Location: Atlanta
Top Things to do in Atlanta
The 10 Best Historic Sites in Atlanta, Georgia (GA)
Atlanta has been dubbed everything from the "capital of the new South" and "the next international city" to "the best place to do business." It's also a great place to visit. Fueled by the prosperity of local mega companies like Coca Cola and Holiday Inn, the prestige of hosting the 1996 Summer Olympic Games and the energy of young upwardly mobile types who have migrated to the city in droves - Atlanta is on fire. And this time it's a good thing. From world-class restaurants and a myriad of cultural attractions to a hip nightlife and sporting events galore, the city is cosmopolitan in every sense of the word. But Atlanta has also managed to maintain its historic character. Stop by the Atlanta History Center or visit the Martin Luther King Jr. Historical Site, a moving tribute to an American icon. Browse through the former home of famous author Margaret Mitchell or pop into the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum for details on the life and times of the former president and his family. Whether you choose modern urban endeavors or old southern pleasures, Atlanta will not disappoint.
Restaurants in Atlanta
1. Atlanta History Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,406 reviews
The Atlanta History Center was founded on the big ideas and relentless fascination of 14 Atlantans who were emphatic about our city’s historical relevance in society. In a sense, our organization was created by Atlanta’s biggest fans, and we love that detail. In 1926, these founding members introduced the Atlanta Historical Society into the world with one mission: to help preserve Atlanta’s history. In 1990, after decades of collecting, researching, publishing and celebrating the early stories of our great Southern community, the Atlanta Historical Society and all of its holdings officially became the Atlanta History Center.
Reviewed By 921jamesl - Pasadena, United States
I really enjoyed walking the grounds between the Smith farm, the Swan House, and the cabin. Beautiful and relaxing. House tours were interactive and great for kids; you are allowed to touch everything. Swan House had actors in character and costume providing info about the people who lived and worked in the home. Allow three hours for the history center and house tourslcombined, and save the Margaret Mitchell house (located in Midtown)for another day; the ticket is good for 9 days. Also enjoyed the Civil War exhibit.
2. Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,430 reviews
Start at the visitor center and then work your way around the three main sites in this historic park: the home in which the leader of the Civil Rights movement in America was born, the church where he preached and the memorial site where he is buried. A major Atlanta attraction, the park draws some 500,000 visitors each year.
Reviewed By BaseballTraveler16 - Washington DC, United States
This historic site encompasses a couple city blocks that contain the birth home that you can have a guided tour of, a historic fire house, historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, and the tomb. Start at the Visitor Center and visit what your heart desires. Walk-able from the King Memorial Marta stop but it is 1/2 mile.
3. Herndon Home
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 8 reviews
The elegant home of Alonzo Herndon, a famous black entrepreneur at the turn of the 20th century.
4. Rhodes Memorial Hall
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 27 reviews
Modern, four-level museum housing the work of many famous and up-and-coming artists.
5. Oakland Cemetery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,151 reviews
Step back in time in Atlanta's most tangible link to the past, Oakland Cemetery. This historical park is the final resting place for many Civil War soldiers, golfing legend Bobby Jones, and "Gone With the Wind" author Margaret Mitchell. Tours are available on weekends at 10:00, 2:00, 4:00, and 6:30 (March-October) and by request.
Reviewed By lauriew640 - Newark, United States
I like old cemeteries, bc I love history and I'm a geek, but this one is pretty cool even for regular people.. Margaret Mitchell is buried here and a whole lot of other people..and it's very South. Graves of known and unknown confederate soldiers (no matter what you believe, it's still a part of history) and graves of African American slaves and the Jewish section shows you exactly how far we've come. So much to see!
6. Swan House
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 625 reviews
Enter the iconic blue doors of Atlanta's Swan House and discover a world of culture, commerce, quality, and comfort. Constructed in 1928 at the end of the Jazz Age, the house missed the Depression by mere months. Swan House was the home of Mr. and Mrs. Edward and Emily Inman. They built the house for entertaining – we hope you enjoy it, too!
Reviewed By bhlraven1916 - Atlanta, United States
The Swan House is an excellent example of the Second Renaissance Revival style and represents the architectural and decorative tastes of affluent citizens in the late 1920s. Built by Edward and Emily Inman, heirs to a cotton brokerage fortune, the house was designed by well-known Atlanta architect Philip Trammell Schutze in 1928 and decorated by Ruby Ross Woods of New York. Swan House and its gardens are together considered Shutze's finest residential work, in which he adapted Italian and English classical styles to accommodate 20th-century living.
7. The Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 76 reviews
8. Margaret Mitchell House
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 809 reviews
Margaret Mitchell's one and only novel, "Gone with the Wind," was born in an apartment in this turn-of-the-century Tudor Revival mansion. Now a museum on the National Register of Historic Places, the house offers visitors a tour that tells the story of the author, the Pulitzer Prize-winning book and the making of the movie.
Reviewed By Karlo33
This is a magical place, not to be missed by all fans and lovers of Gone With The Wind. Great exhibitions and a store full of memorabilia and books... it is GWTW paradise!
9. Centennial Olympic Park
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 4,293 reviews
Built for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, this public park offers weekly free concerts, a dancing water fountain for the kids and a memorial quilt in remembrance of the victims of the 1996 Olympic bombing.
Reviewed By katherinesK1960VV - Snellville, United States
We stayed at the Hyatt Place Hotel, right across from the Park. Our first night we walked around the park and got great pictures. It was very clean and felt safe. There were some homeless individuals but kept to themselves. We cut through the park to get to Ted’s Montana Grill. It was the first time that my husband had been back to the park since the bombing of the park during the Olympics in 1996. We saw the Memorial that was placed at the front of the park. He was working right next to where the bombing took place and I could tell it brought back good and bad memories. Seeing it at night all lit up was Beautiful. Great place for a family to walk around and explore. There are so many attractions right there, World of Coke, Ga Aquarium, Skyview Ferris Wheel, National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Children's Museum of Atlanta, College Football Hall of Fame.
10. First Congregational Church Historic Structure
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 4 reviews
