guide to cultural atlanta


Things To Do

Atlanta Cyclorama
800 Cherokee Avenue, SE (In Grant Park) Atlanta, GA 30315 404-624-1071
This domed 1920s structure houses an immense circular painting of a day in the Civil War Battle of Atlanta. Painted in 1885 and meticulously restored, it is one of the last such surviving canvases. Three dimensional figures add life to the scene, which is viewed from a revolving stage to the accompaniment of a dramatic taped narration.

Atlanta State Farmers Market
16 Forest Parkway (Exit 237 off I-75 South) Forest Park, GA 30297 404-675-1782
A sprawling complex of outdoor stalls and an indoor market. Fresh fruits and vegetables by the bushel or basket, meat, poultry and local specialties. A cafeteria serves homestyle meals.

CNN Center
One CNN Center Marietta Street at Centennial Park Drive Atlanta, GA 30303 404-827-1500
Atlanta's news and entertainment center-headquarters of Turner Broadcasting, CNN's international broadcast studios and networks. Experience Inside CNN Atlanta and take a first=hand look at global news in the making. To see behind the scenes of news making, television, broadcast innovations, the 24hour news cycle and the technology that make global newsgathering a reality call 404-827-2300 or visit www.cnn.com/studiotour for information and reservations. CNN Center also houses eateries, a bank and post office, specialty stores-including the Braves Clubhouse Store and The Turner Store, plus the luxurious Omni Hotel. Located adjacent to Centennial Olympic Park, Georgia World Congress Center, Georgia Dome, Philips Arena and MARTA, CNN Center is open daily.

Georgia's Stone Mountain Park
Highway 78, exit 8 Stone Mountain, GA 30086 770-498-5690 stonemountainpark.com
The world's largest exposed rock rises 825 feet above the surrounding 3,200-acre park. Confederate heroes are carved in the mountain's sheer face and form the backdrop for summer evening laser shows. Visitors can climb the mountain's gentle slope or take a skylift to the top. They can also enjoy fishing, swimming, tennis, golf, a 19-building antebellum plantation, steam locomotive or paddlewheel river boat excursions, and a Civil War exhibit.

Underground Atlanta
Peachtree Street & Upper Alabama Street 404-523-2311 underground-atlanta.com
Walk the cobbled streets of the original downtown Atlanta. Buried beneath concrete overpasses of the 1920s, revived as a quaint tourist attraction in the 1970s, this historic area is now the focal point for spectacular shopping. This restaurant and entertainment district covers six city blocks. It's a true urban gathering place, with shops, restaurants, clubs, a street market, pushcart vendors and more. A 138-foot light tower and water cascade mark the entrance.

The World of Coca-Cola Pavilion
Adjacent to Underground Atlanta 55 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Atlanta, GA 30303-3505
770-578-4325 ext.1465 woccatlanta.com
The story of Coca-Cola-past, present and future-is told through fascinating exhibits, and eye-popping collection of memorabilia, classic radio and television advertisements, a fanciful representation of the bottling process and a spectacular futuristic soda fountain.

Culture & Education

Anne Frank Exhibit at Kennesaw State University
KSU Center, 3333 Busbee Dr. Kennesaw, GA 30144 www.state.ga.us/holocaust
This free exhibit with over 600 photographs is a memorial tribute to Holocaust victim Anne Frank. The exhibit also incorporates a short film on her life, a virtual tour of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam , and artwork inspired by her story.

Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
980 Briarcliff Road, NE Atlanta, GA 30306 404-872-5338 callanwolde.org
The fine arts center for DeKalb County, this 1920s mansion, with its gardens and grounds, was built by a son of Coca-Cola Company-founder Asa Candler. Today it's a setting for classes, performances, a gallery and a gift shop.

