You may know Atlanta as being the home of big corporations such as Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, and UPS, but it’s also a fascinating place to visit as a tourist, with a rich history and lots of scenic green spaces to explore and we’re proud to offer a whole host of cheap flights to the city.

Whether you’re a history buff, sightseer or culture vulture, there’s plenty of things to see and do in Atlanta, and here are 20 of the best.

Georgia Aquarium

225 Baker Street NW

Not just any old aquarium, the Georgia Aquarium is the largest in the world, featuring as many 80,000 animals, across 500 different species, including penguins, giant octopi, and the aquarium’s famous beluga whales and albino alligators.

One of the most popular exhibits is the Ocean Voyager, a huge acrylic tunnel where you’ll walk through whale sharks, manta rays, hammerhead sharks and more.

You can also choose to take a ‘Behind the Seas’ tour (at an extra cost), where you can get even closer to the animals, and learn what it takes to keep the world’s biggest aquarium running.

Fox Theatre

660 Peachtree Street NE

The Fox Theatre is an old movie theatre which opened in 1929, and is now the home a number of cultural and artistic events, such as the Atlanta ballet, and also host many touring versions of Broadway shows.

It’s a beautiful building, and you can take guided tours on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, although to truly experience it, we recommend seeing a show!

Check the Fox’s website to see what gigs and performances are taking place during your visit.

Atlanta Botanical Garden

1345 Piedmont Avenue NE

Atlanta is full of green spaces, and the Botanical Garden is one of the best. Found in the northern corner of Piedmont Park, and spanning 30 acres, it’s a must visit for nature lovers, with a number of rare and unique tropical and desert flora.

There’s also the Lou Glenn Children’s Garden for younger visitors, which contains outdoor and interactive play areas for the little ones.

Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site

450 Auburn Avenue NE

The Sweet Auburn neighbourhood is brimming with history, with its main attraction being the understated home in which the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. grew up.

You can also visit the nearby Ebenezer Baptist Church where Dr King was a pastor and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, which houses a number of exhibitions on the movement.

Center for Civil and Human Rights

100 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard

A couple of miles west of Sweet Auburn, the Center for Civil and Human Rights continues to celebrate the work of Dr King and the civil rights movement, while bringing the conversation into the present day, exploring our fundamental human rights.

The museum is an inspiring and empowering place to visit, with a calendar of events and exhibitions throughout the year.

Piedmont Park

Piedmont Avenue

The Piedmont Park is a great place to chill out and while away a couple of peaceful hours after a long day sightseeing.

There are also facilities for a number of sports, like biking and jogging paths, and it also hosts a number of festivals and events throughout the year.

Mission: Escape Atlanta

Suite E3
500 Bishop St.

Escape games are increasingly popular, and Mission: Escape is consistently rated as the best in Atlanta.

You and your friends and family (or even some complete strangers!), are locked in a room and are given 60 minutes to escape, with just some clues and your wits!

It’s a fun and mentally stimulating attraction, with two rooms to choose from, ‘The Study’ and ‘The Hotel’.

Oakland Cemetery

Oakland Avenue SE

This huge cemetery is less than a mile away from downtown Atlanta and stands as a monument to many influential figures from the civil rights movement and the Civil War.

Spanning 48 acres, the cemetery is the final resting place of many Atlanta mayors, Georgia governors, and other famous faces such as the golfer Bobby Jones, and Margaret Mitchell Marsh, the author of Gone with the Wind.

It’s also littered with some impressive mausoleums, sculptures and memorials which are worth visiting even if you aren’t a history buff.

Atlanta History Center

130 West Paces Ferry Road NW

The Atlanta History Center, located in Buckhead, is probably the most extensive account of the city’s history, with a number of exhibitions, gardens and historic houses across its 33 acres.

The main attraction is the Atlanta History Museum, which tells the story of the city right through from when it was inhabited by Native Americans through to the modern day.

The nearby Swan House is a 1928 estate which has been restored to give a glimpse into life at the time, and the gardens outside are lined with beautiful plants which are native to Georgia.

High Museum of Art

1280 Peachtree Street NE

The High Museum of Art is already a fascinating visit even before you step through the doors, with its unique white porcelain architecture.

Once you step inside, you’ll see numerous collections, primarily from 19th and 20th-century American artists such as Thomas Sully, Howard Finster and Frederic Church, although there are pieces from all across the world and throughout the years.

