Exploring life in the City of Atlanta is a good decision, and here are fun things to know:

*ALLIANCE THEATRE - This theater company is part of the Woodruff Arts Center and winner of the 2007 Regional Theatre Tony Award. The Alliance Theatre offers 10 productions annually, with performances in the 770-seat Alliance Stage and the 200-seat Hertz Stage, as well as Theatre for Young Audiences offerings.

*ALPHA-WORLD CITY - Atlanta is one of only 10 American cities with this prestigious designation. Also called a "Global City", the moniker refers to a city considered to have a significant role in the global economic system.

*ATLANTA APEX MUSEUM - is entirely devoted to African-American history as a means of promoting cultural awareness and the social contributions of African-Americans in Georgia. From one of Atlanta's first Black owned business and pioneer stories, to local history and baseball or videos at the Trolley Theater, the Atlanta Apex Museum is full of legacy. The Atlanta Apex Museum features artifacts, photographs, children's shows, presentations and more – all related to African-American culture, both past and present. Tuesday-Saturday 10am - 5pm; Closed All Major Holidays. Admission is $4 for adults and $3 for Students/Seniors (55+)

*ATLANTA BALLET - Founded in 1929, the dance company is the nation's longest continuously performing ballet company, and is also the State Ballet of Georgia. The company employs twenty professional dancers and six apprentices. Recent performances included: Moulin Rouge: The Ballet, Atlanta Ballet's Nutcracker, Nutty Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Fusion: Lambarena (as a world premier), and Ignition: New Choreographic Voices.

*ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDENS- is a 30-acre botanical garden located adjacent to Piedmont Park in Midtown.Incorporated in 1976, the garden's mission is to "develop and maintain plant collections for the purposes of display, education, conservation, research and enjoyment."

*THE ATLANTA BRAVES - The city's professional baseball club, which plays in Turner Field. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1991–2005, the Braves were one of the most successful franchises in baseball, winning division titles an unprecedented 14 consecutive times in that period. The Braves advanced to the World Series five times in the 1990s, winning the title in 1995.

*ATLANTA CYCLORAMA & CIVIL WAR MUSEUM -Located in historic Grant Park, next to Zoo Atlanta, this museumis home to the world's 2nd largest painting, "The Battle of Atlanta". Visitors view this amazing  cylindrical painting from the inside, entering through an entrance in the floor. After being seated, the central cylinder rotates slowly, affording a view of the entire enormous painting. The work of art at one time was the largest oil painting in the world, and if unrolled, would measure 42 feet high by 358 feet long. Through spectacular music, art and sound effects, history comes alive as you step back to July 22, 1864 and become part of the Battle of Atlanta.

*ATLANTA DOGWOOD FESTIVAL - The beautiful spring event is held each April in Piedmont Park. Arts and Crafts draw thousands during the time when native dogwood trees are in spectacular bloom.

*THE ATLANTA DREAM - is a women's professional basketball team, and a member of the Eastern Conference of the Women's national Basketball Association (WNBA). The Dream plays home games at Philips Arena.

*THE ATLANTA FALCONS - The Falcons are Atlanta's professional football franchise, a member of the NFC South Division of the National Football League (NFL). Joining the NFL in 1965, the Atlanta Falcons play home games in the 71,000-seat Georgia Dome.

*THE ATLANTA HAWKS - moved to Atlanta in 1968 from St. Louis, the National Basketball Association team is a member of the Eastern Conference. The Hawks play home games at Phillips Arena.

*ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER - is located on 33-acres in the heart of Buckhead. The museum consists of historic house museums, gardens, 6 permanent exhibits and 6 traveling exhibits. The Center strives to connect people, history, and culture through one of the country’s premier History Centers. 

The Atlanta History Center is a unique campus that houses the Atlanta History Museum, Centennial Olympic Games Museum, Swan House, Smith Family Farm, six historic gardens and the Kenan Research Center.  The Atlanta History Center also includes the Margaret Mitchell House, located off-site at our Midtown campus.

The ATLANTA HISTORY MUSEUM at the Atlanta History Center is one of the largest history museums in the nation, featuring award-winning signature exhibitions that tell the story of the region's people, from its earliest settlers to the international city of today. 

