Whether you feel like spending an evening at the ballet or taking in a ballgame, enjoying a peaceful walk along some of the country’s most picturesque trails or riding roller coasters until you’re dizzy, Atlanta has an answer for you. To get you started, here’s a list of some of the city’s most popular attractions and destinations:

Atlanta Icons

• CNN Center: One of the most popular attractions in Atlanta, the CNN Center houses the global headquarters of CNN and Turner Broadcasting. During the 50-minute studio tour, you’ll get a unique behind-the-scenes view of the 24-hour news giant, and if you leave feeling inspired, head over to the Turner Store and make a video of yourself reading the day’s top news stories.
• World of Coca Cola: Back in 1886, Atlanta pharmacist Dr. James Pemberton probably never imagined that the concoction that he had just invented would someday become the world’s most popular soft drink… but it did. Today, Pemberton’s hometown has a museum dedicated to his invention, where you can awe at the world’s largest collection of Coke memorabilia—Coca Cola ceiling fan, anyone?—and sample Coke products from around the world. Don’t miss the apricot-flavored Vegita Beta from Japan, but beware of the unpleasant bite of Italy’s Beverly.
• The Varsity: This local classic started serving the town of Atlanta, population 255,000, way back in 1928. Today, the legendary drive-in is such an integral part of Atlanta culture that a book has been written to commemorate its history, and it’s a rare Atlantan who hasn’t asked for an “F.O. and a bag of rags” (frosted orange drink and an order of fries) at this enduring establishment.

Art Appreciation

• Atlanta Ballet: Founded in 1929, the Atlanta Ballet, acclaimed for its artistic innovation and diversity, is the nation’s longest-running dance company. If you feel especially energetic after enjoying a performance, the ballet center offers flamenco and yoga classes and dance instruction for children.
• The Atlanta Opera: Opera lovers will be pleased to discover that Atlanta’s own nationally renowned opera company presents four main-stage productions every season at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center.
• The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra: This world-class symphony orchestra has earned international praise and 14 Grammy Awards. Its regular season runs from September through May, but you can also catch free shows in Piedmont and other city parks during the summer months.
• Fox Theater: The citizens of Atlanta narrowly saved this grand theater from demolition in 1975. Today, the 4,678-seat Fabulous Fox is home to concerts, Broadway shows, and ballet performances, but the lavish and elaborate décor alone is worth the admission. Attendees sit beneath a magical sky of twinkling stars and drifting clouds in an indoor Arabian courtyard. Tours are available.
• High Museum of Art: Boasting a permanent collection of more than 11,000 pieces, the High Museum is the Southeast’s premier art museum. With its enticing blend of contemporary and classical paintings, African art, photography, and folk art, it’s easy to see why the museum plays host to more than half a million visitors every year.

Educational Excursions

• Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum: Aided by a powerful narrative and moving music, Atlanta’s Cyclorama transports viewers back to July 22, 1864, to experience the drama and heroism of the Battle of Atlanta. The exquisite, incredibly detailed oil painting in the round, the world’s largest at 9,334 pounds, has been on display in Atlanta since 1893 and is a must-see for history buffs. The connected Civil War Museum features photos, uniforms, videos, weapons, and other artifacts.
• Atlanta History Center: Nestled in the heart of Buckhead is an 83,000-square-foot museum that houses some of the South’s greatest treasures. The museum’s collection contains items from the Civil War to the Olympic games, and everything in between. Its archives and research library serve over 10,000 patrons each year, and its two historic houses convey more than a century of local history.
• Carter Presidential Center: The Carter Center’s mission is to “advance human rights and alleviate unnecessary human suffering,” a goal that it has worked to achieve in more than 65 countries around the world. Members of the public can visit the Center’s museum to learn more about the triumphs and trials of the Carter administration, and the library to explore more than 27 million pages of original documents and photos from the Carter White House.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change: The King Center is a memorial dedicated to advancing the philosophy and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., an Atlanta native and leader of America’s civil rights movement. The center’s library contains the largest collection of civil rights information in the world. Photographs and memorabilia from Dr. King’s life are on display, and visitors can pay their respects at his

January

• Martin Luther King Jr. Week: As the birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a nerve center of the civil rights movement in the ’50s and ’60s, Atlanta celebrates Dr. King’s birthday with a week of activities that includes an annual tribute by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and a banquet to recognize those who best uphold Dr. King’s ideals.

February

• Best of Atlanta Party: Each year, Atlanta Magazine , the city’s most respected monthly publication, sponsors what can only be called the best party in town. Atlanta’s top restaurants and bars are on hand to provide sustenance to the 3,000 guests, and profits benefit Camp Twin Lakes, a camping facility for chronically ill children.

