World of Coca Cola

Whether it's your first visit or your 10th, a trip to Atlanta is always a new experience, as the city keeps evolving and providing visitors with more to see each year. Below are a few themed tours of the city, but on this website we also have suggestions for travelers who might have only 1, 2, 3 or 4 days to see the city.

An Atlanta-Focused Visit

There's so much to learn about this gateway city and so many ways to do it. For an overview, start with the Atlanta History Center, which includes the Atlanta History Museum, the famed Cyclorama (see below), and a wing dedicated to the 1996 Olympic Games.

You may also want to schedule a tour of the Georgia State Capitol (see below), which was modeled after the nation's Capitol, another neoclassical edifice atop a "crowning hill." Its 75-foot dome, covered in gold leaf and topped by a Statue of Freedom, is a major Atlanta landmark. The building is fronted by a massive four-story portico with a pediment supported by six Corinthian columns set on large stone piers. In the rotunda, with its soaring 237-foot ceiling, are busts of famous Georgians, including signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. The governor's office is off the main hall. The capitol building's public spaces have been restored to their 1889 grandeur. The fourth floor houses legislative galleries and the Georgia Capitol Museum, with exhibits on cotton, peach, and peanut growing; cases of mounted birds, fish, deer, insects, and other species native to Georgia; rocks and minerals; American Indian artifacts; and more. Note, too, the museum displays on the first floor.

Georgian State Capital, Atlanta

You'd be surprised by how many folks come to Atlanta expecting to tour the Gone With the Wind mansion or see where Scarlett and Rhett are buried -- no joke. But the story is so much a part of the fiber of Atlanta that you really should plan to visit the Margaret Mitchell House & Museum, "the dump" she lived in while crafting the famous tale of the South. The museum contains movie memorabilia and chronicles the making of the movie, its première in Atlanta, and the impact of the book and movie on society. The tour concludes in the museum shop, which features a variety of GWTW collectibles. If you finish your tour around mealtime and you're ready for a real change of pace, walk a few blocks south on Peachtree to the Vortex, a rowdy burger joint and bar that serves some of the best burgers in town.

The Atlanta Preservation Society offers a number of guided historic walking tours throughout the city, including the fabulous Fox Theatre, Piedmont Park, downtown Atlanta, Grant Hill, Inman Park, and the Sweet Auburn/Martin Luther King, Jr., historic district. All of these tours provide insight to the history of Atlanta and the people and places that make this city what it is today.

Civil War History

Atlanta was obviously in the midst of the action throughout the Civil War, and many opportunities exist to learn about what many here still refer to -- with tongue in cheek -- as "the war of Northern aggression." Begin with a visit to the Atlanta History Center, which holds the famous Cyclorama, showing the Battle of Atlanta. The museum also contains an exhibit of related artifacts, the most important being the steam locomotive Texas from the 1862 Great Locomotive Chase. Other exhibits include displays of Civil War arms and artillery, Civil War-themed paintings, portraits of Confederate and Union leaders, "life in camp" artifacts and photographs, and uniforms.

Next, venture northwest to the Kennesaw Mountain/National Battlefield Park, a 2,884-acre park established in 1917 on the site of a crucial Civil War battle in the Atlanta campaign of 1864. Some two million visitors come annually to explore the Confederate entrenchments and earthworks, some of them featuring Civil War artillery. Located in the same vicinity is the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History, operated in association with the Smithsonian Institute, which means that Civil War and transportation objects from the Smithsonian are incorporated into the exhibits here. It was here that the wild adventure known as the Great Locomotive Chase began. The museum, occupying a building that was once the Frey cotton gin, houses the General locomotive; a walk-through caboose; exhibits of Civil War artifacts, memorabilia, and photographs (including those relating to the chase and its participants); and exhibits on railroads. You can view a 20-minute narrated video about the chase, but if you really want the full story, pick up the Disney movie The Great Locomotive Chase, starring Fess Parker, available in the museum gift shop.

Even Oakland Cemetery is ripe with Civil War history, as Confederate and Union soldiers, including five Southern generals, are among the more than 48,000 people buried here. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this outstanding 88-acre Victorian cemetery was founded in 1850. Two monuments honor the Confederate war dead. Standing at the marker that commemorates the Great Locomotive Chase, you can see the trees from which the Yankee raiders were hanged; the Confederate train conductor Capt. William Fuller is buried nearby.