The CENTENNIAL OLYMPIC GAMES MUSEUM at the Atlanta History Center opened in 2006 in celebration of the ten-year anniversary of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games.  With its spectacular collection of multimedia presentations, artifacts, images, and interactive displays, and a second level interactive Sports Lab, the Centennial Olympic Games Museum houses one of the most significant exhibitions on Olympic sport and history in the United States.  

*ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY - is located just outside Hampton, Georgia, about 20 miles south of Atlanta. The Atlanta Motor Speedway is a 1.5-mile, quad-oval automobile racetrack. The track hosts a number of NASCAR events, and is home to the Speed Tech Driving School, allowing individuals to race 6 or more laps when the speedway is not in use with other events. The track's seating capacity is a huge 125,000.

*THE ATLANTA OPERA - Founded in 1979, it is now one of the finest regional opera companies in the United States, producing main stage opera productions and arts education programs for Metropolitan Atlanta and the Southeast.

In 2007, The Atlanta Opera moved into its new performance home at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, where it produces three main stage productions each season.

*THE ATLANTA SILVERBACKS - This professional soccer team is a member of the North American Soccer League, and plays its home games in Atlanta Silverbacks Park, a soccer-specific stadium in nearby Chamblee, Georgia.

*THE ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA - Founded in 1945, "ASO" is a part of the Woodruff Arts Center. Its main performing venue is Atlanta Symphony Hall. Including the 12,000-seat Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park, and its activities at Atlanta Symphony Hall and Chastain Park, the ASO expects to present more than 300 performances annually. With a budget expected to increase to $50 million with the completion of its new Amphitheatre, the ASO has become one of the six highest funded orchestras in America.

*BUSINESS HEADQUARTERS - Only New York City, Houston and Dallas have more Fortune 500 businesses than Atlanta. These include such notables as Coca-Cola, Home Depot, Delta Airlines, Newell Rubbermaid, AT&T Mobility and United Parcel Service (UPS).

*CNN STUDIO TOURS - A55-minute guided walking tour of the Cable New Network departs approximately every 10 minutes. The CNN Center is open to the public and entrance to the building is free. The public area includes a food court with fast food and full-service restaurants, specialty retail and other services. Reservations for the tour are highly recommended and should be made at least 24 hours in advance. Walk-up tickets are available at the box office and are sold on a first come, first served basis. Box office opens 15 minutes prior to the first tour.

*CALLANWOLDE FINE ARTS CENTER - This non-profit community arts center is housed in a magnificent Gothic-Tudor style mansion situated on a beautifully landscaped 12.5-acre estate. Once the family home of Charles Howard Candler, son of the founder of Coca-Cola, Callanwolde provides an ideal setting for weddings, corporate meetings and special occasions. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Callanwolde's combination of history, architecture and art education make it one of the most unique art centers in the country.

*CENTENNIAL OLYMPIC PARK - is a public park in downtown Atlanta, built as part of the infrastructure improvements for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games held in the City. Approximately 800,000 bricks were used in the construction of the 21-acre Park. Laid end-to-end, lengthwise, the bricks would stretch from New York City to Philadelphia, approximately 100 miles.

The Park sponsors community-wide free events, including the Fourth of July Celebration, Wednesday Wind Down concert series, and Fourth Saturday Family Fun Days. The Park also hosts festivals, fundraisers and private events. These events, in addition to the normal day-to-day traffic, bring an estimated three million visitors to this urban oasis each year.

Centennial Olympic Park is the largest downtown park in the country to be developed in the last 25 years. The Fountain of Rings is the world’s largest interactive fountain, utilizing the Olympic symbol of five interconnecting Rings.

*CENTER FOR PUPPETRY ARTS - The Center for Puppetry Arts is a unique cultural treasure - a magical place where children and adults are educated, enlightened and entertained. Since 1978, the Center has introduced millions of visitors to the wonder and art of puppetry and has touched the lives of many through enchanting performances, curriculum-based workshops and the hands-on Museum, as well as distance learning and outreach programs. It is the nation's largest organization dedicated to the art form of puppetry.

*COBB ENEGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE - Located in the Cumberland/Galleria edge city near Vinings, the striking facility is a performing arts venue featuring the 2,750-seat  John A. Williams Theatre. The Centre is home to the Gas South Broadway Series, The Atlanta Opera and Atlanta Ballet.

*DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS - Atlanta is home to 24 general consulates and contains the 7th-highest concentration of diplomatic missions in the U.S.

*FERNBANK MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY-is a significant museum that presents exhibitions and programming about natural history  to entertain and educate the public. Its mission is to encourage a greater appreciation of the planet and its people. Fernbank Museum has a number of permanent exhibitions, and regularly hosts temporary exhibitions in its expansive facility.

Giants of the Mesozoic, on display in the atrium of Fernbank Museum, features a 123-foot long Argentinosaurus (the largest dinosaur ever classified), as well as a Giganotosaurus. The permanent exhibition, A Walk Through Time in Georgia, tells the twofold story of Georgia's natural history and the development of the planet. The nearby Fernbank Science Center, operated by the DeKalb County Board of Education, hosts additional exhibits and educational activities, including a planetarium, telescope and Fernbank Forest, a 65-acre natural forest.

*FOX THEATER-The historic Fox Theatre is one of Atlanta’s premiere venues for live entertainment. The Fox’s 4,678-seat theatre is booked for more than 300 performances a year, ranging from Broadway, to rock, to comedy, to movies. In December 2009, Billboard Magazine ranked the Fox as "The #1 non-residency venue worldwide for the decade".

The Fox Theatre is located on Peachtree Street in the middle of the city. Not only is it on the National Historic Register, it is one of the most beloved landmarks in the city - because it is a real memory maker. The Fox has endeared itself to many Atlantans; they are have come here to see their first performance, or Broadway show, and some had their first date here, and maybe even their first kiss in the balcony.

*THE GEORGIA AQUARIUM -The world's largest aquarium is housed on a 20-acre site in downtown. More than 120,000 animals are contained in the 8,500,000-gallon facility. The aquarium is currently one of only two aquariums in the United States to exhibit Great Hammerhead sharks, and the only aquarium outside of Asia to house whale sharks. The aquarium's animals are displayed in six different galleries: Georgia Explorer, Tropical Diver, Ocean Voyager, Cold Water Quest, River Scout, and Dolphin Tales. Each corresponds to a specific environment.

 

The venue has been host to Super Bowls XXVIII and XXXIV, host of the gymnastics and basketball events for the 1996 Olympic Games, and host to both a Men's and Women's NCAA Final Four. Annually, the Dome hosts the Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic, the SEC Football Championship and the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

The Georgia Dome is equipped to handle large non-sporting events, which include everything from major trade shows, to concerts by such entertainers as the Rolling Stones and U2, to religious events by such ministers as Billy Graham and T.D. Jakes.

*THE GEORGIA GOVERNOR'S MANSION - is a three-level, 30-room Greek Revival style home built in 1967, standing magnificently on 18 acres. The structure is the official home of the Governor of the State, located in Tuxedo Park - in the Buckhead district of Atlanta.

*GEORGIA STATE CAPITOL - The main office building of Georgia's government is located in downtown, with its gold dome gleaming brightly as a signal landmark. The offices of the Governor are on the first floor, while the General Assembly meets on the third floor from January to April. There is a visitors' gallery and a museum on the fourth floor.

*THE GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTER - The major convention center for the city, located in downtown. Opened in 1976, The Georgia World Congress Center is the fourth largest in the nation, with 3.9 million square feet of exhibition space. Over 1 million visit the Center each year.

*HARTSFIELD-JACKSON ATLANTA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT- is the world's busiest for passenger traffic and aircraft operations. Over 2,700 aircraft arrivals and departures take place each day to 150 U.S.  and 80 international locations.

*HERNDON HOME - Herndon Mansion, as it is called locally, was built for one of the country's wealthiest black men, and stands as one of Atlanta's most significant architectural successes. The home is located in what has historically been called the 'Northeast Lot' of Atlanta University, now Clark-Atlanta University. Then, as now, the house exemplifies what W. E. B. DuBois called "the highest in black cultural, moral and economic achievement."

