Welcome to the land of the free andthe home of the Braves—as well as theFalcons, Hawks, Coca-Cola, “Gone withthe Wind,” Martin Luther King Jr., CNN,and the world’s largest aquarium anddrive-in. From Centennial Olympic Parkand the historic Fox Theatre to Little FivePoints and the Atlanta Botanical Garden,the recreational and entertainmentoptions in Atlanta are virtually endless.
For NACS Show attendees on a limitedschedule, however, deciding whichof the many attractions to explore canbe a little overwhelming—especially ifthis is your fi rst foray to “The Big Peach,”as the city has affectionately come to becalled. While it’s also recommended thatyou visit Atlanta.net for a comprehensivelisting of tourist sites, hotels, restaurantsand events in the area, this handy getawayguide can help you effi ciently and convenientlyplan your itinerary.
Downtown Destinations
It’s hard to resist the energy and allure ofdowntown Atlanta, where several of thecity’s best amenities await, including:
Georgia Aquarium: The ultra-rarewhale shark, AT&T Dolphin Tales show,Animal Interactions swim-and-dive programfor visitors, and 10 million gallons ofgalleries, exhibits and aquatic wonders areamong the many reasons to check out thisHotlanta hotspot—the largest aquariumon the planet. The latest exhibit is “Frogs:A Chorus of Colors,” which showcases15 species of colorful frogs in more than3,000 square feet of unique habitats. $35general admission (404-581-4000; georgiaaquarium.org).
World of Coca-Cola: Ever wonderwhere the 125-year-old secret formulafor the world’s most popular soft drinkis stored? Visit this memorable museum,which features more than 1,200 artifactsfrom around the world that, until now,have never before been displayed to thepublic. Browse historic artifacts and thePlantBottle packaging “living” display, andwatch a movie at the Happiness FactoryTheater. The site’s newest attraction is“American Originals: Norman Rockwell& Coca-Cola,” displaying several oil paintingsby the popular artist that feature theiconic soda product. $16 general admission(404-676-5151; worldofcoca-cola.com).
Inside CNN Studio Tour: This outingprovides a once-in-a-lifetime peekinside the global headquarters of cableTV giant CNN. Go behind the scenesand get expanded access to the workingstudios—including the newsrooms andcontrol room—of CNN Worldwide witha VIP tour, or take an express tour of theacclaimed program “Morning Express withRobin Meade.” Fifty-five minute guidedwalking tours depart approximately every10 minutes. $15 general admission (404-827-2300; cnn.com/tour).
Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site: Learn about MLK’s life and hisinfluence on others by visiting this importanteducational attraction. Explore the visitorcenter/museum that chronicles the civilrights movement and King’s involvementin it, King’s boyhood home, the originalEbenezer Baptist Church where he pastored,the International Civil Rights Walk ofFame, the “I Have a Dream” InternationalWorld Peace Rose Garden, and King’s finalresting place. Free admission and parking(404-331-5190; nps.gov/malu).
Centennial Olympic Park: Originallybuilt for the 1996 summer Olympic Games,this 21-acre public park hosts millions ofvisitors and numerous concerts and specialevents annually. Check out the Fountainof Rings, one of Georgia’s most instantlyrecognizable and photographed landmarks,featuring the world’s largest interactivefountain—with the Olympic Ring symbolas its visual theme—that plays four timesdaily, 365 days a year. Free admission (404-223-4412; centennialpark.com)
SkyView Atlanta: You’ve never beenon a Ferris wheel quite like this before.Located at the south end of CentennialPark, this unmistakable attraction is nearly20 stories high, containing 42 gondolasthat can each hold up to six people. Your15-minute ride offers a spectacular viewof downtown Atlanta that you’ll want tosoak in and photograph. $14.45 generaladmission (skyviewatlanta.com).
Oakland Cemetery: Visit the finalresting place of some of Atlanta’s mostimportant historical figures, includingMargaret Mitchell, Bobby Jones andMaynard Jackson. This unique gardencemetery boasts winding paths, elaboratemausoleums, soaring sculptures, stainedglasswindows from Tiffany studios,memorable bronze urns more than 6 feethigh, and breathtaking examples of artand architecture in many styles, includingGreek revival, neo-classical, Victorian,Egyptian, gothic and exotic revival. Freeadmission (404-688-2107; oaklandcemetery.com).
Midtown Must-sees
There’s more to Atlanta than its activeurban hub and eclectic downtown sites.Cultural highlights and Mother Naturenotables are found across the greatermetropolitan area within several differentneighborhoods that are each worthexploring. (Search Atlanta-midtown formore information and ideas.)