The museum has recently undergone an extensive expansion, so there’s never been a better time to visit!

World of Coca-Cola

121 Baker Street NW

If you’re a fan of any of Coca-Cola’s drinks (and considering 1.9 billion are consumed every day, you probably are!), then the World of Coca-Cola is a must-visit.

As you can probably guess, it’s a museum dedicated to everything related to the soft drinks company, exploring its history, role in pop culture and how it’s made and bottled.

And, of course, there’s a tasting area too, where you can try over 100 varieties of Coke from around the world.

Center for Puppetry Arts

1404 Spring Street NW

A great one to bring the kids to, the Center for Puppetry Arts host award-winning puppetry shows and workshops and have a huge Jim Henson collection at their museum, featuring iconic puppets such as Kermit the Frog and the Muppets, as well as Big Bird and the gang from Sesame Street.

It’s a unique attraction which will entertain and enlighten both adults and children, and you may find yourself learning a thing or two which you didn’t know about this classic art form.

Peachtree Food Tours

805 Peachtree Street

Atlanta also has a great culinary scene, much of which is based on Peachtree Street. There are many food tours which you can take to get a flavour for the city, but the number one rated tour on TripAdvisor is the Peachtree Food Tour, run by John Hannula.

The Peachtree neighbourhood has over 60 great restaurants, and the tour will take you in five of them, including some classic Southern tastes, including dessert, and of course something to drink if you wish.

The tour will also teach you a little something about Atlanta history, as it takes place right in the heart of Midtown.

Delta Flight Museum

Building B, Department 914
1060 Delta Boulevard

Atlanta airport is one of the busiest in the world and is home to the Delta Air Lines company and their Delta Flight Museum.

The museum features interactive exhibits, as well as a historic aircraft dating back to the 1920s, and the only Boeing 737 flight simulator open to the public in the US.

The museum is currently undergoing renovation and will soon give visitors the chance to explore “The Queen of the Skies”, the first Boeing 747-600 ever built.

College Football Hall of Fame

250 Marietta Street NW

Even if you’re not big on American Football, the College Football Hall of Fame is worth a visit for sports fans and could be a great way to give yourself a crash course on the sport before taking in an Atlanta Falcons game or perhaps one of the college teams.

The hall is also home to the Chick-fil-A fan experience, an interactive and engaging experience where guests of all ages can try their hand at the Skill Zone challenges.

Zoo Atlanta

800 Cherokee Avenue SE

The zoo in Atlanta is home to many fascinating animals, but there’s one which really set it apart, and that is its panda population.

The zoo is one of only four in the US that are home to giant pandas, and they prove to be one of the zoo’s most popular attractions.

Of course, there are over 200 other species represented here, including lions, giraffes, rhinos and more.

Stone Mountain Park

1000 Robert E. Lee Boulevard
Stone Mountain

Stone Mountain Park is a 3,200-acre park, of which the 251m high Stone Mountain is the centrepiece.

The mountain itself features a carving of Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis, important Confederate figures during the Civil War.

The park itself is also home to a wildlife preserve, beach and two golf courses!

DTours

770 Lexington Avenue SW

For authentic, private and personalised tours of Atlanta which cover a range of topics and locations, look no further than DTours.

Their friendly and knowledgeable tour guides offer a number of tours, such as the cultural ‘Art on the Streets’, ‘From Civil War to Civil Rights’, and the ‘Walking Dead to The Hunger Games’ tour, which takes in some of the locations which have been used in your favourite TV series and movies.

Centennial Olympic Park

265 Park Avenue W

The Centennial Olympic Park is a 21-acre patch of green space, found in between the Georgia Aquarium and CNN Center, which was built in 1996 when the city hosted the Olympic Games.

The park is now one of the most visited areas in the city and features many art pieces and fountains.

In fact, one of the highlights is the ‘Fountain of Rings’, a set of 251 water jets which are choreographed to different songs throughout the day.

Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail

10th Street and Monroe Drive

The Atlanta BeltLine is a former railway corridor which surrounds the centre of Atlanta and is currently being developed into a multi-use trail.

The Eastside Trail is the first section of the trail which has been completed and runs from Piedmont Park to Inman Park and the Old Fourth Ward.