*HIGH MUSEUM OF ART - Part of the Woodruff Arts Center, The High Museum holds more than 11,000 works of art and is one of the most visited museums in the world. With its renowned collection of classic and contemporary art and award-winning architecture, the High Museum of Art has grown from its origins in a stately home on Peachtree Street, to become the leading art museum in the southeastern United States.  "The High" places special emphasis on Southern self-taught artists, and is now a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate.

*IMAGINE IT! CHILDREN’S MUSEUM -The Children's Museum of Atlanta is the city's only children's museum and is the largest in Georgia. It is the perfect place for children age eight and under - and their families - to learn and explore together in a safe and fun, hands-on environment.  The programming offers children the opportunity to use all of their senses in a unique and interactive way, while developing their knowledge and understanding of Reading, Social Studies, Math, Science, Language Arts and the Arts.

*JIMMY CARTER LIBRARY AND MUSEUM -The facility houses the papers and materials pertaining to the Carter Administration and the Carter's family life. The library houses 27-million pages of documents, 500,000 photos, 40,000 objects, as well as films, videos and audiotapes. The Library also hosts special exhibits, such as President Carter's Nobel Peace Prize and a full-scale replica of the Oval Office.

*MARGARET MITCHELL HOUSE -The historic structure was the home of author Margaret Mitchell, and the place where she wrote the bulk of her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Gone with the Wind. The novel was adapted for the cinema and debuted in 1939 as an Oscar-winning movie starring Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and operated by the Atlanta History Center, the Margaret Mitchell House is a turn-of-the century, three-story, Tudor Revival building. The house officially opened to the public on May 17, 1997 and has since become one of Atlanta’s most treasured landmarks, literary centers, special events venue, and tourist attraction. It is owned and operated by the Atlanta History Center.

*MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE AND PRESERVATION DISTRICT - a 35-acre neighborhood in the Sweet Auburn historic district. The district includes Dr. King's boyhood home, and the Ebeneezer Baptist Church where King and his father served as pastors, as well as a visitors' center and International World Peace Rose Garden. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King are interred at the King Center, vigilantly accompanied by an eternal flame. Annual events in January for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day draw large crowds, including Presidents of the United States and other local and national leaders.

*OAKLAND CEMETERY -Georgia's most famous legends are laid to rest in Atlanta's oldest and most scenic cemetery. Visit the gravesite of Gone With The Wind author Margaret Mitchell and golfing great Bobby Jones. Explore the Jewish grounds, as well as the historic African American section. Wander through the final resting place of nearly 7,000 Civil War soldiers. The Cemetery is open 365 days a year from approximately 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The Visitors Center and Museum Shop located in the Bell Tower building is open every day of the year except for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.

Oakland’s funerary art is unequaled in the area. Elaborate mausoleums, soaring sculptures and effusive inscriptions speak of an age when the bereaved found consolation in extravagant expression.

Figures carved from stone droop in sorrow, gaze pensively or reach to the heavens. The best known is the massive “Lion of Atlanta,” marking an estimated 3,000 graves of unknown Confederate soldiers disinterred from the battlefield. Icons are everywhere, employing symbols that speak a language of grief unknown in contemporary culture. The expertise of Historic Oakland Foundation plays an important role in preserving knowledge of 19th Century funerary symbolism and communicating its meaning.

*PHILIPS ARENA -This multipurpose indoor arena seats 18,371 for basketball and 17,624 for ice hockey. The facility is home to the NBA Atlanta Hawks and the WNBA Atlanta Dream. On the exterior, angled steel columns supporting the roof facing downtown spell out "ATLANTA" and the side facing the Georgia World Congress Center spells out "CNN." The arena adjoins the CNN Center. 

*PIEDMONT PARK - Atlanta’s 189-acre, urban park “Common Ground", located approximately 2 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. The Park runs along 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue in midtown Atlanta and features a host of outdoor activities beloved to Atlantans. Tennis courts, picnic shelters, fishing on the lake, softball and soccer fields, a bathhouse and swimming center - and even a dog park - are some of the amenities.

The Park is home to the Atlanta Dogwood Festival, Music Midtown and Festival Peachtree Atlanta. Notable is that the oldest football rivalry in the Deep South began here, when Auburn University met the University of Georgia in 1892 (Auburn won 10-0).

The park is open daily from 6:00 am until 11:00 pm.

