Great Information from Real Experts on Atlanta... 

Atlanta's Exciting History...

Atlanta is the most established city in the South offering many amenities as well as opportunities for its diverse people and families.  Atlanta combines the best of elite suburban living with the liveliness and sophistication of modern urban life.  As far as total population, Atlanta is the fastest growing city in the United States of America.  Our glorious shinning city has some of the most interesting history in the United States.  Atlanta is known as the birth place of the Civil Rights movement, started by Dr. Martin Luther King.  The APEX Museum is a wonderful place to learn about the African American cultural experiences both past and present in Atlanta using artifacts, photographs and multi-media presentations.  All people of Atlanta are proud of the history and stand together to make this city a wonderful place to live.  This harmony and strength between people helped draw the 100 year “Centennial Olympic Games” to Atlanta in 1996.  The games were even held only two miles from where Dr. Martin Luther King preached.  There are even monumental homes in Atlanta.  The Margaret Mitchell House  has been made a museum about the most printed novel in the history of the world, “Gone With The Wind”.  Two famous independently owned and operated public museums that mark African American achievment that has been preserved to this day.  The Hammonds House and the Herndon Home are definitely a must see on the list of museums in Atlanta.  *The Herndon Home is temporarily closed and will re-open in the future.

Come Explore Atlanta...

The Georgia Aquarium is an exciting brand new addition to Atlanta that is scheduled to open November 23, 2005.  The Georgia Aquarium will be one of the largest aquariums in the world with more than 55,000 animals from 500 species.  There is five million gallons of fresh and marine water in this amazing aquarium.  It is located in downtown Atlanta across from Centennial Olympic Park and the Georgia World Congress Center.  Bernie Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot (originating in Atlanta, GA), and now the proud benefactor of the Georgia Aquarium, generously gave a $200 million gift to support his vision in which he also “wants to promote economic impact for the city and state, bring growth and new jobs and help create a destination to inspire visitors to stay – and stay longer.”  It will anchor downtown’s revitalization efforts, a benefit to both Atlanta and Georgia, expecting to attract more than 2 million visitors in the first year, create more than 200 job opportunities and offer hundreds of additional volunteer positions.  The Georgia Aquarium will be overseen by a nonprofit corporation run by a board of directors.   Everyone in Atlanta eagerly awaits the opening of the beautiful aquarium.   On June 3, 2005, Atlanta excitedly welcomed two whale sharks to their new home at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.  Ralph and Norton, their nicknames, are expected to grow to up to 60 feet in length.  One shark is 15 feet long, while the second is 13 and half feet long.  In order to accommodate their size, the aquarium built one of the largest tanks in the world. Experts had to calculate the space the fish would require to make a turn at full speed when fully grown.  During construction of the aquarium, the whale shark’s tank was built first, then everything else surrounding it.

Centennial Olympic Park is a downtown gathering place and lasting legacy to the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games.  The Park boasts a variety of free, fun-filled, family entertainment throughout the year, including a mid-day, evening and weekend concert series, Family Fun Days, a spectacular Fourth of July Celebration, a Holiday in Lights festival complete with an ice skating rink, unforgettable fountain shows and much more! Approximately 800,000 bricks were used in the construction of the 21-acre Park. Laid end-to-end, lengthwise, the bricks would stretch approximately 100 miles. Granite from each of the five continents represented in the Olympic Games is used in the Park.  The Fountain of Rings is the world's largest interactive fountain utilizing the Olympic symbol of five interconnecting Rings.  The entire fountain, from outside Ring edge to outside Ring edge, is 82.5 feet in length.  This happens to be a favorite spot for children off all ages to play in the water in the warm summer months.

Land of the free and home of the Braves  Turner Field has quickly become an landmark and a benchmark for future baseball park design.  The world's largest outdoor high-definition display will entertain Atlanta Braves fans at the newly renovated Turner Field this season. The 5,600 square-foot Mitsubishi Electric-made screen is 71 feet tall and 79 feet wide, weighs 50 tons and has more than five million LED lights. The high definition board is just one of many new additions and upgraded stadium amenities that ensure that the ballpark is among the best and most fan-friendly in the world. Turner Field was originally built for the 1996 Centennial Olympics and then converted to “The home of the Braves”.  The Right-field line is 330 feet and Left-field power alley is 380 feet.  With a 50,096 seating capacity, Braves fans are so supportive that Turner Field has been known to actually sell out!  So get your peanuts, popcorn and tickets today! 

