Atlanta, GA is the 9th populous city in the U.S. and is home to numerous international corporations, including CNN, Coca Cola and Delta Airlines. Atlanta was also the host of the 1996 Olympic Games. Atlanta is a four hour drive from where we live, so we typically go a few times a year. These are some highlights from our trips to Atlanta during this summer that can easily fit into your schedule the next time you are at the ATL for a long layover or are looking for suggestions for your next trip.
1. Center for Civil and Human Rights
The center opened just over a year ago, in April 2014. It is located in Pemperton Park (downtown area), across from another place worth checking out, the World of Coca Cola. The center’s vision is: ” to connect the 20th Century American Civil Rights Movement with today’s Global Human Rights Movements”. (Center for Civil and Human Rights) Currently, the center has three permanent exhibits on display, a rotating exhibit from Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr Collection and a temporary exhibit. The exhibits are designed to be both visually and auditorily engaging making it an excellent place to visit. Admission is $10-15 depending on a variety of factors, active duty military and 6 and under are free. In addition, it is a choice on the Atlanta CityPASS.
A slide show of our experience is below:
2. CNN Center
The CNN Center serves as the Global Headquarters building for CNN and is most definitely worth a stop by. The building is open to the public, has a huge food court, restaurants, retail shopping and tours available. This summer we decided to take the Inside CNN VIP Tour. This 50 minute tour is perfect for anyone 12 or over that is interested in a behind the scenes tour of the network. Visitors receive an overview of the network’s history, learns how it became an international news powerhouse and gets a look at the processes involved in creating various news shows. For Wow! moments, you will ride the tallest free-standing escalator in the world (8 stories), try your hand at reading from a prompter and see the Magic Board that was first used in the 2008 election coverage. You step inside various news studios and production rooms and have all your questions answered. Tours are limited to 12 people, so tickets ($35) should be purchased in advance. The Inside CNN Tour is part of the Atlanta CityPASS, but not the VIP one.
3. Atlanta Botanical Gardens-Bruce Munro: Light
The largest light show designed by Mr. Munro in the Southeastern U.S is currently on display at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. It is an enchanting way to spend an evening. The light show is created by displays of thousands of fiber optic lights that span the grounds of the Gardens. The Gardens are lit up from 6-11 pm on Wednesday-Sunday evenings through 3 October 2015.Ticket prices run from 13.95 to 22.95 based on day and age. If the light show does not fit into your schedule, check out the Gardens during the daytime hours for an equally visually stunning experience.
4. Catch a Game!
Atlanta is a professional sports team powerhouse city that can satisfy any hardcore sports fan. It serves as the home of four professional sports teams: Atlanta Braves (MLB), Atlanta Dream (WMBA), Atlanta Falcons (NFL), Atlanta Hawks (NBA) and the scheduled MLS expansion team in 2017. We had the chance to attend an Atlanta Hawks playoff game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in May 2015 at Georgia Dome. The Georgia Dome is walking distance from downtown hotels. Several other notable attractions: Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park and SkyView Atlanta (Atlanta’s answer to the London Eye) are located nearby.
One of our traditions is to catch at least one Atlanta Braves game per year while visiting. This year we attended games on Memorial Day Weekend and July 4th Weekend, which are great times to be in attendance. The Turner Field and Atlanta Braves staff do a great job of hosting event nights, especially things for members of their community. This includes several events every year that honor active, former military members and their families. We were lucky enough to attend Military Appreciation night over Memorial Day Weekend in May and have put some pictures of in the slideshow. As for attending a Braves game on the 4th of July, well, there is nothing more American than staying to the bitter end to watch an awesome firework show!
Have you been to Atlanta? If so, what are your favorite things to do, places to go?
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