*ROAD ATLANTA - Road Atlanta is a 2.54-mile road-racing course located about 40 miles northeast of Atlanta, outside of Braselton, Georgia. The facility is utilized for a wide variety of events, including professional and amateur sports car and motorcycle races, racing and driving schools, corporate programs and testing for motorsports teams. The track has 12 turns, including the famous "esses" between turns three and five; and Turn 12, a downhill, diving turn. Road Atlanta is home to the Petit Le Mans, as well as AMA motorcycle racing, and smaller events throughout the year.

*SIX FLAGS OVER GEORGIA - is located off I-20 west of Atlanta. Six Flags Over Georgia is the largest regional theme park in the Southeast. The park boasts ten heart-pounding roller coasters, headlined by the hyper-coaster Goliath, ranked as one of the top coasters in the world, and Dare Devil Dive, a beyond-vertical coaster that sends riders soaring through 3 inversions. Guests can cool off on Thunder River, a wild rafting adventure, or splash around Skull Island, a towering water play structure with hundreds of water elements. Three interactive children's areas, Bugs Bunny World, Carousel Hill and Whistlestop Park, provide hours of fun for our smallest guests.

*STONE MOUNTAIN PARK - Located 14 miles to the east of Atlanta, the Park is dominated by Stone Mountain, a dome of solid quartz monzonite rock that rises 1,686 feet above sea level.

Its circumference stretches more than five miles at the base. The summit of the mountain can be reached by a walk-up trail on the west side of the mountain only. The trail starts near the Confederate Hall, inside the west gate entrance. Alternatively, the summit is reachable by cable sky lift. The top of the mountain is a landscape of bare rock and rock pools, and it provides spectacular views of the surrounding area, including the skyline of downtown Atlanta.

Stone Mountain is well known not only for its geology, but also for the enormous bas-relief adjoining its north face. The carving depicts three heroic figures of the Confederate States of America: Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. The sculpture is the largest bas-relief carving in the world.

*TURNER FIELD - Originally called Centennial Olympic Stadium, the stadium was converted to a baseball park in 1997 and became home to the Atlanta Braves professional baseball club. The field seats 49,586 and is located in downtown Atlanta.

*THE VARSITY - This restaurant chain is iconic to the modern culture of Atlanta. Established in 1928 as "The Yellow Jacket", the original restaurant catered to Georgia Tech students. Now grown to six  restaurants, the main branch is the largest drive-in fast food restaurant in the world.

*WORLD OF COCA-COLA - Over 3 million people each year visit this three-story, permanent exhibit at Pemberton Place, across from Centennial Olympic Park in downtown. Exhibits feature well-known advertising themes and memorabilia for the worldwide beverage maker. Taste over 60 different beverages from around the globe. Music heard in the background is a world music style medley of 10 Coke jingles from the last 60 years.

Guests can pose for a picture with the Coca-Cola mascot, the Coca-Cola Polar Bear. Visitors can also see the "Vault of the Secret Formula," which is an interactive exhibit on the mystique of the Coca-Cola Secret Formula.

The Bottle Works display allows guests to see the operation of a fully functioning bottling line, which produces commemorative 8-ounce bottles of Coca-Cola Classic. The bottling process is slowed down significantly to allow guests an easier view.

Visitors are given a memento of their tour: an 8-fluid-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola, sporting a special label and cap indicating that it was bottled at this location.

*WOODRUFF ART CENTER - The Woodruff Arts Center is the heartbeat of Atlanta's arts community. Located in midtown, the Center offers Atlanta a bold variety of performing and visual arts - both traditional and avant-garde. For 40 years, Woodruff Center has set the arts standard for Atlanta and the Southeast. The center houses four arts divisions in one campus and not-for-profit organization.

Opened in 1968, the Woodruff Arts Center is home to the Alliance Theatre, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the High Museum of Art, Young Audiences and the 14th Street Playhouse.

*ZOO ATLANTA - Founded in 1889, the zoo is Atlanta's oldest cultural destination and is one of the oldest continuously operating zoological institutions in the United States.

Zoo Atlanta houses over 1,300 animals representing more than 220 species. Home to the nation's largest collections of gorillas and orangutans, the zoo is also one of only four zoos in the U.S. currently housing giant pandas.