Atlanta

A must-visit if you’re ever in Atlanta. This sacred area pays a beautiful and serene tribute to the leader of the Civil Rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. — On the Grid

The emotional core of this sprawling city can be found in the Preservation District of downtown Atlanta's Sweet Auburn neighborhood. — Concierge

Begin your tour at The Martin Luther King Jr., National Historic Site Visitor Center, where the history of black America... is told. — Michelin Guide

The historic site commemorates the life, work and legacy of the civil rights lodestar. The center takes up several blocks. — Lonely Planet

The Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site provides a definitive look at the life of the great native-Atlantan civil rights leader. — Travel + Leisure

Part of the Woodruff Arts Center, the High is one of Atlanta's premier cultural institutions and is conveniently located in the city's Midtown arts district. — Concierge

The High's $130-million, three-building expansion brought the museum to truly world-class status. — Frommer's

Designed in 1983 by Richard Meier, the High was named one of the 10 best works of American architecture of the 1980s by the American Institute of Architects — Where

The star in the Woodruff Arts Center's crown is this striking contemporary structure... covered with white porcelain-enameled steel panels. — Michelin Guide

Atlanta's modern High Museum was the first museum in the world to ever exhibit art lent from Paris' Louvre and is a destination as much for its architecture as its world-class exhibits. — Lonely Planet

The Atlanta History Center is the hub of preservation in the city and owns the Margaret Mitchell House, Swan House, and the Tullie Smith House in addition to its main facility. — Afar Magazine

Start here to learn Atlanta's history. — Not For Tourists

The Atlanta History Center chronicles the past of Georgia and the Southeast, as well as the history of Atlanta. — Frommer's

This history museum centers on the Swan House, a 1930s mansion designed by iconic Atlanta architect Philip Trammell Shutze. — Lonely Planet

Four excellent permanent exhibits in the Atlanta History Museum bring the city's defining experiences to life. — Michelin Guide

Faithfully preserved records and artifacts from the 39th president's administration are on permanent display at this museum and library. — Concierge

This complex occupies the site where Union General William T. Sherman orchestrated the Battle of Atlanta (1864). — Fodor's

Located on a hilltop overlooking downtown, it features exhibits highlighting Jimmy Carter's 1977–81 presidency, including a replica of the Oval Office. — Lonely Planet

The official library/museum of Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the US (1977-81). — Michelin Guide

This impressive presidential library houses some 27 million pages of documents, memoranda, and correspondence from Jimmy Carter's White House years. — Frommer's

The world's largest aquarium is one of Atlanta's absolute must-visits. — Travel + Leisure

Since it opened to continual massive crowds in late 2005, the world's largest aquarium has had Atlanta abuzz about its 8 million gallons of fresh and marine water. — Frommer's

With more than 10 million gallons of water, this wildly popular attraction is the world's largest aquarium. — Fodor's

Georgia Aquarium is the world's largest in terms of gallons of water (10 million), square footage (604,000) and number of aquatic animals (tens of thousands). — Where

The world's largest aquarium is Atlanta's showstopper. It's crowded, like Venice, but it's awesomeness is hard to deny. — Lonely Planet

Soft drink ad disguised as museum. — Not For Tourists

Displays here trace the Coca-Cola story from its humble beginnings at a downtown Atlanta drug store to its multinational presence today. — Michelin Guide

An exposition showcasing the world's most popular soft drink, World of Coca-Cola sounds like a huge Coke commercial -- and it is. — Frommer's

Next door to the Georgia Aquarium, this self-congratulatory museum might prove entertaining to fans of the fizzy beverage and rash commercialization. — Lonely Planet

You can sip samples of 60 different Coca-Cola products from around the world and peruse more than a century's worth of memorabilia from the corporate archives. — Fodor's

A shrine to the author of Gone With the Wind . Mitchell wrote her epic in a small apartment in the basement of this historic house, though nothing inside it actually belonged to her. — Lonely Planet

The restored home of “Gone With the Wind” author Margaret Mitchell showcases furniture, letters and memorabilia from Mitchell’s life — Where

To many Atlantans, the Margaret Mitchell House symbolizes the conflict between promoting the city's heritage and respecting its roots. — Fodor's

Eight decades after it was first published, Gone With the Wind continues to fascinate people around the world. — Frommer's