African-American History

Atlanta is ripe with ties to the rich history of African Americans and the civil rights movement. After all, this is the birthplace of Martin Luther King, Jr. So be sure to schedule a good day and a half to two days to see all the sites, beginning with the APEX (African-American Panoramic Experience) Museum in the Sweet Auburn district. Featuring exhibits on the history of Sweet Auburn and the African-American experience, the museum includes a children's gallery with interactive displays.

Leaving the APEX, follow the walking tour for Sweet Auburn, which includes the King Center, Dr. King's final resting place; his late wife Coretta Scott King is buried next to him. Next, the Birth Home of Martin Luther King, Jr., is open for half-hour guided tours. Though the tour is free, you must get tickets at the National Park Service Visitor Center on Auburn Avenue. Don't miss Ebenezer Baptist Church or the Herndon Building, named for an ex-slave who went on to found the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, the second-largest black insurance company in the country. Built in the early 1900s, the Butler Street YMCA was a popular meeting place for civil rights leaders. And the Sweet Auburn Curb Market offers fare not often enjoyed outside of the South. Several churches along the avenue, such as Big Bethel AME and First Congregational, helped build and maintain the heritage of the street. The Royal Peacock Club provided an elegant setting where many blacks could perform and bring the changing styles of black popular music to Atlanta.

National Center for Civil and Human Rights

On day two, head early to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights(pictured above), one of the most important history and culture museum in the United States. Start on the first floor with its visceral, impactful look at the U.S. civil rights movement of the 1950's and 1960's. Upstairs, the story broadens to take in current struggles for rights by LGBTQ people, women, people with disabilities, victims of human trafficking, and others. It's such a powerful museum, you could easily spend four or five hours here.

Beat the Heat

The Georgia heat can be relentless, but not to worry: If you can't take the heat, the city has options for fun days in air-conditioned facilities, with everything from museums and shopping to sea life and live entertainment. For a couple of days out of the elements, start with a trip to the world's largest aquarium, the Georgia Aquarium, with 100,000 animals from more than 500 species in 80 million gallons of fresh and marine water. You'll be amazed at the massive whale sharks that swim overhead in the glass tunnel as you walk through or glide along on the moving sidewalk. These gentle beasts can grow to be as large as a school bus. Beluga whales, jellyfish, penguins -- they're all here in amazing habitats.

Next, make a visit to the World of Coca-Cola to browse the world's largest collection of memorabilia celebrating this popular beverage (see top of page), created right here in Atlanta in 1886. While Coca-Cola was first served at a small pharmacy soda fountain near Underground Atlanta, it is now served more than one billion times a day and is enjoyed in more than 200 countries across the globe. Come discover the history of this global brand and sample Coca-Cola products from around the world. Some will leave you longing for another sip, while others are worse than castor oil. For big fans of Coke, the Everything Coca-Cola gift shop is an outstanding outlet for memorabilia and literally can't be missed, as you have to pass through it to exit the facility. The museum is open from 9am to 5pm most days, though it may open later or close earlier on certain Sundays.

Plan ahead and schedule a CNN Studio Tour, just across the street from the World of Coca-Cola and the Georgia Aquarium. The 55-minute guided walking tour allows a look at one of the world's most important names in news, as well as the inventor of 24-hour news. You'll get to journey into the heart of CNN Worldwide and enjoy an up-close, in-depth look at global news in the making. There are a number of behind-the-scenes demonstrations: In the special-effects room, you'll learn just how they make images -- such as weather maps -- appear behind the anchors and correspondents. At the interactive-exhibit area, you can view video clips of the top 100 news stories that CNN has covered during the past 20 years, test your knowledge with the journalism ethics display, and trace the growth of CNN as it parallels world events. The gift shop features a faux newsroom setup where visitors can video themselves delivering the news from behind the anchor's desk.

Ponce City Market

If you like to spend money while staying cool, Atlanta has no shortage of retail opportunities. Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza are two of the poshest, most exclusive malls in the city, and Atlanta's popular shopping destinations, Atlantic Station and Ponce City Market, are mixed-use communities being recognized as a national model for smart growth and sustainable development. Tenants at the former include the Southeast's first IKEA, a full-day adventure in itself; its restaurant is the company's first to serve grits and sweet tea. Ponce City Market has a midway on its roof (pictured above), for kiddie fun during the daytime, and sizzling nightlife come dark.

 

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.