Neighborly Advice to Visiting Atlanta’s 35 attractions

by The Backseat View

Welcome to Atlanta!

Atlanta has over 35 significant entertainment options, and my Atlanta Travel Guide will help you plan navigate.

Living an hour from Atlanta provides me with multiple trips every year resulting in a detailed Atlanta Travel Guide. The city is full of people from around the world, and the restaurant scene reflects the diversity.

Fried Chicken, fried okra, biscuits, and sweet tea are the backbone of the South so plan to visit Mary Mac’s. The Broadway Shows, whale sharks, Giant Pandas, Braves games, and shopping draw a wide range of visitors for a week or weekend.

Honestly, I have a love-hate Atlanta relationship. I love singing with my favorite band, visiting the pandas, and savoring an Oscar-style steak but I hate the traffic and sketchiness that’s Atlanta.

Planning Steps

Before exploring all Atlanta has to offer in The Atlanta Travel Guide, let’s review planning steps for the perfect trip.

1. A weekend in Atlanta always revolves around an event so buying tickets to the concert, game or play is the first step.

2. Select 2-3 options a day that my Atlanta Travel Guide provides for a basic itinerary.

3. Then, choose a hotel near your attractions or in Buckhead.

4.Next, buy timed-entrance tickets to the attractions.

5. Finally, make dinner reservations for a perfect Atlanta weekend.

SAMPLE ITINERARY

Most weekend trips start in Buckhead on Friday for shopping at Lenox Square, then a Braves game with dinner in The Battery. Saturday is for downtown attractions, Georgia Aquarium, World of Coke, dinner at Mary Mac’s, and a State Farm Arena event. Sunday is for the Zoo or the Botanical Gardens and Piedmont Park. Instead of downtown attractions, go to the Ponce City Market, walk the Beltline, or catch a Broadway play at The Fox with lunch at Mary Mac’s.

Tips for surviving Atlanta.

1. CRIME IS REAL HERE.

2. Downtown has a large number of homeless people.

3. Don’t stroll around Atlanta at night, instead visit malls or evening events.

4. Pay for the expensive ($25-$70) parking deck so the car isn’t stolen.

5. Racecar drivers in extreme levels of traffic. Welcome to Atlanta!

6. Due to horrific traffic that never lets up, plan lodging around activities.

7. Half the streets in the town are named Peachtree and one-way.

8. No locals use public transportation, Marta system. It takes an hour to get anywhere. Buying a Marta card and riding the buses is simple, but Uber or driving is faster.

9. Electric scooters are for rent everywhere in downtown.

10. It’s HOT in the South (100 degrees in the shade), so plan accordingly for summer.

11. No one refers to the city as “Hot-Lanta,” so don’t.

12. Bring every frizz hair product you own to fight the humidity.

13. ALL OF ATLANTA IS CROWDED. Plan an extra HOUR to get anywhere.

14. Most attractions are timed entrance so buy tickets a week out.

15. The Beltline is a large urban park that will eventually circle Atlanta. It’s a walking, running, and bike path that connects to restaurants and breweries around the city.

16. The airport is one of the biggest in the world, so be prepared for those hours-long security lines. We fly out of Atlanta yearly and always arrive at security at least two hours before departure. We plan to park 2.5 hours before departure at Park & Fly.

17. The Atlanta City Pass provides discounts for downtown attractions.

18. Tiny Doors ATL has Tiny 7-inch Doors for a fairy or spirit carved into trees around the city. People use it as a scavenger hunt to explore the city.

Atlanta Travel Guide Activities by area

BUCKHEAD (North & New)

1. Braves Game at Truist Park

• This is the newer, multi-million dollar mansions part of Atlanta.

• The Battery is outside the stadium with all the food and shopping choices to spend time before a game, so arrive early.

• My guys love watching batting practice so buy those extra tickets for avid fans. BP provides better pictures of the players and the possibility of an autograph. Bring a real leather baseball, the slick ones just smear the autograph.
• The Stadium has a history and trophies area so walkaround.
• The stadium frequently closes bathrooms during the 9th inning.
• Buy your parking ticket in the Red or Orange Deck or the Green Lot at the same time as your ticket. The Yellow Deck is the farthest away.
• Cheaper parking decks come with complications, like the deck not opening until 5 p.m. due to work traffic.
• Omni Hotel at the Battery overlooks the stadium.
• Hampton Inn & Suites Atlanta- Galleria and Doubletree Suites by Hilton are within walking distance.

2. iFLY Indoor Skydiving is a few streets over from the Braves and we love it. It’s perfect for an extended family trip because all ages can do it. It runs around $100 for 2 flights.