Called "the dump" by the "Gone with the Wind" author. — Not For Tourists

The Zoo Atlanta , which features flamingos, elephants, kangaroos and the odd tiger. But the zoo's pride and joy are the giant pandas. — Lonely Planet

This delightful 40-acre zoo dates from 1889, when George W. Hall (aka "Popcorn George") brought his traveling circus to town. — Frommer's

Founded in 1889—originally with animals stranded from a traveling circus gone bankrupt—Zoo Atlanta is now a state-of-the-art facility, where all creatures live in re-created habitats. — Travel + Leisure

Starring Lun Lun and Yang Yang, those adorable Commie pandas! — Not For Tourists

This zoo has more than 1,500 animals and 200 species from around the world living in naturalistic habitats. — Fodor's

It was the 1996 Centennial Olympic Summer Games that turned Atlanta into the direction it is now heading. — Afar Magazine

Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park is the city's focal point for visitors. — Lonely Planet

Kids love running through the fountains. — Not For Tourists

This 21-acre park is a permanent legacy to the Atlanta-hosted 1996 Olympic games — Where

The park, with its centerpiece Olympic Rings fountain, hosts special events downtown. — Michelin Guide

Atlanta's answer to Central Park. — Not For Tourists

Considered Atlanta's Central Park, the 182-acre park is popular with joggers, bicyclists and rollerbladers, and hosts festivals and events nearly every weekend during warm-weather months — Where

Piedmont Park is still expanding: 35 acres complete with a fountain and new sports facilities were added in 2011, and another 15 were tacked on in 2012. — Fodor's

If you want to get in touch with nature, spend an afternoon in Piedmont Park, Atlanta’s answer to New York’s Central Park. — Afar Magazine

Piedmont Park's 185 acres encompass the Atlanta Botanical Garden. — Michelin Guide

Occupying 30 acres inside Piedmont Park, the grounds contain acres of display gardens... and the award-winning Fuqua Orchid Center. — Fodor's

Piedmont Park has playgrounds, fishing ponds, extensive jogging and bicycle paths, a tennis center, and playing fields that can be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis online. — Concierge

The Atlanta Botanical Garden has been voted the city's best place to commune with nature and upon visiting you'll agree. Located next to the sprawling Piedmont Park, the gardens boast 30... — Afar Magazine

Great for green thumbs. — Not For Tourists

In the northwest corner of Piedmont Park, the stunning 30-acre botanical garden has a Japanese garden, winding paths and the amazing Fuqua Orchid Center. — Lonely Planet

While there is certainly an emphasis on the Civil Rights Movement, mostly due to the center's Atlanta location, the center also has exhibits on what's going on in the modern age. — Afar Magazine

A collection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s handwritten manuscripts, documents and personal effects...multisensory galleries about the American Civil Rights Movement; and a human rights gallery. — Where

The 43,000-square-foot facility is also home to the Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection and rotating exhibits that trace the history of various human rights struggles. — Travel + Leisure

The Center for Civil and Human Rights is dedicated to the achievements of the Civil Rights movement here in the States as well as the achievements of human rights for all across the globe. — On the Grid

This striking 2014 addition to Atlanta's Centennial Park is a sobering $68 million memorial to the American Civil Rights and Global Human Rights Movements. — Lonely Planet

This thriving mix of street vendors, retail outlets, entertainment and dining facilities. — Michelin Guide

The complex is still worth a look if you're in the downtown area, but keep in mind that it's mostly a tourist attraction at this point. It's still struggling to find its place in the urban mix. — Frommer's

This downtown area dates back to the 1800s, and is where Atlanta began as a railroad town — Where

Created from the web of subterranean brick streets, ornamental facades, and tunnels that fell into disuse in 1929. — Fodor's

The ultimate tourist trap. — Not For Tourists

This former movie palace with a can't-miss marquee on Peachtree Street plays hosts to more than 250 shows each year, from Broadway productions to concerts. — Travel + Leisure

This 1929 theater is a lavish showplace of Moorish-Egyptian style. Upcoming shows: Mamma Mia, June 13-18; Bring It Live, June 29. — Where

One of a dwindling number of vintage movie palaces in the nation, the Fox was built in 1929 in a fabulous Moorish-Egyptian style. — Fodor's

