You cannot see everything in downtown Atlanta during one visit, so choose your venues carefully. Personally, I find the Underground to be exhausting and the Coca Cola tour to be overrated. I just got little bang for my buck at the Coca Cola Tour. I found the tour to be overpriced for the little time we spent at the attraction. There was little to see. As far as the underground in concerned, it is a lot like an open market… underground. It is dark, damp, and sometimes a little scary. Instead of visiting the old cliché attractions, try these must-see places in Atlanta GA.
The Georgia Aquarium, http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/ one of the newest attractions in downtown is the world’s largest aquarium. It has opened 8 million gallons of fresh and marine water holding more than 100,000 animals from 500 species from around the world. Located in downtown Atlanta across from Centennial Olympic Park, at 225 Baker St, Atlanta, GA the Georgia Aquarium is amazing!
If you can, visit the aquarium during school and business hours. The weekends and holidays are always crowded and require tickets to be purchased in advance. (You will probably want to get tickets in advance, regardless of when you are visiting). Tickets can be purchased electronically online.
When I visited the aquarium, it had just opened and the people capacity was at 6000. I had a good time, but felt rushed by the crowd. The exhibits were amazing, and I would gladly return. Now that it has been lowered, you will get to relax more, and enjoy the experience without missing major parts like I did.
If you have young children, you will want to take advantage of the Georgia Explorer gallery’s children play area. Also, try to bring your smallest stroller or none at all, if possible.
The CNN Atlanta Tour at One CNN Center, Atlanta, GA www.cnn.com/tour is open daily from 8:30 until 5pm daily. It is considered one of Atlanta most popular destinations for a good reason. While the guided tour is short (only 50 minutes), seeing what happens behind the scenes is truly fascinating. For me, during my last tour, the most enjoyable moment was watching a news broadcast wrap up and then the anchors walk away in shirts, ties, suit jackets, and shorts! Children especially enjoy this tour and mine wanted to do the tour a second time on the same day. Check the website before visiting for special prices and discounts.
You might not think of the Georgia Dome www.gadome.com at One Georgia Dome Drive, NW Atlanta GA as a place to tour. Most people only go there to watch shows and other events. However, they also provide a tour through the exclusive and private areas of the dome. Tickets are only $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children and seniors (with the special downtown connects admission), a small price to pay, to see what is normally reserved for the elite.
The Atlanta History Center http://www.atlhist.org/ 130 West Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta GA has many exhibits for the curious historian. One of the newest exhibits is the Centennial Olympic Games Museum covering important events in Olympics history. In addition to many traveling and visiting exhibits, permanent exhibitions are incredibly diverse. Exhibits include, Turning Point: the American Civil War, which explores the story of confederate and Federal soldiers, and Down the Fairway with Bobby Jones an exhibit on the history of golf as well as several others.
While you are in the Centennial Park Area, be sure to visit The King Center http://www.thekingcenter.org/ . Established by Codetta Scott King the same year of her husband’s death, The King Center is considered the “living memorial dedicated to the advancement of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For a place that draws over 650,000 people yearly from all over the world, when I visited the King Center on a Friday Morning, I found it to have a peaceful, unrushed atmosphere.
Some of the exhibits at The King Center include The Beloved Community Network , the Nonviolence or Nonexistence Online Learning Program , and The King Papers Project .
