museum offers a number of exhibitions and collections that showcase the history of Atlanta. You can also visit the Margaret Mitchell House and explore the room where the famous American author and journalist wrote her novel Gone with the Wind.
Marvelling at the Sports Venues
Sports in Atlanta are a big deal and the city is home to multiple sports venues that will most certainly take your breath away, even if you are not a sports fan. Atlanta has various state-of-the-art venues for numerous sporting events throughout the year and some of those are the Georgia Dome, the Phillips Arena, the Turner Field, the Road Atlanta and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Make sure that you go and watch a game at some of those marvellous venues and you will have the most exciting day ever.
Hanging Out in the Oval Office
At the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum, you can actually explore a perfect replica of the Oval Office and feel like a president. There are interactive displays to fulfil your experience and the library houses different documents of the United States’ President Jimmy Carter, related to both his administration and personal life.
Reaching the Top of the Stone Mountain Park
The Stone Mountain Park commemorates the southern soldiers who died in the Civil War. The Stone Mountain is located in the centre of the park and depicts the three Confederate leaders, namely President Jefferson Davis, General Stonewall Jackson and General Robert E. Lee. You can reach the top of the Stone Mountain by cable car and enjoy the amazing view. There is an artificial lake where you can take a cruise, but the park offers a lot of other activities as well, such as golf and train ride, and there is a camping and lodging option if you decide to stay.
8 Family Activities in Atlanta
Although you can visit all of these places with your kids, they would not exactly have as much fun as you would, so you should further explore the city of Atlanta to provide your kids with some actual fun. There are quite a lot of family-friendly attractions in Atlanta, so take a look at some of the best indoor and outdoor family activities you can check out.
Entertainment with Puppets
The Center for Puppetry Arts is a place where both adults and children can be entertained and educated through various performances and workshops. It has a museum area and it is one of the few puppet museums in the whole world. Don’t miss the opportunity for your kids to enjoy some of the greatest children’s fables through puppetry shows and films. They would absolutely love watching arts and crafts come to life and they will have the most amazing time. The greatest thing about such shows is that they inspire children to grow their creativity.
Going Back to the Jurassic
The Fernbank Museum of Natural History is a place that offers a lot of fun indoor activities for adults and children of all ages. You can explore cultural treasures, visit the aquarium, witness the largest dinosaurs ever discovered, see the fossils from the Jurassic period, enjoy the absolute thrill in the IMAX Theatre and indulge in many other family activities this museum has to offer. The museum also offers interaction with live animal habitats at the children’s wing, NatureQuest, where there are a lot of indoor fun activities for kids of all ages.
Having Fun with LEGOs
Taking your kids to the LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Atlanta will be one of the best adventures you can provide them with. It offers interactive rides, a Build and Test area for race cars, a 4D cinema and many more fun activities. Make sure you don’t miss the Pirate Adventure Island, where you can play together with your kids and build your own sandcastle and a pirate ship, create a treasure map and battle with other teams. Sounds fun, right? Make sure you check it out.
Meeting the Twin Pandas
The Zoo in Atlanta houses more than 1400 animals, with over 200 different species from all over the globe. While your children will surely love seeing each and every one of these interesting animals, meeting the twin pandas that were born there will certainly leave the best impression on your kids. They are fluffier and cuter than you would have ever imagined and your kids will absolutely love them. The Zoo also has a kids’ area, which features a petting zoo, a carousel, a train ride, a playground and a rock climbing wall.
Getting Hands-On with Learning
The Children’s Museum of Atlanta is a place where little kids (8-year-olds and younger) can participate in interactive hands-on activities in order for them to learn through play. Learning through play is the best thing for a child’s education, so this museum is the perfect place for them. It is the only children’s museum in Atlanta and the biggest one in Georgia. It also offers field trips, party celebrations and summer camps, as well as a space for special events.
Adventures at the Stone Mountain Museum
The Stone Mountain Museum offers a wide range of family activities for you to choose from, but you should definitely stay there for a couple of days to try and explore them all. The first thing you should try is The Summit Skyride, a cable car that takes you to the top of the Stone Mountain, from where you can have the most breathtaking view of the city of Atlanta.
The other fun family activities there include the Great Locomotive Chase, which is a miniature golf course, the Geyser Towers, the Scenic Railroad, the Camp Highland Outpost, the SkyHike for trekking through treetops, the Avalanche Alley, the SnowZone, the Tube Runners for sliding down Memorial Lawn on snow and the Great Barn, which has trampoline floors, climbing structures, super slides and over 60 interactive games. Both you and your kids will absolutely love it there, so make sure to visit the Stone Mountain and explore all of its wonders.
Being One with Nature
The Chattahoochee Nature Center is a park and nature preserve where you can have exciting canoe trips, explore hiking trails, enjoy bird shows and indulge in many more family activities. Each and every one of those will connect you and your family more to nature, not to mention that you will recharge your batteries, since being in nature will have you feel relaxed and refreshed. There are also a lot of interactive activities and quite a lot of wildlife to discover, so you can be sure to have plenty of fun if you go there.
Paranoia Quest – Escape the Room
One of the best and most fun indoor activities you and your family can experience in Atlanta is the Escape the Room game. It is a fun and interactive activity that captures all of your attention and makes you really fall in love with it. Escape the Room is a real-life adventure game meant for a small group of people who are supposed to work together towards finding a way out of the room they are in.
Finding the hidden objects, figuring out the clues, and solving the puzzles in order to escape is incredibly and indescribably fun. The timing makes it even more fun, since you have only 60 minutes to figure everything out. If you go to the Escape the Room adventure when you are in Atlanta, you will definitely come back for more.
Hopefully, this guide towards spending some quality time in Atlanta will help you make your final decision about visiting this beautiful city that offers much more possibilities. It just isn’t possible to list them all here. Nevertheless, these should definitely be your starting point when you begin exploring the city of Atlanta. Obviously, you will need to stay a little while in order to try them all out, but you can be sure that it will be worth the time. Pack your bags right away and go for an adventure of your life. Have a safe trip!