Beautiful temple-turned-theatre. Check out the sky ceiling. — Not For Tourists

The Fox Theatre, a world-renowned event venue on Peachtree Street, began its story in a most unusual way. In 1928, the Fox was originally conceived as a home for Atlanta’s Shriners... — On the Grid

The gold-domed capitol is Atlanta's political hub. The free tours include a film about the legislative process and a glance at the government's communications facility. — Lonely Planet

Modeled after the nation's Capitol, another neoclassical edifice atop a "crowning hill," its 75-foot dome, covered in gold leaf and topped by a Statue of Freedom, is a major Atlanta landmark. — Frommer's

Located on the fourth floor of the capitol, a museum displays exhibits about Georgia’s resources, history and government, plus quirky artifacts. — Where

The capitol, a Renaissance-style edifice, was dedicated on July 4, 1889. The gold leaf on its dome was mined in nearby Dahlonega. — Fodor's

A scaled-down version of the US Capitol in Washington, DC. — Michelin Guide

Founded in 1886, Ebenezer was a spiritual center of the civil rights movement from 1960 to 1968, when Martin Luther King, Jr., served as copastor. — Frommer's

Martin Luther King Jr, his father and grandfather were all pastors here, and King Jr's mother was the choir director — Lonely Planet

A Gothic Revival–style building completed in 1922, the church came to be known as the spiritual center of the civil rights movement. — Fodor's

To better understand the Civil Rights Movement and its impact on Atlanta, stop by Ebenezer Baptist Church, a living, breathing landmark. — Afar Magazine

Where Martin Luther King, Jr. first preached. — Not For Tourists

Built in 1904 for Rhodes Furniture founder Amos Rhodes, the Romanesque Revival-style “Castle on Peachtree” was constructed of Stone Mountain granite. — Where

Rhodes Hall is one of a few remaining pre-World War I Peachtree Street mansions -- a significant reminder that Peachtree was once a fashionable residential street. — Frommer's

Inside, the grand mahogany staircase is flanked by nine stained-glass panels depicting the rise and fall of the Confederacy. — Michelin Guide

This former residence, now headquarters of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, is one of the finest works of Atlanta architect Willis F. Denny II. — Fodor's

Civil War soldiers, captains of industry, and paupers all interred on historic grounds.  — Atlas Obscura

The best place in Atlanta to hang with the dead. Less than a mile from downtown, Oakland Cemetery is the resting place to some of Atlanta’s first citizens and dates back to the 1850s. — On the Grid

Follow winding paths through ornate mausoleums and sculptures at this eerie Grant Park attraction. — Travel + Leisure

The 48-acre Oakland Cemetery is a showplace of sculpture and architecture, a botanical preserve and a quiet retreat. — Where

Final resting place for notable Atlantans. Gorgeous architecture. — Not For Tourists

Visitors can get a behind-the-scenes look at the workings of the CNN studios with an hour-long walking tour (run daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). — Travel + Leisure

This tour of the world's largest newsgathering organization is lots of fun and a uniquely Atlanta experience. — Frommer's

Guests can see the actual news desks along with a replica of the famed "green screen." If you're lucky, you may also see the filming of Morning Express, Headline News, or Sanjay Gupta M.D. — Afar Magazine

Studio tours show visitors the inner workings of the network and allows access to a glassed-in gallery. — Michelin Guide

Back in 1991, CNN put Atlanta on the map with its real-time Gulf War coverage and its then-revolutionary concept of a 24-hour cable news service. — Concierge

Dedicated to expanding public awareness of puppetry as a fine art and to presenting all of its international and historical forms, the center opened in 1978. — Frommer's

The Center for Puppetry Arts is a unique cultural treasure - a magical place where children and adults are educated, enlightened, and entertained (yes, with puppets!). — On the Grid

After a recent expansion, the nation's largest private organization dedicated to puppetry arts is now home to the world's largest collection of original Muppets from the Henson Foundation — Where

The largest puppetry organization in the country houses a museum where you can see more than 350 puppets from around the world. — Fodor's

Located in Atlanta's vibrant Midtown district, the Center for Puppetry Arts has been offering family-friendly puppetry programs since 1978. — Travel + Leisure