Atlanta Short Stay Question

[hrslvr142]

Going with DH for a business trip mid April, staying downtown at the Westin. While he is working-all day Friday and
Sat am want to explore a bit. We are already going to a cocktail party at the Aquarium which was a must see for me and was thinking about the zoo as well. I love to take photos.....any suggestions for some places I can walk to (or a short cab ride) by myself that are safe. Only discounts I found for the zoo were with the City Walk Pass and won't be there long enough to take advantage of all the things that this offers. I am late fifties if that matters but am fit enough to walk pretty long distances w/o a problem. What may be some "secrets" that may not be listed on Trip Advisor that people would suggest? TIA

 

[pjlla]

Just got back from a short trip to Atlanta myself! Our main goal was the Aquarium (we were there, open to close, two days in a row), but we also found time to visit Piedmont Park (public park), Federal Reserve Bank museum (FREE!!), and the Margaret Mitchell house ($15/pp to go inside). These were all (except the aquarium) a fairly easy walk from where we stayed at mid-town. We used the MARTA (public transportation system) to go back and forth from the airport and the aquarium. Super easy and inexpensive. We would have seen the Atlanta Botanical garden too, but arrived at 4pm on a day it closed at 5pm, so it wasn't worth spending the $$ at that point.

Not sure where you are from, but this was a big vibrant city compared to what I am used to and just walking around and people watching was great fun.... especially in the park! Loads and loads of dogs too.... seemed like a very dog-friendly city. Wish we had time to do the MLK home and memorial and Stone Mountain.

Restaurant prices were not ridiculous and there were tons and tons of choices. Have fun!...................P

 

[JaxDad]

I did a similar mini-trip to downtown Atlanta a couple years ago for a conference, which also included a cocktail/dinner party at the Aquarium. It was really cool. If your party there is like the one I attended, you may want to plan to return to the Aquarium and also go to the dolphin show or other shows or do one of the animal encounter programs. Right next door to the Aquarium is the World of Coca-Cola. I did not go there, but I have actually heard it is a fun visit. These museums are both within the vast Centennial Olympic Park, which is a nice place to walk around. The CNN Center is also on the park, inside a large hotel and food court. (There actually used to be an indoor theme park in that building--The World of Sid and Marty Krofft.) CNN used to do studio tours there, but not sure if they still do. I think the College Football Hall of Fame is nearby as well.

 

[My3Princez]

As far as the zoo, you may look into whether getting an annual pass to a local zoo applies at the Atlanta zoo. When we visited Atlanta, the NC zoo was offering a discount on annual passes and they had a reciprocal agreement with the Atlanta zoo. Since we typically get to the zoo once or twice a year, it was a savings overall for us to get the Annual pass.

 

[Ali0812]

Hello! I live just 20 minutes north of Atlanta. It is a great city with a lot to do. Here are some suggestions off the top of my head: Aquarium, World of Coke, zoo, CNN center, High Museum of Art, Atlanta History Center, Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Also, I'm not sure what will be going on at the Fox Theatre when you will be here, but you should really look on the website and find out. It is a beautiful beautiful theatre. I strongly recommend that you have a meal at Mary Mac's Tea Room. Best southern food around. It is a very "Atlanta" place. Perfect place for a visitor. It is a place frequented by celebrities, politicians, dignitaries, etc.. I think the Dali Lama even had a meal there. What ever you decide to do, have fun!

 

[FencerGirl]

The zoo isn't walkable from downtown, but it's a pretty nice one. Not huge, but they do have pandas. FWIW, we got half priced admission by showing the membership card for our home zoo.

Ali0812 has great suggestions. I'll second the World of Coke. I went there with low expectations and had a great time!

 

[my3sonsagn]

If you like history the Michael C Carlos Museum at Emory University has some interesting exhibits; there's the big ferris wheel that stops each car at the top long enough to get good views/shots. I've not done it yet, but the new Atlanta Streetcar looks interesting http://streetcar.atlantaga.gov

Whatever you end up doing, I hope you enjoy your stay!

 

[Ali0812]

If you like history the Michael C Carlos Museum at Emory University has some interesting exhibits; there's the big ferris wheel that stops each car at the top long enough to get good views/shots. I've not done it yet, but the new Atlanta Streetcar looks interesting http://streetcar.atlantaga.gov

Whatever you end up doing, I hope you enjoy your stay!

I forgot all about the ferris wheel! A nighttime ride is really beautiful.