March

• AtlantaFair: For good old-fashioned family fun at an affordable price, it’s hard to beat the Atlanta Fair at Turner Field, with its midway full of rides, food, games, and children’s activities.
• St. Patrick’s Day Parade: Atlanta ranks as the seventh-largest “Irish city” in North America, with more than a million of its residents coming from Irish descent, which may help explain why Atlantans celebrate St. Pat’s with such enthusiasm and delight. The annual parade, featuring floats, bands, bagpipe and drum corps, Irish dancers, clowns, antique cars, dignitaries, and more, is part of Atlanta’s three-day St. Patty’s festival.

April

• Atlanta Dogwood Festival: Each April, when the dogwoods begin to bloom in the warm spring sun, Piedmont Park hosts the Dogwood Festival, three days of music, food, and fun. Chill out with a cool drink as you watch the dog Frisbee championships (no kidding) or wander through the artists’ market.
• Georgia Renaissance Festival: On seven consecutive weekends, starting in April, strolling minstrels, magicians, and knights in shining armor walk among modern-day Atlantans, pausing occasionally to joust on horseback or perform in one of the festival’s 100 daily shows.
• Inman Park Spring Festival: Every year, Atlanta’s first suburb hosts a two-day street party, celebrating the coming of spring with craft and antique booths, music, food, and a festive parade.

May

• Atlanta Celtic Festival: If you’ve been looking for free Scottish country dancing lessons, here’s your chance. Celebrate the culture of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales by kicking up your heels at this two-day event chock full of crafts, food, and, of course, dancing.
• Atlanta Jazz Festival: Jazz aficionados come from far and wide to relish this free festival featuring some of today’s top jazz performers.
• Decatur Arts Festival: Showcasing some of the Southeast’s most imaginative and inspiring artwork, the Decatur Arts Festival draws more than 40,000 creativity-seekers with its Art Walk, garden tours, literary events, children’s festival, and international music.
• Sweet Auburn Springfest: With 10 stages of entertainment, a technology expo, an international craft marketplace, a film festival, and more than 500,000 revelers, this street festival is the largest in the Southeast.

June

• Atlanta Film Festival: For nearly three decades, the Atlanta Film Festival has been showcasing the finest independent and big-budget films from around the world, culminating in an awards ceremony to honor the filmmakers who created the best of the best.
• Georgia Shakespeare Festival: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution proclaimed, “The festival has become as much a part of Atlanta as the lighting of Rich’s Great Tree at Christmas or the running of the Peachtree Road Race.” The Bard would be proud. Arrive early and picnic prior to the performance while being entertained by interning actors.
• Virginia-Highland Summerfest: The historic yet funky Virginia-Highland district celebrates the arrival of summer with one of the most acclaimed artists’ markets in the Southeast, as well as bands, delicious food, and other activities.
• Screen on the Green: Classic films under a blanket of summer stars, what could be more magical? Just after sunset falls over Piedmont Park, the 45-foot wide movie screen in springs to life with classics like The Wizard of Oz , Psycho , and The Sound of Music . And it’s free!

July

• Fantastic Fourth Celebration: With three days of state-of-the-art laser shows, stunning fireworks displays, and musical entertainment, Stone Mountain Park’s birthday bash for our nation is not to be missed.
• Independence Day Celebrations: No matter where you are in Atlanta, you’ll find plenty of patriotism and partying on July 4. From the huge fireworks display at Lenox Square to the old-fashioned parades and picnics in just about every park around, you’ll find ample activities on the U.S. of A’s birthday.
• Peachtree Road Race: Each year, in the early morning hours of July 4, before the picnics and parades, 55,000 determined runners wait anxiously on Peachtree Road for the world’s largest and most popular 10K race to begin. When the time comes, they leap into action, cheered on by more than 200,000 revelers and assisted by over 3,000 volunteers.

August

• Atlanta Underground Film Festival: WellFair, a nonprofit artists’ organization, hosts this unique festival, which is designed to promote independent, cutting-edge art, cinema, and music. The festival strives to give a forum to artists, filmmakers, and musicians who push past the boundaries of traditional media.

September

• 10K Classic and Family Sports Festival: Every Labor Day, this multi-event road race brings 10,000 bikers, runners, walkers, skaters, and wheelchair athletes together to raise money for the World Children’s Center, a local nonprofit organization that provides long-term homes to neglected, abandoned, orphaned, and abused children.
• Atlanta Greek Festival: This four-day annual tribute to Greek culture features dancing, music, wine, and more than 50,000 revelers.
• Taste of Atlanta: In a city that’s famous for its cuisine, it would take decades to try every eatery, but Taste of Atlanta attendees can get a head start by sampling foods from 75 of the area’s best restaurants. The weekend-long Buckhead festival also includes cooking demonstrations and classes for those who’d like to eat in occasionally.

October

• Latin American Film Festival: The High Museum of Art sponsors this annual film festival, which spotlights today’s most outstanding Latin cinema.
• Little Five Points Halloween Festival and Parade: Atlanta’s funkiest destination flies its freak flag high during the spooky season with a free two-day festival culminating in the most outrageous parade this side of Transylvania. If you dare, take part in the annual 8K “Run Like Hell” Race, casket race, or costume contest.

