Around Atlanta

Johns Creek, Georgia

The Parsonage

Johns Creek, Georgia

The Parsonage

Johns Creek, Georgia

The Parsonage

Johns Creek, Georgia

The Parsonage

Johns Creek, Georgia

The Parsonage

Inside This Section

It all happens here in HotLanta!

Here's a quick list of fifty or so things to do and see.

Atlanta Ballet

The nation’s oldest continually operating ballet company, The Atlanta Ballet was created in 1929. Today, the ballet’s performances combine contemporary with traditional, with classic ballets and new choreography. Performances are held at the Fox Theatre; (404) 873-5811.

Atlanta Botanical Garden

This peaceful oasis includes 30 acres of gardens, an urban forest, an orchid display, wildflower trail, the Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory and a glass-walled building housing more than 7,000 rare tropical and desert plants. A bridge links the main gardens to the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Children’s Garden, featuring programs, an amphitheatre, maze and waterfall. The new $4.8 million, 10,000 square-foot Orchid Center offers the visitor an intimate look at a fabulous new collection of beautiful, rare and endangered orchids; (404) 876-5859.

Atlanta Civil War History

The 100-year old Atlanta Cyclorama tells the history of the 1864 Battle of Atlanta through a massive circular painting and narrated dialogue; (404) 658-7625. Visitors also can learn more about Atlanta’s role in the Civil War by visiting the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park featuring 11 miles of Union and Confederate earthworks marking Civil War sites (770) 427-4686, and Historic Oakland Cemetery that serves as the final resting place for more than 3,900 Confederate soldiers, famous author Margaret Mitchell, golfing legend Bobby Jones, six Georgia governors and 25 Atlanta mayors; (404) 688-2107.

Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome

Now under the new ownership of Arthur Blank, Home Depot co-founder and Atlanta philanthropist, the Atlanta Falcons will be creating a host of exciting game-day experiences and affordable family ticket packages for the fans. The 1998 NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons gear up for the new season in September 2002. Their Georgia Dome has hosted numerous events, such as events for the 1996 Summer Olympics and most recently, Super Bowl XXXIV. Dome tours (404) 233-TOUR; Falcons tickets (404) 223-8444.

Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Thrashers at Philips Arena

Covering 4.4 acres, Philips Arena is Atlanta’s state-of-the-art multi-purpose sports and entertainment complex. The arena is home to the NBA Atlanta Hawks and the NHL Atlanta Thrashers. Philips Arena (404) 878-3000 / (800) 326-4000; Hawks tickets (404) 249-6400;Thrashers tickets (404) 584-PUCK.

Atlanta History Center

This Buckhead facility features 32 acres of gardens, wildlife trails and woodland areas. The complex includes the 1840s Tullie Smith Farm, 1928 Swan House mansion and Swan Coach House restaurant. The museum features permanent exhibitions such as “Down the Fairway with Bobby Jones” and changing exhibitions on subjects such as the Civil War, African-American heritage and Southern folk art; (404) 814-4000.

Atlanta Motor Sports

Road Atlanta in Braselton is a 2.5-mile track featuring sports car, vintage, motorcycle, motor cross and go-cart races from March through November; (770) 967-6143. The Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton is an 87- acre racing complex hosting NASCAR and ARCA events in March and November and Indy-car racing in August; (770) 946-4211. For a taste of what racing is really like, visit the Richard Petty Driving Experience at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Atlanta Dragway in Commerce (706) 335-2301; or the Andretti Speed Lab in Roswell; (770) 992-5688, featuring rides in custom-built Indy cars or karts among other racing themed entertainment. Thunder Road USA/Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in Dawsonville commemorates those who define motorsports with immense theaters and state-of-the-art interactives; (706) 216-RACE.

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chastain Park Amphitheatre

The Classic Chastain series features musicians and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performing at Chastain Park Amphitheatre while guests dine by moonlight. The Symphony, led by music director Robert Spano and principle guest conductor Donald Runnicles, also presents a series of concerts at parks and churches, in addition to the regular season at Symphony Hall in the Woodruff Arts Center; (404) 733-5000.

Atlanta University Center and the Herndon Home

The Vine City area of Atlanta holds the country’s largest concentration of African-American colleges dating back to the post-Civil War era; Clark Atlanta University, Interdenominational Theological Center, Morehouse, Morehouse School of Medicine, Morris Brown and Spelman colleges. The 1910 Herndon Home, built by Atlanta Life Insurance founder Alonzo Herndon, is nearby and is a National Historic Landmark; (404) 581-9813.