Fine and Performing Arts: One of theworld’s choicest collections of pricelesspaintings, sculptures and other artisticworks is waiting to be discovered at theHigh Museum of Art, where masterpiecesby Monet, Tiepolo and Bellini are on permanentdisplay. The collections consistof more than 12,000 pieces and include19th and 20th century decorative andAmerican art, as well as major Europeanworks, modern and contemporary art,photography and more. $19.50 generaladmission (404-733-4400; high.org).
Just across the street is the Museum of Design Atlanta, the only museum in theSoutheast dedicated solely to the studyand appreciation of all things design.MODA most recently debuted “Barrique:Wine, Design and Social Change,”an exhibit that showcases a wine-barrelrecycling project occurring at Europe’slargest residential treatment center foryoung women and men recovering fromdrug addiction and social exclusion.$10 general admission (404-979-6455;museumofdesign.org).
And even if you didn’t bring the kids,you can feel like a kid again at the Centerfor Puppetry Arts, which celebrates theart and wonder of puppetry and housesmore than 350 puppets from around theworld, among them famous creations byJim Henson. $16.50 general admission(404.873.3089; puppet.org).
Natural Wonders: Yearn to communewith nature and bask in the great outdoors?Make plans to stop by the AtlantaBotanical Garden, where you can experience30 acres of trails and gardens aswell as a conservatory and orchid center.“Imaginary Worlds,” the top exhibit for2013, is still open through October, featuring19 amazing living sculptures up to25 feet tall—including a cobra, goddess,unicorn and ogre. $19 general admission(404-876-5859; atlantabotanicalgarden.org). Or take a scenic walk or jogthrough Piedmont Park, Atlanta’s versionof Central Park, which comes alive mostweekends with various music, sports andrecreational festivities. Free admission(404-875-7275; piedmontpark.org).
View the Brew: Learn about treasuredarea libations and satiate your palate withfresh suds by embarking on two famousAtlanta brewery tours and tastings. Thefirst brings you to the headquartersof SweetWater, which concocts up to100,000 barrels of beer a year. Free admission(404-691-2537; sweetwaterbrew.com). The second takes you to the homeof award-winning Red Brick, the oldestoperating craft brewery in the state. Freeadmission (404-355-5558; redbrickbrewing.com).
Making the Rounds Uptown
Eager for excitement and souvenirsbeyond downtown and midtown? Buckup and head to Buckhead, known for itschic shops, distinguished dining establishmentsand impressive mansions.While uptown, consider visiting:
The Atlanta History Center: Thisunique campus houses the AtlantaHistory Museum, Centennial OlympicGames Museum, Swan House, SmithFamily Farm, Kenan Research Center,Margaret Mitchell House and six picturesquegardens. The most currenttemporary exhibit spotlights “NativeLands: Indians and Georgia.” $16.50general admission (404-814-4000;atlantahistorycenter.com).
Chastain Park: Spanning more than260 acres, this is Atlanta’s largest park—the ideal place for an outdoor excursion,with its plentiful fields, tennis courts,arts center, golf course, walking trail,horse park and massive amphitheater.Free admission (chastainpark.org).
Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza: Shop ’til you drop at these two indoor,upscale malls located in different areasof Buckhead, each featuring a widevariety of specialty shops, departmentstores and designer boutiques. LenoxSquare retailers include Louis Vuitton,Fendi, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus,Cartier and Herve Leger; Phipps Plazanotables include Nordstrom, Saks FifthAvenue, Tiffany & Co., Gucci and Belk.Free admission (404-233-6767, simon.com/mall/lenox-square; 404-261-7910,simon.com/mall/phipps-plaza).
LEGOLAND Discovery Center: Traveling with the youngsters to theNACS Show? Take them to a placethey’ll never forget. This interactivewonderland is loaded with familyfriendlyamenities, from the LEGOfactory and MINILAND to KingdomQuest, the 4D Cinema and the MasterBuilder Academy. $19 general admission(404-848-9252; legolanddiscoverycenter.com/atlanta).
Other Unforgettable Options
Some of the best that Atlanta has tooffer isn’t easily categorized into a commonterritory or type. During your stay,these other memorable attractions arealso strongly recommended:
Stone Mountain Park: The adventureof a lifetime beckons at StoneMountain Park, home of an enormousquartz monzonite mountainthat sports an amazing Confederatememorial carving—the largest highrelief sculpture in the world. Visit thequarry exhibit, songbird habitat andtrail, and Confederate Hall museum, getwet walking the suspended rope bridgesand net tunnels of Geyser Towers, andtrek through the treetops on suspendedwooden bridges at SkyHike. $28 generaladmission (770-498-5690; stonemountainpark.com).