 

[my3sonsagn]

I forgot all about the ferris wheel! A nighttime ride is really beautiful.

I haven't ridden it (too chicken and afraid of heights lol), but I've heard it's a lovely view. I also second your recs (esp Mary Macs - yum!).

 

[angierae]

I am headed down to Atlanta for a weekend conference and our plans are to do the Zoo Friday morning before the conference starts. I've been before, and I can never resist the chance to see Pandas!

 

[Ali0812]

I haven't ridden it (too chicken and afraid of heights lol), but I've heard it's a lovely view. I also second your recs (esp Mary Macs - yum!).

I'm not really a big fan of heights either. I will tell you though, it feels (and probably is) a lot safer than ferris wheels at fairs/carnivals. You should ride it

 

[DisneyTasha]

Is the ferris whell the old-fashioned type with a bench seat, or is it more like the small carnivals that have the buckets? I was always fine with the seats, and then a couple years ago, in a bucket at a small travelling fair, my daughter was bouncing around while we were stopped at the top, and I thought I was going to lose it. She was talking about how pretty it was that you could see all the lights down the main strip of our little town, turned to me and said, "oh mama, you don't look so good. Are you alright??" LOL

 

[my3sonsagn]

Is the ferris whell the old-fashioned type with a bench seat, or is it more like the small carnivals that have the buckets? I was always fine with the seats, and then a couple years ago, in a bucket at a small travelling fair, my daughter was bouncing around while we were stopped at the top, and I thought I was going to lose it. She was talking about how pretty it was that you could see all the lights down the main strip of our little town, turned to me and said, "oh mama, you don't look so good. Are you alright??" LOL

Neither. They're fully enclosed, climate controlled "gondolas" that are supposed to be very smooth and comfortable. http://www.skyviewatlanta.com/#welcome

I wouldn't have even made it to walk off the ferris wheel if someone bounced it around like that - they'd have needed paramedics and a truckload of nerve pills. lol

 

[HopperFan]

DOWNTOWN walking within blocks of hotel and all around the park:
- Georgia Aquarium
- World of Coca Cola Museum http://www.worldofcoca-cola.com/
- College Football Hall of Fame. Impressive if you like college football. http://www.cfbhall.com/
- Centennial Olympic Park worth walking throughout, main hub for the Olympics
- Center for Civil and Human Rights Museum http://www.civilandhumanrights.org/
- Sundial - top of the Westin is a 3 story restaurant that some floors rotate 360. Go for lunch and ask for seat by window, great views. http://www.sundialrestaurant.com/
- Polaris Lounge - top of Hyatt Regency just reopened after many years. First rotating restaurant. Unique. Night so if you and DH are interested. www.polarisatlanta.com
- Ferris Wheel. Might be more fun with DH at night. http://www.skyviewatlanta.com/

DOWNTOWN, might want a cab:
- Atlanta Movie Tours http://atlantamovietours.com/

Cab ride away or if you are comfortable on the MARTA train.
- If there is a good show with a matinee The Fox is a treat. Cab needed. https://foxtheatre.org/
- High Museum of Art. Great museum. Stunning inside and out. http://www.high.org/
- Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Beautiful and impressive. http://atlantabg.org/ Several block walk from MARTA. On edge of Piedmont Park. Cab might be best.

Cab only:
- Zoo Atlanta. GREAT. http://www.zooatlanta.org/
- Cyclorama. If you go to Zoo a must do, it's right there. Nothing like it. http://www.atlantacyclorama.org/
- FYI the above are in Grant Park. It was designed by Olmstead, same designer of Central Park. If you are familiar you can feel the same design.

 

[hrslvr142]

DOWNTOWN walking within blocks of hotel and all around the park:
- Georgia Aquarium
- World of Coca Cola Museum http://www.worldofcoca-cola.com/
- College Football Hall of Fame. Impressive if you like college football. http://www.cfbhall.com/
- Centennial Olympic Park worth walking throughout, main hub for the Olympics
- Center for Civil and Human Rights Rights Museum http://www.civilandhumanrights.org/
- Sundial - top of the Westin is a 3 story restaurant that some floors rotate 360. Go for lunch and ask for seat by window, great views. http://www.sundialrestaurant.com/
- Polaris Lounge - top of Hyatt Regency just reopened after many years. First rotating restaurant. Unique. Night so if you and DH are interested. www.polarisatlanta.com
- Ferris Wheel. Might be more fun with DH at night. http://www.skyviewatlanta.com/

DOWNTOWN, might want a cab:
- Atlanta Movie Tours http://atlantamovietours.com/

Cab ride away or if you are comfortable on the MARTA train.
- If there is a good show with a matinee The Fox is a treat. Cab needed. https://foxtheatre.org/
- High Museum of Art. Great museum. Stunning inside and out. http://www.high.org/
- Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Beautiful and impressive. http://atlantabg.org/ Several block walk from MARTA. On edge of Piedmont Park. Cab might be best.