Atlanta Walking Tours

A multitude of tours are available for visitors, from historic neighborhoods to prominent buildings. The Atlanta Preservation Center offers guided walking tours of neighborhoods such as Ansley Park, a 230-acre residential district developed in 1904; Druid Hills, where you will find the home used in “Driving Miss Daisy;” Grant Park, with the antebellum Grant Mansion and beautiful park; Inman Park, one of Atlanta’s first garden suburbs; and historic Downtown; (404) 688-3350.

Atlanta Braves and Turner Field

The Atlanta Braves regular season takes place April through September at Turner Field, which hosted MLB’s All-Star Game in 2000. The Ivan Allen Jr. Braves Museum and Hall of Fame at Turner Field offers two new Hank Aaron exhibits. Both the Braves Museum and Turner Field are open year-round, even when the team is not in action. Braves information (404) 577-9100; Ivan Allen Jr. Museum (404) 614-2311.

Buckhead: “The Beverly Hills of the East”

The South’s answer to Beverly Hills, it is noted not only for the exquisite homes on rolling, wooded lands, but also as the shopping center of the Southeast, the dining room of Georgia and the nightlife capital of Atlanta. It’s also home to the Georgia Governor’s Mansion (404) 222-6688 and the Atlanta History Center; (404) 814-4000.

Centennial Olympic Park

This 21-acre site was one of the most popular spots in the city during the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. Today, year-round programming featuring concerts, family activities and artists’ markets make the park a gathering place for Atlantans and visitors alike. The park features the world’s largest Olympic Ring fountain; (404) 222-PARK.

Center for Puppetry Arts

This is the largest organization in North America dedicated to the art of puppetry. The center offers performances from the Family Series for everyone and New Directions for adults. An interactive museum, Puppets: The Power of Wonder, is the largest puppetry museum in the United States; (404) 873-3391.

Chattahoochee National Park & Nature Center

Sixteen recreation areas along a 48-mile stretch of the Chattahoochee River have been designed to conserve the river and provide outdoor entertainment for the whole family. In addition, the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell offers educational environmental programs, canoe trips and other recreational activities; Chattahoochee National Park Service (770) 952-4419, Nature Center (770) 992-2055.

Chateau Elan Winery & Resort

This 16th-century-styled French retreat about 30 minutes north of Atlanta has a festive atmosphere that encourages guests to tour the vineyards, visit the winery, lunch at a sidewalk café and play a round of golf. Visitors to this 3,100 acre facility can also enjoy treatments at the spa; resort (770) 932-0900, spa (770) 271-6064.

CNN Studio Tours

Even if you’re not a top news anchor, you still can get in on all of the action of TV news making at the headquarters of CNN and Headline News. The tour includes the Control Room Theater, the workings of the Special Effects Studio and the Main Newsroom; (404) 827-2300, (877) CNN-TOUR.

Downtown

Downtown Atlanta has been booming with the help of the influx of young professionals and artists. Attractions include First Thursdays that offers a monthly walking tour of Downtown Atlanta’s best galleries including VSA arts of Georgia; the Tabernacle, a performance venue featuring today’s top music acts; and many fine dining restaurants. In addition, all of the city’s major sports venues are located downtown.

Enjoy Atlanta’s Visual Arts Scene

The High Museum of Art displays European and American paintings, African art, decorative and 20th century art and traveling exhibits; (404) 733-HIGH. For an international focus, visit the Atlanta International Museum; (404) 688-2467 or the Michael C. Carlos Museum which focuses on the art of the ancient cultures of the Mediterranean, the Americas, Egypt, Far East and Africa; (404) 727-4282. The Clark Atlanta University Galleries (404) 880-6102 has a large collection of African-American work. The Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art; (770) 528-1444 focuses primarily on American art. The Atlanta Photography Group Gallery exhibits local and regional artists; (404) 877-1144. For figurative and realist art, visit the Oglethorpe University Museum of Art; (404) 364-8555 or go to Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center; (404) 688-1970 for experimental and visual arts.

Fernbank Museum of Natural History

This educational museum includes exhibition galleries and an IMAX Theater. Special features include displays of Argentinosaurus, the largest dinosaur ever unearthed and Giganotosaurus, the largest meat-eater ever discovered. The entire 150-acre complex also includes a science center, planetarium, observatory and a forest with trails that wind through majestic old trees; (404) 378-0127.