Underground Atlanta was given the Best in Atlanta Retail Award for 2004.  The Real Estate Awards are presented annually to honor the people and projects that are changing metro Atlanta. More specifically, these awards recognize the city’s biggest and most important real estate deals and dealmakers. To determine the award recipients the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s editorial selection committee, comprised of editors, reporters, external counsel and their research team, meets to determine the best and most important real estate deals that took place over the past year, in this case 2004.  Underground Atlanta is conveniently located near the Georgia State Capitol, World of Coca-Cola, and the Martin Luther King Jr. History Center; Underground Atlanta is a great place to start the day visiting downtown's attractions and events. Located in the heart of the city, Underground offers a wide variety of shops, restaurants and activities for everyone to enjoy. Explore six blocks, twelve acres and three levels of shopping, restaurants and entertainment!  Every major holiday is guaranteed to have a successful event planned at Underground Atlanta.  At night, Underground attracts Atlanta’s curious night owls to a different and exciting scene. 

The Georgia Dome offers fans a unique and spectacular venue. The Georgia Dome is the largest cable-supported domed stadium in the world. It has a seating capacity large enough to host political conventions, major concerts or even the Super Bowl.  There are 203 executive suites, 4,600 club seats, and the Penthouse Suite. The Dome's permanent seating capacity is 71,250.  The Georgia Dome is the home of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, but its capabilities are far greater than that of just a football stadium. In fact, Falcons games and other football events such as the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and the SEC Football Championship occupy the stadium fewer than 20 days a year. This leaves at least 345 days open for a whole other world of non-sports events. These include everything from major trade shows to concerts by such entertainers as the Rolling Stones and festivals like “Vibe Musicfest” featuring Big Boi, Kanye West, Lauryn Hill, Ludacris and Marley Tribute to religious events by such ministers as Billy Graham and T.D. Jakes.  Some future events at the Georgia Dome are the 2007 Men's NCAA Final Four, SEC Basketball Tournament (2004, 2005, 2007, 2008), ACC Basketball Tournament (2009), SEC Football Championship (annually) and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (annually).

The CNN Center is the exciting headquarters for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.  The CNN Center offers tours where you can see the behind-the-scenes elements of 24-hour news live, in the one-of-a-kind re-creation of CNN's control room.  There is a special effects room where you can see how maps end up behind anchors, etc.  At the end of the tour you can deliver the day’s top news as if you are a famous anchor yourself!  Ted Turner is an interesting and extremely successful business owner in Atlanta and has helped the local economy a great deal.  At the CNN Center you can learn all about his achievements and path of success.

The World of Coca-Cola corporate headquarters is in Atlanta with local operations in over 200 countries in the world.  As you walk into The World of Coca-Cola, you will see flags from over 200 nations and territories where Coca-Cola can be found.  From the virtual tour starting in 1886 at the invention of Coca-Cola to its present day popularity, where 13,000 of Coca-Cola beverages are consumed every second of every day.  You can view vintage T.V. commercials to cutting edge present day commercial’s, Coca-Cola is a fascinating company with exciting exhibits for both young and old.  Club Coca-Cola is the best way to end the tour where you can sample the servings of famous soft drinks dramatically delivered by the “Spectacular Fountain”.  You can also sample, in the International Lounge, 22 exotic beverages made by the Coca-Cola Company that are not available in the United States. 

The Georgia World Congress Center hosts some of the largest, most significant trade shows each year. Show managers are attracted to several aspects of the GWCC, making it stand out from other competing facilities. For one thing, it is one of the largest convention centers in the country – boasting 1.4 million square feet of prime exhibit space.  The GWCC hosts Corporate Events like the InterContinental Hotels Group Convention, Consumer Events such as the ever popular International Auto Show, and Sporting Events like the U.S. Volleyball Association, Professional Dance Competitions and CheerSport and of course Special Events like in 2001, President George W. Bush and his White House team chose the Georgia World Congress Center as the site to address the nation about homeland security.  Also held at the World Congress Center, CTIA WIRELESS in 2004 was billed as the most significant technology event in America.  An estimated 30,000 attendees from more than 80 countries around the world attended.

Explore Atlanta’s Beauty...