November

• Lighting of Macy’s Great Tree: A tradition started in 1948, the lighting of the enormous 75-foot tree at Macy’s in Buckhead awakens the holiday spirit in Atlantans like no other event. On Thanksgiving night, thousands come to sing carols with mass choirs and wait for the great tree, with its seven-foot star, to light up the winter sky.

December

• Peach Bowl Parade: One of the most popular NCAA college football bowl games in the nation is celebrated with this lively, not-to-be-missed downtown parade. The game itself takes place in the Georgia Dome sometime around New Year’s Eve, but if you’re planning to go, get tickets early because they go fast!

Atlanta Employers

If your idea of security and happiness is living in the city that Newsweek called the leading job creator in the country, projecting 1.8 million added jobs during the period of 1998 through 2025; the city that has led the nation in job growth during the last decade, adding nearly 700,000 new jobs; a city in which personal income has doubled in the last 10 years; and the city that has more in-migration than any other area in the nation, then you’ll love life in Atlanta.

Additionally, Atlanta has construction costs that are below the national average, a thriving real estate market, and energy costs that are among the lowest in the country, making the metro area an ideal location for budding entrepreneurs.

The area’s astonishing growth is due in part to its low cost of living, low unemployment rate, and diverse industry base, which includes 13 Fortune 500 headquarters, 24 Fortune 1,000 headquarters, the local offices of more than 30 international banks, and more than 1,200 foreign-based companies, employing 80,000 people.

The trade, transportation, and utilities industries make up the largest category of jobs, employing more than half a million workers, 23 percent of Atlanta’s workforce. High-tech firms also contribute significantly to the city’s economy, employing more than 190,000, or 8 percent of the area’s workforce. There are also more than 5,000 manufacturing facilities in the metro area. Other major employers include:

AT&T

BellSouth

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Coca Cola

Delta Air Lines

Earthlink

Equifax

Georgia-Pacific

Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport(nearly 45,000 employees)

Home Depot

IBM

Kroger

Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems

Military: Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Fort McPherson, Naval Air Station Atlanta

Piedmont Hospital

Southern Company

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.

United Parcel Service

Universities: Emory, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Georgia State

Atlanta History

• 1732 : Georgia is founded as the 13th original British colony.
• 1837 : Atlanta is founded as “Terminus,” a tiny railroad settlement that is the Southern-most point of the state-owned Western & Atlantic Railroad. The settlement consists of little more than the homes and offices of the railroad workers themselves.
• 1843 : Terminus changes its name to Marthasville to honor Martha Lumpkin, the daughter of a former Georgia governor.
• 1845 : Atlanta finally becomes “ Atlanta,” a name that some hypothesize is a feminine version of the Western & Atlantic Railroad and that others claim was derived from Martha’s middle name, Atalanta.
• Atlantaevolves into the transport hub of the South, with four railroads and a major manufacturing center.
• 1864 : Because of its strategic importance to the Confederate Army, Atlanta is targeted by General Sherman’s Union Army. After the Battle of Atlanta, General Sherman’s men reduce the city to ashes, a tragedy immortalized in Gone With the Wind .
• 1865 : With its rail system in ruins, buildings destroyed, and population displaced, the persistent few remaining citizens set to work, rebuilding the city from the ground up.
• 1868 : Atlanta becomes the sixth city to serve as Georgia’s capital.
• 1886 : Local pharmacist John Pemberton creates Coca Cola. His invention will later help save the city during the Great Depression.
• 1929 : Martin Luther King Jr. is born on Auburn Avenue.
• 1960s : Atlanta becomes a hotbed for the civil rights movement, proclaiming itself the “City Too Busy to Hate.”
• 1988 : Atlanta hosts the National Democratic Convention.
• 1996 : Atlanta hosts the summer Olympic games.

Atlanta Education

From pre-school to grad school, metro Atlanta’s educational system has much to offer. Its 27 public school systems, which include more than 800 elementary, middle, and high schools, nurture over 700,000 young minds, while other students attend one of the city’s more than 200 private schools. Several resources are available to help parents select the best educational facility for their children.

Get comprehensive Atlanta and surrounding counties Schools Information

Native Georgians and students from around the world flock to Atlanta’s world-class universities, which helps explain why the city ranks ninth in the nation when it comes to the percentage of adults who have completed college (31 percent of adults aged 25 and older). The two largest universities, Georgia State and Georgia Institute of Technology, enroll about 40,000 students every year in their nationally recognized programs. Highly competitive Georgia Tech actually requires the highest test scores of any public university in the nation. Graduate students seeking programs in law, medicine, engineering, and business should consider Emory University, which consistently ranks among the top in the nation in these disciplines. Private schools such as Agnes Scott College, Mercer University, and Oglethorpe University are also renowned for their quality of education.

The metro area’s more than 40 accredited degree-granting colleges and universities, offering more than 400 fields of study, and nine post-secondary technical institutes ensure an unending stream of skilled, career-ready graduates, who help maintain Atlanta’s reputation for dynamic job growth and vibrant culture.