While the main attraction in Atlanta these days is the Georgia Aquarium, the world's largest indoor aquarium, it can take a half-day or more to see and enjoy all it has to offer. So by all means go, but order tickets online first and you'll be able to choose an entrance window that helps cut down on bottlenecking at the front gate. Of course, weekends are extremely busy, and you may find yourself shoulder to shoulder trying to nudge your way up close to the see the fantastic exhibits. Plan to do lunch in one of several eateries in the aquarium -- celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck oversees the food service here. There's also a 4-D movie that shows every half-hour or so. Decide when you enter what time to check out the show; then work your exhibits in before and after. There are areas designed specifically for the little guys, too, so if they get antsy, they can run around and let off steam in the special playroom.
If you're more of a history buff than a sea-life fan, head up to Buckhead and visit the Atlanta History Center for a good overview of the city's history -- it will make the rest of your visit a richer experience. Within the center, the Atlanta History Museum is the single best place to go for a cultural record of the city and the South. Among its permanent exhibits is the new $10-million, 20,000-square-foot addition housing an exhibition about the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. Another highlight of the center is the beautifully restored Swan House, the 1928 estate of Edward Hamilton Inman, the scion of an old Atlanta family. The home is fronted by a classical colonnaded porte-cochere leading to a circular entrance hall with Ionic columns and a dramatic floating stairway. House-tour tickets are limited and can only be purchased on the day of your visit, so arrive early to avoid disappointment. Once you've learned all you want about Atlanta's past, enjoy lunch at the on-site restaurant, the Swan Coach House, or one of Buckhead's many other upscale eateries. Afterward, take a drive through the lovely surrounding neighborhoods.
In the afternoon, head downtown for the CNN Studio Tour, but to save time, purchase tickets in advance for this 55-minute guided walking tour that takes you behind the scenes of the newsroom. Remember, children under age 4 are not permitted on the CNN tour. Next, walk across the street to Centennial Olympic Park, the main gathering place during the Olympic Games. Kids love to splash in the fountains here, especially during a hot Georgia summer day. Early in the evening, visit the shops and galleries in the Virginia-Highland neighborhood, then have dinner at one of the many restaurants here. Later, have a nightcap in a cafe or bar along North Highland Avenue.
On your second day, get up early, go over to Auburn Avenue, and visit the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site and surrounding neighborhood. Designated a national historic site, these blocks include the Birth Home of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King's father and grandfather were ministers and King served as a co-pastor. In the area you'll also find the King Center, where King is buried, and the APEX Museum. In the afternoon, head over to Grant Park and see the Atlanta Cyclorama, a 42-foot-high rotating cylindrical oil painting depicting the events of the Battle of Atlanta, on July 22 1864, in meticulous detail. You'll be right next door for a convenient visit to the giant pandas and their 2006 baby, Mei Lan, at Zoo Atlanta. If you have time, head to Atlantic Station for some shopping at IKEA or any of the dozens of other shops, or take a tour of the brand-new World of Coca-Cola.
Day Three -- If the weather is nice on your last morning in town, nothing could be better than spending a day at Stone Mountain Park, which features Crossroads, a re-created 1870s Southern town. In summer, be sure to stay late and see the laser show.
If it's cold or rainy, plan a morning tour of the Jimmy Carter Library & Museum, followed by a visit to the Margaret Mitchell House & Museum. If you're traveling with kids, spend the day at the Center for Puppetry Arts or the Fernbank Museum of Natural History.