Zoo Atlanta: Komodo dragons,Aldabra tortoises, African lions, exotickookaburras and Panamanian goldenfrogs are among the many colorful,diverse species on display at this worldrenownedzoo, which has the country’slargest zoological collections of orang-utans and gorillas and is one of onlya few American zoos featuring giantpandas. $22 general admission (404-624-WILD; zooatlanta.org).
Fernbank Museum of Natural History: Ever wanted to see the world’slargest dinosaurs up close and personal?Book a trip to Fernbank and witnessa 123-foot-long Argentinosaurus,among other Mesozoic-era goliaths.Discover the wonders of the naturalworld at NatureQuest, travel back intime through the natural history andgeography of Georgia, explore theWorld of Shells, and witness an inspiringcultural collection of masks, jewelry,costumes and other artifacts. Themuseum’s newest limited-engagementexhibit is “Marco Polo: Man & Myth.”$19 general admission (404-929-6300;fernbankmuseum.org).
Jimmy Carter Library and Museum: Learn about one of Georgia’s favoritesons and revisit the Carter presidency.View an exact replica of the OvalOffice, gifts received by the Carter family,important historical photographsand memorabilia, and more. $8 generaladmission (404-865-7100; jimmycarterlibrary.gov).
Six Flags Over Georgia: Get yourkicks on thrill such as Goliath, Superman:Ultimate Flight, Georgia Cycloneand The Great American ScreamMachine; simulate white-water raftingon the Thunder River; enjoy a live show;or snap a picture with your favoritelarger-than-life Looney Tunes character.$60 general admission (770-948-9290;sixflags.com/overGeorgia).
Balloons Over Georgia: Top offyour trip and create indelible memoriesby taking a ride in a hot-air balloon.This one-hour guided tour will, on aclear day, provide up to a 50-mile viewthat reveals the Atlanta skyline, KennesawMountain, Stone Mountain, LakeLanier, and the edges of the Appalachianand Blue Ridge Mountain ranges. Youmay even spot red-tail hawks, largecranes and blue herons, so pack thecamera. $200 per person (678-283-4033; balloonsovergeorgia.com).
Fact-lanta
Bet you didn’t know these facts about Atlanta:
- The city was originally called “Terminus”and “Marthasville” before it wasrenamed “Atlanta” in 1845.
- Located at the foothills of the southernAppalachians, Atlanta’s landscape isprimarily distinguished by rolling hills and broad, smooth uplands.
- Entrepreneur Asa Candler paid $2,300to own Coca-Cola in 1891; a year later he founded The Coca-Cola Co, long based in Atlanta.
- Atlantan Margaret Mitchell’s “GoneWith the Wind” was published in 1936,for which she won the Pulitzer Prize thenext year.
- The city is one of only two in theworld to be home to two Nobel PeacePrize winners: Martin Luther King Jr. andformer President Jimmy Carter.
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta InternationalAirport is the world’s busiest passengerairport.
- Atlanta is the seventh most visitedcity in the United States, with more than42 million visitors in 2012.
- In the past six years, the metro areahas added more people—458,000 annually—than any other in the country.
- The city has more than 65 streetscontaining the word “Peachtree.”
- At 825 feet tall, Atlanta’s StoneMountain is the world’s largest freestandingpiece of exposed granite.year
Do as the Atlantans Do
The NACS Show dates are fortuitously timed to coincide with hot happenings scheduled exclusively in and around Atlanta in October. So let carpe diem be your credo, and considerattending these limited-run performances, exhibits and festivals during your South east sojourn. (Visit the October calendar at atlantaplanit.com for more details.)
- Concert by renowned pianist Steven Lin at Ferst Center for the Arts: 8 p.m. Oct. 11 (ticketsfrom $25).
- Third Country, an original dramatic play at Horizon Theatre: 8 p.m. Oct. 11; 3 and 8:30p.m. Oct. 12; 5 p.m. Oct. 13 (tickets from $25).
- 11th Annual Pumpkin Festival, free (with park admission) at Stone Mountain Park: 10:30a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 11 and 13; 10:30 a.m. to 7p.m. Oct. 12.
- University Symphony Orchestra free concert at Georgia State University School of Music Arts: 3 p.m. Oct. 13.
- Michael McDonald concert at Atlanta Symphony Hall: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13 (tickets from $35).
- Art Linkage, a free art installation at the Georgia State University Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design Gallery: 10 a.m. to 6p.m. Oct. 14-16.
- “Ina Garten: The Barefoot Contessa,” a conversation with the Food Network host at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre:-round.
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