The city itself has been named the “Greenest City” because of all the large oak trees that line many streets, parks and gardens.  There are many activists in Atlanta that strive to preserve and establish the beautiful trees that provide shade and clean air for the communities in Atlanta.  Trees Atlanta (http://www.treesatlanta.org/aboutus.html) for example, has planted over 20,000 large shade trees in downtown and midtown Atlanta. Look for signs that say, “Another planting by Trees Atlanta.”  Also over 60,000 young shade trees planted and distributed by volunteers in metro-Atlanta.  They have saved hundreds of trees through partnerships with community groups and established stronger tree protection laws.

TheBotanical Garden (http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/) offers so many different ways to enjoy the pure natural beauty that has to offer.  The Fuqua Conservatory displays plants in tropical and desert environments, and priority is given to plants that are rare, threatened or endangered.  The Fuqua Conservatory is divided into five display areas: Main Lobby, Tropical Rotunda, Desert House, Special Exhibits, Carnivorous Plants, Animals and the Orangerie.  The offers many classes such as Tai Chi classes, art classes, specific plant care classes, Yoga, Photography.  There are also concerts, festivals and social cocktail parties in The Atlanta Botanical Garden.  All areas are handicap accessible, and wheelchairs are available on a first come first serve basis.  The Atlanta Botanical Garden also offers a range of different tours and group visits.

Piedmont Park (http://www.piedmontpark.org/) has been Atlanta’s “Common Ground” since 1904, is located approximately 2 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. The park runs along 10th Street (a block west of 10th & Monroe Avenue to a block east of 10th & Piedmont Avenue) and Piedmont Avenue (12th & Piedmont to just before 15th & Piedmont) in midtown Atlanta.  Two fun-filled playgrounds for children include the Noguchi Playground, designed by an artist featured at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta and the Saturn Playground, on a smaller scale, for smaller children.  There are many picnic facilities under trees and by the lake, the Piedmont Park swimming pool, run by the City of Atlanta, 12 tennis courts, baseball and soccer fields and many paths for cycling, rollerblading and skateboarding.  The park is also well-known as a Dog-Park.  Many people enjoy the great outdoors with “mans’ best friend” year-round.  Piedmont Park is a beautiful place for a picnic in the great outdoors in the great city of Atlanta.

Zoo Atlanta (http://www.zooatlanta.org/home.htm) is an incredible experience that must be shared by all.  It is located in Historic Grant Park (http://grantpark.org/), just minutes from downtown Atlanta and less than a mile from Turner Field.   The park has incredible wildlife everywhere set in the proper environmental settings.  The “African Plains” have animals such as Giraffes, Zebras, Lions, Elephants and Black Rhinos.  The “Ford African Rainforest” has animals such as Orangutans, Otters, Red Pandas, Tigers and Leopards.  There is also a kid’s area with a petting zoo, Kangaroos, exotic birds and flamingos.  Zoo Atlanta offers camps, field trips and many other family activities and educational programs for everyone.  The giant pandas are a favorite among everyone who enjoys the zoo.  Zoo Atlanta (http://www.zooatlanta.org/home.htm) online there is a “Panda Cam” where you can watch Lun-Lun and Yang-Yang (the two giant pandas) in action.

Stone Mountain (http://www.stonemountainpark.com/newsite/default.asp) is an astonishing lankmark.  The mountain covers 583 acres or 25 million square feet of exposed granite.  It is 1,683 feet above sea level and rises 825 feet above the surrounding area.  On the front of the mountain there is a magnificent carving with these three confederate men on a horse:  President Jefferson Davis, General Robert E. Lee and Lt. General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.  Throughout the warm months, Laser lights turn Stone Mountain into a one million square-foot natural screen for the popular Lasershow Spectacular. As the audience relaxes and picnics on the lawn in front of the reflecting pond, dramatic stories, historic tales and all sorts of comical characters are created through brilliant laser lights and stunning pyrotechnics, all choreographed to music and presented over our state-of-the-art surround sound system.  And don’t miss the breathtaking view of the Confederate Memorial carving up close.  The Skylift's Swiss cable cars climb 825 ft. above the surrounding area to the top of the mountain. From there, visitors can enjoy an incredible view of the Appalachian Mountains and surrounding countryside.  Also don’t pass up the new expansion called the Crossroads with a 4D Theater, Tall Tales of the South, Southern craftsmanship at its finest and irresistible street entertainment.  The Scenic Railroad, the Riverboat named the "Scarlet O'Hara" is an authentic, 150 passenger side wheeler, will take you on a scenic cruise of 363-acre Stone Mountain Lake.  Discover Stone Mountain Museum, the AntiqueCar & Treasure Museum, the waterslide complex, golf course and Stone Mountain Tennis Center.