Georgia Aquarium

The new Georgia Aquarium, opened Nov. 23, 2005, is the largest aquarium in the world! Thanks to a generous gift from Bernie Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot, Atlanta has a new world class attraction in the Georgia Aquarium. http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/

Georgia’s History under the Gold Dome

Native gold from Lumpkin County tops the dome of the Georgia State Capitol. This 1889 building, which has recently been restored, houses a museum that collects, maintains and exhibits significant artifacts, including a priceless collection of Georgia’s state flags. 60-90 minute guided tours are available; (404) 656-2844.

Golf in Atlanta

Atlanta hosts its share of world-class golf tournaments ranging from the BellSouth Classic PGA Tourney at Sugarloaf in the suburb of Duluth to the Chick-fil-A Charity LPGA Championship at Eagle’s Landing Country Club south of the city. For visitors who would rather play than watch, the metro area has 71 public courses, 14 semi-private and 48 private courses that encompass everything from intown spots such as Bobby Jones Golf Course to championship links at Chateau Elan Winery & Resort, Stone Mountain Park and Lake Lanier Islands Resort; (404) 222-6688.

The Gone With the Wind Experience

Start by touring the three-story, Tudor Revival mansion in Midtown where author Margaret Mitchell lived from 1925 to 1932 and wrote her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The Margaret Mitchell House & Museum offers tours, a museum and museum shop, as well as a literature series that showcases Southern authors; (404) 249-7012. Then, head north to Marietta’s new Gone With The Wind Movie Museum that features the largest private collection of movie memorabilia; (770) 794-5576. Another exceptional collection of “Gone With The Wind” memorabilia owned by Herb Bridges can be found at The Road To Tara Museum, located at the Jonesboro Depot Welcome Center in Clayton County;
(770) 478 2521.

Jimmy Cart Library & Museum

Visitors to the facility dedicated to the work of former U.S. President and Georgia native Jimmy Carter can enjoy a walk through the natural surroundings in the Japanese Garden or learn from the memorabilia in the library, and a variety of traveling exhibitions; (404) 331-3942.

Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and Sweet Auburn District

This area served as the thriving center of black enterprise in Atlanta from the 1890s through the 1940s. It is the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Visit the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site with the King tomb, birth home and visitor center; (404) 331-3920.

Midtown: Atlanta’s Heart of the Arts

Numerous events are held in Midtown year-round. The Woodruff Arts Center serves as the focal point of this activity, with performances by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Alliance Theatre Company and exhibitions at the High Museum of Art. Other large venues such as the Fox Theatre offer programming including Broadway shows, Atlanta Ballet and Atlanta Opera performances; (404) 222-6688.

National Museum of Patriotism

Renew your American spirit by visiting the National Museum of Patriotism. View the Hall of Patriots or telephone a military loved one. The museum is located across from the Center for Puppetry Arts and William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, so visit all three and make it a day of culture.

Piedmont Park

Founded in 1904 with more than 180 acres, the park is situated between 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue in Midtown, Piedmont Park features woods, sports fields, Lake Clara Meer, picnic spots, walking and skating paths and annual events. These events include the Dogwood Festival with music, food and an artist market and Bark in the Park concert for patrons and their canine friends. The park also offers Screen on the Green, a weekly movie played on a large outdoor screen during the summer. Free tours are offered by the Piedmont Park Conservancy; (404) 875-PARK(7275).

Public Art in Downtown Atlanta

Grab a map from the Bureau of Cultural Affairs and explore the 50 pieces of diverse and eclectic public art found throughout Downtown Atlanta. The map provides information on the pieces and offers a self-guided walking tour for adventurous visitors; (404) 817-6815.

Roswell Historic District

Take a walking tour of downtown starting at the Historic Roswell Visitors Center or tour the antebellum homes such as Bulloch Hall, the childhood home of former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt’s mother, or Smith Plantation built in 1845 and fully furnished in period pieces belonging to the original family; (770) 640-3253.

Shop ‘til You Drop

A visit to Atlanta is not complete without at least a day of shopping. Products from around the world can be found at Atlanta’s many shopping venues including the elegant Phipps Plaza, lavish Lenox Square, trendy North Point, and of course, downtown. Travel a short distance out of the city to find gigantic discount malls such as the Mall of Georgia and Discover Mills.

There are a lot more to add ... but I think you get the picture.