Discover Atlanta: History, Nature, and Unique Experiences

Atlanta combines an impressive civil rights history, lively museums, expansive gardens, and unusual animal experiences. Those planning a trip with a range of interests will find both cultural sites and paths through forests and parks here. When choosing your vacation rental, it is therefore worth first deciding on your preferred focus: Would you like to explore historic sites, experience nature, get around by bicycle, or combine special attractions for different age groups?

History and Culture in Atlanta

At Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, ranger-led tours called “Church Talks” are offered daily. The King Center includes the free “Freedom Hall” exhibition area, which honors Dr. King, Rosa Parks, and Mahatma Gandhi. Presentations on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Birth Home are also free and open to the public. These places bring the history of the civil rights movement to life through specific sites and exhibitions.

A variety of formats are available for further historical and artistic impressions. Swan House was designed in 1928 by Philip Trammell Shutze for Edward and Emily Inman, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and opened to the public as a house museum in 1967. Oakland Cemetery is an open-air sculpture museum with monuments recognized by the Smithsonian Institution. At the same time, the cemetery is an Audubon Society wildlife sanctuary. At the High Museum of Art, admission tickets include access to the collection galleries and most special exhibitions.

“Cyclorama: The Big Picture” offers a unique perspective on the city’s history. It features the fully restored Cyclorama painting “The Battle of Atlanta”; visitors receive a complete 360-degree view of the painting. At Centennial Olympic Park, the Fountain of Rings and events are part of the offerings throughout the year. Those interested in local everyday and social history can also include Smith Farm. It tells the story of rural life and enslavement in Georgia and is located in Atlanta’s oldest surviving farmhouse.

Gardens, Forest, and Trails

Atlanta showcases its scenic side in several very different facilities. Storza Woods in the Atlanta Botanical Garden is characterized by a special Canopy Walk. The Conservation Garden contains a collection of carnivorous plants. Goizueta Gardens is a 33-acre landscape with nine different gardens, offering numerous specific themes for a day in the gardens.

Fernbank Forest is a 65-acre, unspoiled forest area. Guided forest walks are offered there year-round in the morning or evening, including themed walks focused on birds, native plants, and nocturnal animals. WildWoods also has a Canopy Walk; the paths and experiences in WildWoods are accessible in accordance with ADA standards. Depending on your interests, you can therefore choose between gardens, forest observation, and a guided nature experience.

Active Days and Unique Animal Experiences

The Atlanta Beltline follows a 22-mile-long historic railroad corridor and includes public parks and multi-use trails. The Atlanta Beltline’s trails also include six miles of paved bicycle and pedestrian paths. For planning your trip, this provides a clear opportunity to incorporate a more active day into your sightseeing. The Atlanta Streetcar forms a 2.7-mile loop connecting Centennial Olympic Park with the King Historic District in Downtown Atlanta.

The Georgia Aquarium offers “Journey with Gentle Giants,” an experience in which visitors can swim alongside whale sharks and manta rays. The Cold Water Quest gallery offers a behind-the-scenes tour with a penguin encounter; the “Behind the Seas Tour” also provides a look behind the scenes of the exhibits. At Zoo Atlanta, visitors can feed giraffes from Twiga Terrace. The free “Keeper Talks” are educational conversations between animal experts and guests. At the Atlanta History Center, an animal of a heritage breed takes a tour of the grounds every Saturday at 2 p.m.

A small culinary focus can also be included in your plans: In Atlanta, you can taste Coca-Cola products from around the world. A vacation rental in Atlanta is therefore particularly well suited to a trip in which you want to divide your days flexibly between culture, nature, activity, and unusual visitor experiences. For further orientation, you can also look at Johns Creek, Palmetto, Roswell, East Point, Fairburn, Alpharetta, Union City, and College Park.

For the broader travel overview: Fulton.