Atlanta is the capital of the U.S. state of Georgia. It played an important part in both the Civil War and the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. Atlanta History Center chronicles the city’s past, and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site is dedicated to the African-American leader’s life and times. Downtown, Centennial Olympic Park, built for the 1996 Olympics, encompasses the massive Georgia Aquarium. As of 2010, Atlanta is the seventh-most visited city in the United States, with over 35 million visitors per year. Here are 5 places to visit in Atlanta:
Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park
The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park covers about 35 acres (0.14 km2) and includes several buildings in Atlanta, Georgia related to the life and work of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. In the park, there is a modest home where civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was born and raised. In the same area there is the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King was once a pastor. And at The King Center, there are engaging exhibits on the civil rights movement and King’s gravesite.
The Fox Theatre
The Fox Theatre is one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. It is one of Atlanta’s premiere venues for live entertainment. Fox’s 4,665 seat theatre hosts more than 150 performances a year ranging from Broadway to rock to comedy to films. Originally conceived by Atlanta’s Shriners organisation, Egyptian and Spanish architecture inspired the theatre’s design, specifically the Karnak Temple Complex in Luxor and the Alhambra in Granada.
Centennial Olympic Park
Located across the street from the College Football Hall of Fame in downtown Atlanta is Centennial Olympic Park, a 21-acre patch of land that features lush paths of grass, artwork, pools and fountains. The park was originally built for the 1996 Olympic Games and was a centrepiece of the festivities; now, it’s one of the most visited areas of the city. One of the park’s most well-known elements is the Fountain of Rings, made up of 251 water jets.
The World of Coca-Cola
As its name suggests, the World of Coca-Cola is a museum dedicated entirely to Coke. Visits to the two-level facility begin with exhibits on the drink’s historical milestones, its role in pop culture and the bottling process. The older generations in your group will likely enjoy the museum’s attention to the company’s past, but the kids will probably be most excited for the Taste It! area, where over 100 varieties of Coke from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America are available for unlimited sampling.
Visit the Georgia Aquarium
Georgia Aquarium is a public aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Georgia Aquarium is home to hundreds of species and thousands of animals across its seven major galleries, all of which reside in more than 10 million US gallons (38,000 m3) of fresh and saltwater. It was the largest aquarium in the world from its opening in 2005 until 2012 when it became the third-largest aquarium in the world after the Marine Life Park in Singapore and the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in China; the Georgia Aquarium remains the largest aquarium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere.The Aquarium’s notable specimens include whale sharks, beluga whales, California sea lions, bottlenose dolphins, and manta rays.