Explore Atlanta's Culture...

The Fox Theater (http://www.foxtheatre.org/index.htm) in is an amazing theater that was originally designed in the 1920s and has been consistently been restored throughout the years to now be one of the most amazing theaters in The United States.  To build The Fox Theater today would cost more than $300 million.  The Fox Theater ballrooms have hosted receptions and special events for visiting ambassadors, noted politicians and internationally acclaimed people, including Prince Charles.  Today there are constantly events at The Fox that draw attention for people of all ages.  There is a series of Broadway Shows that come through every year, as well as The Atlanta Ballet’s (www.atlantaballet.com) productions.  Every Christmas the Rockettes grace the fantastic Fox Theater and this summer The Fox is pairing up with Coca-Cola for a huge film festival.

The centerpiece for art and culture in Atlanta is by far the High Museum of Art .  This year it was announced that the High Museum of Art will be part of the United States Postal Service “Masterworks of Modern Architecture” 12-stamp set.  The Stent Family Wing will be featured among other famous landmarks including New York’s Guggenheim Museum and Chrysler Building, Chicago’s Hancock Center, Philadelphia’s Vanna Venturi House, and Yale’s Arts and Architecture Building.  The expansion project for the High Museum of Art is nearing completion.  The 177,000 foot expansion will be open to the public on November 12, 2005.  Three new buildings for the High are the centerpiece of a master plan to enhance the Woodruff Arts Center  campus, The Atlanta College of Art ,the Alliance Theater , The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra , Young Audiences , and The 14th Street Playhouse .  This expansion will more than double the High’s current gallery space while enabling the Museum to display more of its growing collection, mount more special exhibitions, and increase its educational and public programs to better serve all the people of Atlanta and any visitors to the city.

More Fine Arts...

There are many other “hot spots” for fine arts in Atlanta.  The Atlanta Civic Center (http://www.atlantaciviccenter.com/), with the largest production stage in the Southeast, is often the first choice for major Broadway Productions.  The Center for Puppetry Arts (http://www.puppet.org/) is a unique cultural treasure - a magical place where children and adults are educated, enlightened and entertained. During the past 25 years, the Center has introduced millions of visitors to the wonder and art of puppetry, and has touched the lives of many through enchanting performances, curriculum-based workshops and the hands-on Museum, as well as Distance Learning and Outreach Programs.  The Callanwolde Fine Arts Center (http://www.callanwolde.org/) is an intimate venue for classical concerts, it has an art gallery, a dance school, a voice school and stunning outdoor landscaping as well as interior décor.  Woodruff Arts Center (http://www.woodruff-arts.org/wac/index2.asp) is on the same campus as the High Museum of Art.  It has an exceptional stage with productions, symphony’s and plays constantly scheduled year-round.

Other Museums...

There are so many museums in Atlanta to explore that appeal to both the young and the old.  Fernbank Museum of Natural History (http://www.fernbank.edu/museum/) has been named “Atlanta’s home of the dinosaurs”.  There is a huge Mesozoic exhibit where you can gasp at the enormous creatures that roamed the earth before we did.  There is also an IMAX theater where you can see shows starring the exciting adventures of wildlife.  Another favorite is the discovery rooms which allow children to imagine what it is like as different species, like ants in the maze, exotic birds as they climb to the top of a fantasy forest, pollen in the garden and playful otters in the swamp.  Another museum that is educational for all ages is the Atlanta Cyclorama & Civil War Museum (http://www.webguide.com/cyclorama.html) which has a rotating auditorium that enables you to see the Battle of Atlanta on a true scale as you rotate 360 degrees.  It is an amazing museum with many artifacts and is home of the historic Civil War locomotive.  An exceptional spot is the Atlanta History Center (http://www.atlhist.org/).  The museum has exhibits and displays artifacts that educate on the turning point of the Civil War, the metropolitan frontiers’ transportation, commercializing the city and suburbia influence.  An Atlanta’s children favorite is ImagineIt! Children’s Museum of Atlanta (http://www.imagineit-cma.org/press_in_news.html).  They strive to “create environments and activities where young children experience the power of imagination and the pure delight of learning with each other and with grown-ups.”  There is a forest where preschoolers wear multicolored raincoats and play under a 250-gallon waterfall as they learn the basic properties of water.  There is also a museum dedicated to former president Jimmy Carter called the Carter Presidential Library and Museum (http://www.jimmycarterlibrary.org/).