Best things to do in Atlanta

Covering more than 12 hectares (30 acres), Atlanta Botanical Garden offers the chance to walk among a large collection of rare plants. The garden complex splits up into multiple smaller exhibits, including a Japanese garden, a rainforest section, and a desert. View the most diverse orchid collection in the country, kept healthy by a special climate-control system that mimics the flower’s natural environment. Explore a forest from an elevated pathway 12 m (40 ft) high on the special 180 m (600 ft) long Canopy Walk. The entire complex is mostly outdoors, so dress appropriately.

With more than 100,000 creatures from 500 different species, Georgia Aquarium has more aquatic life than any other aquarium in the world. Stop at the entrance to note the times of the daily bottlenose dolphin shows, or arrange to swim with the whale sharks--the largest fish in the world. The aquarium features six galleries, each designed to represent a specific environment. You can visit touch tanks filled with sea stars, stingrays, shrimp, horseshoe crabs, and sea turtles. In the regional habitat exhibits, you can walk through a tunnel surrounded by water to observe fish from an underwater perspective. Consider a guided tour of the backstage area to learn the secrets behind the aquarium's popular exhibits.

Get an inside look at the creation and long-lasting legacy of one of the world's favorite beverages at World of Coca-Cola, which features interactive exhibits and more than 1,200 pieces of memorabilia. The 8 hectare (20 acre) complex includes the vault that guards the company's top-secret recipe. You can watch the bottling process, then move on to the tasting room and its 100-plus flavors of Coke. Don't forget your free commemorative Coca-Cola glass before you leave.

At Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, see King's childhood home, the church where he and his father pastored, and the final resting place of King. Take a free ticket at the visitor center and join a guided tour of the house. Visit the museum that chronicles the American Civil Rights movements, and the "I Have a Dream" International World Peace Rose Garden--an artistic representation of King's life of non-violence. You can walk the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame, which honors those who fought for equality. On a brick island, at the center of a reflecting pool, you'll see the tomb of Martin Luther and his wife, Coretta.

Piedmont Park boasts several miles of paths suitable for walking, jogging, biking, or inline skating. You can rent bikes and skates from Skate Escape, opposite the park. Children can scamper around two playgrounds with swings, slides, a sandpit, and climbing dome. Anglers can head to the lake to try their luck catching largemouth bass, bream, and catfish. Bring some sandwiches along to enjoy in the sheltered picnic area or grassy lawns, or bring food to cook on one of the 22 barbecue grills. This large urban park covers 76 hectares (189 acres).

The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is a museum dedicated to the achievements of the civil rights movement in the United States and the broader worldwide human rights movement. Located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, the museum opened to the public on June 23, 2014.

Initially a shelter for animals of a bankrupt travelling circus, Zoo Atlanta has grown into a 16 hectare (40 acre) settlement of over 1,500 individuals of mammals, reptiles, birds and amphibians. Here you can see the rare giant pandas, as well as the largest zoological collection of gorillas and orangutans in the United States. If you are not of a particularly sensitive nature, don't miss the carnivorous plants, particularly the Venus flytrap which feeds itself by preying on insects and arachnids. This venue is AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) accredited, pointing to excellent animal care, quality staffing and extensive involvement in global conservation efforts. You can expect to walk quite a lot here, so wear comfortable shoes.

Built for the 1996 summer games, Centennial Olympic Park hosts millions of visitors every year on its wide lawns and walking paths. Many visitors come for concerts at the park's amphitheater, but you'll also want to check out the Fountain of Rings and the Skyview Ferris wheel. Be sure to look down as you walk through the park--the bricks beneath your feet are engraved with messages of people who donated money to build the park.

The Fox Theatre (often marketed as the Fabulous Fox), a former movie palace, is a performing arts venue located at 660 Peachtree Street NE in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia, and is the centerpiece of the Fox Theatre Historic District.

The theater was originally planned as part of a large Shrine Temple as evidenced by its Moorish design. The 4,665-seat auditorium was ultimately developed as a lavish movie theater in the Fox Theatres chain and opened in 1929. It hosts a variety of cultural and artistic events including the Atlanta Ballet, a summer film series, and performances by national touring companies of Broadway shows. The venue also hosts occasional concerts by popular artists.