3. A Girl’s Weekend filled with shopping begins at Lenox Square, with Neiman Marcus, Prada, and Louis Vuitton.

• The Phipps Plaza has Legoland Discovery Center, FENDI, DIOR, and Jimmy Choo.

• The Buckhead Village District has rag & bone, Theory, and HERMES. This is high-end shopping at its best, with large, beautiful malls. You will find me at the Buckhead Goodwill or Consignment stores.

4. Tour The Atlanta History Center and Swan House Mansion built in the 1920s and used as a filming location in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”. The historic homes, log cabins, gardens, Civil War, Georgia, and Native American history make it a worthy $24 per person stop.

5. I prefer to stay in the Buckhead area. St. Regis is a luxury hotel near restaurants and 15 minutes from Truist Park. The Ritz Carlton, The Four Seasons and Waldorf Astoria are nearby.

6. BONES is the BEST steakhouse in Atlanta, with 18 years of awards, so make reservations in advance. Dress Code is required and, mainly adults. This is an old-school, country club-type feel and the perfect date night. Bones is an experience that makes you smile long after the food is gone.

7. Canoe is located north of Buckhead and is worth the drive from anywhere. It’s elegant garden dining on the banks of the Chattahoochee River with award-winning food. It’s an Atlanta CLASSIC and one of the best restaurants in the country, so make reservations. I LOVE this place and the Popcorn ice-cream sundae.

8. Ray’s on the River is classic, special occasion, fine dining seafood with a view. If Bones and Canoe are booked, this is my next date night choice.

Farther North

9. Margaret Mitchell House is the home of the “Gone with the Wind” author. It’s a Tudor Revival Mansion turned museum with $13 tickets.

10. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center is elegant and classy. Opera, The Nutcracker, and musical groups perform here. If the FOX doesn’t have your event, check here.

MIDTOWN – Arts and residential

11. The Atlanta Botanical Garden is stepping out of the busy city into a world of serenity and beauty. It is magical. It’s a peaceful sky bridge in a forest located in Atlanta. Instagram girls come for the photos, but I relax and soak in the beauty.

Tour the award-winning orchid house and find the Chihuly sculpture. The Garden Lights, Holiday Nights Christmas event sells out every year. Inside the gardens, Longleaf Restaurant stays packed. Use the parking deck and beware of summer heat and events in Piedmont Park that overcrowd the gardens.

12. Piedmont Park is accessed by the Botanical Gardens, so use their parking deck. Piedmont Park has concerts, Farmer’s Market, summer festivals, and other events. The Park is 185 acres and is a great place to get lost in nature. This is Atlanta’s version of Central Park, with the best views of the Atlanta skyline.

13. The Center for Puppetry Arts is adorable, fun, and unique. I LOVE their original RUDOLPH, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, puppet show. It’s the 1964 classic Christmas puppets and runs $25/person. This is the best puppet show museum in the nation. The Jim Henson Sesame Street Collection, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fraggle Rock, and puppets from around the world call this magical place home.

14. High Museum of Art has a renowned collection of historical and contemporary art.

15. The historic Fox Theater has the best Broadway Plays and Ballets perform in their opulent venue. I LOVE coming here!

16. Mary Mac’s Tea Room is a few streets over from the Fox Theater. I LOVE this Atlanta 1945-era restaurant with the best comfort food in Atlanta. I MUST eat here in this well-preserved historic restaurant during family outings.

17. Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse is technically Downtown, but not within walking distance. I love a delicious dinner with a Shakespeare play. The actors are talented, and it’s a fun night with a table of friends in an old tavern. I LOVE Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, performed yearly. This casual beer tavern provides tickets ranging from $26-$46 dollars plus food.

18. South City Kitchen and Flying Biscuit Café are on my list of places to eat.

DOWNTOWN – Tourist Attractions

19. Centennial Park has the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, College Football Museum, Children’s Museum, Sky View (Ferris Wheel), and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights around it. The State Farm Arena for concerts, Hawks basketball games, and the Atlanta Falcon’s Mercedes-Benz football Stadium are nearby. The 22-acre park is relaxing and welcomes many festivals. Reminders that Atlanta hosted the 1996 Olympics surround the park.

• The Best Fine Dining within walking distance is Ray’s in the City with Oscar-style steak and fresh seafood. It runs $100/ person and reservations are recommended.

• The Sun Dial Restaurant, Hard Rock Café, Ted’s Montana Grill, Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, and 50 other restaurants provide food choices.

• The Omni Hotel at Centennial Park is luxurious and has the best location.