Cab only:
- Zoo Atlanta. GREAT. http://www.zooatlanta.org/
- Cyclorama. If you go to Zoo a must do, it's right there. Nothing like it. http://www.atlantacyclorama.org/
- FYI the above are in Grant Park. It was designed by Olmstead, same designer of Central Park. If you are familiar you can feel the same design.

 

[hrslvr142]

Wow thanks for so many great ideas..now it will be hard to choose a couple...coming from Indianapolis so used to a bigger city & not afraid to explore. Thanks HopperFan for the breakdown of which is walkable & which I need transportation for. The ferris wheel really sounds cool.

 

[DisneyTasha]

Neither. They're fully enclosed, climate controlled "gondolas" that are supposed to be very smooth and comfortable. http://www.skyviewatlanta.com/#welcome

I wouldn't have even made it to walk off the ferris wheel if someone bounced it around like that - they'd have needed paramedics and a truckload of nerve pills. lol

I find this funny, since my doctor's nurse keeps asking me if I'm ready for nerve pills, whenever my daughter visits the doctor with me. She's ADHD and FULL of energy, always going, bouncing around. Seeing her, I know where they got the term "bouncing off the walls." And yes, I was done for the night after that. Also have never gotten on a ferris wheel since then. Now, when we visit the county fair, I get no ride tickets/bands, I'm just the pack mule, on the ground taking pics of hubby and kids riding the rides! (And I get paid for my services in funnel cake!)

 

[HopperFan]

If you do decide to just wander downtown area sites you might want to check out -

Hyatt Regency Hotel and Marriott Marquis Hotels. Few blocks north of you. Both are full atrium lobbies and pretty cool.

Hyatt was one of the first built, first I ever saw and first time I ever rode a glass elevator up. It was designed by John Portman who changed the Atlanta skyline one building at a time including your hotel.
http://atlantaregency.hyatt.com/en/hotel/our-hotel.html

There is a skyway from the lobby to the Marriott Marquis which sits right behind it. So plain on the outside but WOW took my breath away on the inside. I had never seen anything like it, felt like I was in a movie where I was in a city in a spaceship. Pictures do no justice. It was also designed by Portman but he truly got his creative juices going on this one. They've shot movies in here including the Hunger Games movies. Until a building in Dubai it was the tallest atrium in the world.
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-photos/atlmq-atlanta-marriott-marquis/

Just south of your hotel is the Fairlie-Poplar Historic District. Revitalized area now full of restaurants, shops, galleries, studios, a theater, wonderful architecture inside and out on the National Historic Register. It's busy all day long with Georgia State students, business people and visitors.

PS If you do go up to the Sundial in your hotel = glass elevator outside the building, very cool. You can go up there just for drinks.

 

[my3sonsagn]

I find this funny, since my doctor's nurse keeps asking me if I'm ready for nerve pills, whenever my daughter visits the doctor with me. She's ADHD and FULL of energy, always going, bouncing around. Seeing her, I know where they got the term "bouncing off the walls." And yes, I was done for the night after that. Also have never gotten on a ferris wheel since then. Now, when we visit the county fair, I get no ride tickets/bands, I'm just the pack mule, on the ground taking pics of hubby and kids riding the rides! (And I get paid for my services in funnel cake!)

Haha! I'm pretty sure my very active kids had something to do with my nerves (esp since they have an uncanny knowledge of my hot buttons and love to push those limits). I, too, am an observer/carrier/photographer at the fair (and many theme parks that are heavier on thrill rides which really aren't my thing - I just love the theme park atmosphere).

 

[JaxDad]

As Hopper reported, I forgot the Westin was the one with the rotating restaurant at the top. Definitely worth a visit, even if you just do appetizers and drinks. The elevator ride is very cool!

I've stayed at the Marriott Marquis a couple times, and the atrium is very impressive. It was definitely in the second Hunger Games movie. The Marquis (and I think other hotels) are attached to a mall and food court with skyways, which makes it nice to get around if it's hot or wet.