Carter Presidential Center
441 Freedom Parkway Atlanta, GA 30307 404-865-7100 jimmycarterlibrary.org
The Carter Library and Museum offers a close-up look at, the Georgia peanut farmer who became president of the United States, his administration, and the presidency itself. The Japanese garden offers a commanding view of the Atlanta skyline from the hill where General Sherman watched the city burn in 1864.

Center for Puppetry Arts
1404 Spring Street, NW Atlanta, GA 30309 404-873-3391 (box office) 404-873-3089 (business office)
puppet.org
This internationally acclaimed organization offers performances written for children and adults. The Puppetry of the World Museum houses the country's largest private collections of puppets and also offers a history of puppetry.

Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University
571 South Kilgo Circle Atlanta, GA 30322 404-727-4282 www.carlos.emory.edu
Take a peek at the past, the distant past. A mummy and other Egyptian artifacts, Greek statues, Pre-Columbian pottery and other ancient treasures are on standing exhibition, as well as an extensive collection of prints and drawings from the 13th century to the present. The museum also presents touring exhibitions.

Fernbank Museum of Natural History
767 Clifton Road, NE Atlanta, GA 30307 404-929-6300 (info) fernbank.edu/museum
One of Atlanta's largest museum's, Fernbank is also one the nation's foremost museums of natural history. With eight permanent exhibitions (including the renowned Cultures of the World, which features over 200 objects from the Dorothy Methvin McClatchey Collection) and several new exhibitions a year, Fernback is guaranteed to delight almost any history lover. Visitors also have access to the museum's amazing four-story IMAX movie screen.

Fox Theater
660 Peachtree Street, NE Atlanta, GA 30308 404-881-2100 (theatre) 404-249-6400 (Ticketmaster)
404-688-3350 (Walking Tours) foxtheatre.org
This grand 1929 movie theater was built to simulate a Moorish palace, complete with canopied "courtyard" clouds and starlit sky. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the theater hosts touring artists and shows, plus a summer movie series.

Georgia Aquarium
225 Baker Street, Atlanta, GA 30313 (404) 581-4000 georgiaaquarium.org
Atlanta's newest cultural attraction is also the world's largest fish tank. The Georgia Aquarium is home to 100,000 animals representing 500 species of freshwater and marine life from around the globe. Inside this sleep ship of glass lurks leafy sea dragons, beluga whales, sea turtles, electric fish, hammerhead sharks and stingrays-all presented beautifully living in natural habitats of coral, open water and flowing rivers. Located near Centennial Olympic Park and the new World of Coke, the Aquarium also has a variety of dining options at CafÈ Aquaria and a 4-D theatre swimming up all the thrills and chills of a real ocean experience.

Governor's Mansion
391 West Paces Ferry Road Atlanta, GA 30305 404-261-1776
The home of Georgia's chief executive is designed in Greek-revival style popular in antebellum South. Built in 1968, it houses an impressive collection of Federal-era antique American furnishings and is open for tours Tuesdays through Thursdays from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

High Museum of Art
1280 Peachtree Street, NE Atlanta, GA 30309 404-733-4400 404-733-HIGH (24- hour information line)
www.high.org
The building itself, designed by Richard Meier, is a work of art. The museum encompasses European and American paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, photography, and graphics arts, plus a special exhibition area for children. The High regularly hosts international touring exhibitions.

Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change
449 Auburn Avenue, NE Atlanta, GA 30312 404-524-1956 thekingcenter.org
You can visit Martin Luther King's grave, view a film presentation and an exhibit chronicling his life.

Woodruff Arts Center
1280 Peachtree Street, NE Atlanta, GA 30309 404-733-4200 (info) woodruffcenter.org
This arts complex is home to several of Atlanta's top performing groups. The Grammy-Award -winning Atlanta Symphony, one of the youngest American orchestras to achieve prominence in the last quarter-century, performs in the 1,800-seat Symphony Hall. The 800-seat Alliance Theatre has its own acting troupe. The 200- seat Studio Theatre is know for staging new works. The center is also home to the Atlanta Children's Theatre and Atlanta College of Art.