• The Hampton Inn & Suites Atlanta- Downtown is my hotel choice.
• The Children’s Museum is a science center for kids under 8.
• There are several Escape rooms around Atlanta.

20. The Georgia Aquarium is the BEST ATTRACTION in Atlanta at $43/person and the biggest aquarium in the country. Buy the earliest tickets available and your parking pass a few days before your visit because they sell out. Then, make reservations for the dolphin and sea lion shows. Plan for half a day and extreme crowds.

21. The World of Coca-Cola has delightful, entertaining hosts and is a refreshing two-hour event. The highlight is the tasting room sampling drinks from around the world. Learn about the bottling process, walk through history, and meet the Coke Polar Bear for $20/person.

22. The College Football Museum has a field for kids to practice kicking field goals and running. The museum is very computer-interactive. I enjoyed the helmets, trophies, and historic uniforms. The bigger the football fan, the more you enjoy this $30/person museum. I’m an average fan and prefer World of Coca-Cola.

Chick-fil-A is next door to the College Football Museum for affordable lunch.

23. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights focuses on the fight for human rights worldwide. The museum has interactive displays and a sobering gallery about human rights leaders and abusers. It’s very educational for two hours and $20.

24. The Sky View is the Ferris Wheel in the park that’s 20 stories tall providing views over the city. It’s $17/person for 6 minutes of views.

25. State Farm Arena hosts concerts and The Hawks basketball games. Event parking is $50-$70. The CNN parking deck and State Farm Arena Sapphire are the closest to the arena. The upper-level seats have air blowing on your head, so bring a jacket.

The Mercedes-Benz Stadium hosts the Falcons, SEC Championship, and Concerts.

26. CNN offers news tours.

27. The Varsity is an Atlanta tradition that has been family-owned and operated since 1928. Famous chili, hot dogs, burgers, onion rings and fries. The place is legendary, LOUD, and an old drive-in. The Varsity requires a short drive.

28. Atlanta’s America’s Market is the biggest wholesale market in the world, located in the three largest buildings. You can shop with a business license, be signed up for the market, and follow the other five rules.

Itinerary option– Grab a hotel downtown and spend the weekend at the attractions with a concert or a football game.

SOUTH

29. The Atlanta Zoo is one of the best zoos in the nation. The animals have entertaining habitats and appear happy. The largest Gorilla troop in America, the award-winning reptile Scaly Slimy Spectacular building, and the Giant pandas are the zoo stars.

The zoo has timed entrance tickets, and the parking lot fills by 11 a.m. The zoo is next door to Grant Park. The Zoo is only 4 miles from downtown but the drive can take 30 minutes. The ticket prices vary by date from $25-$33.

The Delta Flight Museum for aviation fans provides Hanger Tours.

EASTSIDE

• Reminds me of Memphis, quirky and hip vibe

30. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park and the King Center across the street provide a tour through history. The three main sites are the home where he was born, the church where he preached, and the memorial site where he is buried. The site is educational, free and inspiring.

31. Little Five Points– is a quirky neighborhood with vintage thrift stores and street art.

• Junkman’s Daughter is a unique store with jewelry, decorations, and clothes.

• The Vortex Bar and Grill is the quirkiest place to grab a burger for 21 and up. There’s also a second restaurant in Midtown.
• Underground Atlanta is a shopping and entertainment district.

32. The Ponce City Market and Krog City Market have many food choices near the beltline. It’s a fun atmosphere with cute stores. The Ponce City Market has a small amusement park, Skyline Park, on the roof with spectacular views of Atlanta’s skyline.

33. Fernbank Museum is a Natural History Museum with DINOSAURS. Travel around the world and back in time with the Vikings and dinosaurs. The Fernbank Forest has 2 miles of walking paths winding through 65 acres. The ticket prices run $25/person. Fernbank Science Center has planetarium shows, next door.

OUTSIDE ATLANTA

34. Six Flags over Georgia is a theme park with coasters, Goliath is my favorite, and waterpark rides. Season passes sale for $50-$75. The Christmas lights are magical and the Halloween displays are spooky. The theme park is 10 miles outside the city.

35. Six Flags White Water is a massive water park that comes with your season pass.

36. Stone Mountain is 20 miles outside Atlanta and worth the drive. It has a mountain with confederate leaders carved in it, trains, shows, and fabulous holiday displays. Tickets vary for the event. Christmas tickets are half off the second week in October.

Atlanta has something for everyone, so y’all come visit and enjoy a glass of sweet tea. Thanks for reading my Atlanta Travel Guide!