My 16yo S and I are heading to the Atlanta area later this week for a baseball tournament. He will have a game every day, but there will also be lots of downtime. Looking for suggestions of things to see or do in greater Atlanta area. Note: if he and his teammates stay at the hotel and play video games, I may want to venture out with the other baseball moms. We will have rental cars. Thanks for all suggestions.
CNN studios. It’s the headquarters of Coke…there is something to see about that.
Braves game?
We love the Coke factory. Also the CNN studio, and the Gone with the winds plantation. Also the big park, which a local,can Supply name. Once we visited a nearby mountain, Stoney Mt?
If thinking about college, then you can visit & tour Emory University, Georgia Tech, Emory’s Oxford campus, the University of Georgia, Morehouse, drive up to Rome, Georgia to see Berry College the largest college campus in the US (although it is probably about an hour and a half each way from Atlanta). Take a drive down West Paces Ferry Road in Buckhead to see beautiful homes. The Westminster Schools as well. Beautiful grounds/campus. Has the largest endowment of any private day prep school in the country.
It might help if you wrote where you will be staying in the Atlanta area.
In what part of town will you be staying? Traffic can be a big factor so you will want some fun options nearby.
I have also toured the governors mansion…and had lunch at the Swan Garden House…which was fun (the moms would like this…the kids…not so much so).
Oakland Cemetery https://www.oaklandcemetery.com very historic…excellent docent led tours. Lots of history of Atlanta and the south on those tours. I highly recommend…but not if it’s a hot, humid day!
Stone Mtn Park has largest granite outcropping, maybe in the world?
So many activities, both active and passive. Good range to please most everyone.
Summertime means nightly laser show. People gather on the lawn with picnic supper, throw frisbees, blow bubbles, play card games, etc. when it gets dark, the laser show plays against the granite mountain.
You can hike up the mountain or pay to take a ride to the top. Lake offers paddle boat rentals. You can fish, bicycle, jog, enjoy the playground, hike in the woods.
The aquarium is very nice, and I would also highly recommend visiting the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. In my personal experience, the Coca-Cola factory was overpriced/overhyped and we had to wait a long time to get in.
I like the High Museum of Art and the restaurant there, in midtown on Peachtree Street, its on a MARTA stop.
https://www.high.org/#close
The Atlanta Aquarium, its more like an indoor Seaworld, with lots of animal shows and a huge tanks of sea life. The shark tank, one can go to the very top of it, and watch them feed the sharks.
I liked the tour of the Margaret Mitchell House, (the author who wrote Gone with the Wind). Its an interesting history museum about Civil Rights, as well as the story of the Civil War, if you talk to the very experienced docents there:
http://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/explore/destinations/margaret-mitchell-house
Restaurants:
The Optimist for seafood/southern gumbo
@Coloradomama: Second the High Museum of Art. Used to, and may still, offer evening/happy hour type get togethers for Young Professionals & other types of groups.
Where are you staying because ATL traffic is a NIGHTMARE?
My favorite thing in Atlanta was the Civil Rights center. I found it very moving to sit in the old Ebeneezer Baptist Church and listening to recordings of Martin Luther King. I also really liked the Atlanta History Center and especially the Swan House and gardens. Not a big fan of the High Museum. Was never a fan of its architect Richard Meier - I’ve been in a bunch of his museums now. You have to eat some warm Krispy Kreme donuts and find some really good grits. I don’t know if they are the best, but The Flying Biscuit Cafe had great grits.
Wow! You guys are amazing with suggestions. I knew this was the perfect place to ask. If it helps, we are staying in the Perimeter area, but there will be baseball games all over the metro area.
Be aware that Georgia just enacted a no cell phone while driving as in can’t have it in your hand even at stoplight.
FWIW, its the coca cola museum, not the factory. But its right by the civil rights museum, the aquarium, olympic park, and cnn center, all of which are great to see. I’d add the botanical gardens, right next to piedmont park.If you are a history buff, there is the cyclorama that was moved from Grant park to right by the atlanta history center http://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/explore/destinations/atlanta-cyclorama. also consider the carlos museum on Emory’s campus (they had the mummy of a famous egyptian, Ramses, and when they figured out who it was they returned it to Egypt), Fernbank Science center (also near emory) and for fun, go to the Kristy Kreme donuts on Ponce de Leon (the original one in Atlanta) when the red light is on and get a dozen donuts hot off the rack. YUM!!!
Go to the Battery (the restaurants and stores at the new Braves stadium). It will be very fun for the kids. http://batteryatl.com/
Take the kids to see the laser show in the evening on the face of the carving at stone mountain park. Also consider raking the rafts down the chatahoochee river
Atlanta has a professional lacrosse team that plays during the summer.
And Atlanta United! The soccer team!