PhotoSecrets Atlanta

A Photographer’s Guide

Best classic places spots hotspots sites sights views photo locations to photograph for photography with maps tips ideas composition postcard photos cool beautiful pictures

ATLANTA

Photos

Georgia State CapitolSean Pavone/Shutterstock

Atlanta

66 views to photograph
CNN Center south entranceRWBEF/Flickr
Georgia AquariumZac Wolf/Wikipedia
Hyatt Regency AtlantaJames Willamor/Flickr
John PembertonJustiny8s/Flickr
Swan HouseMuffinn/Flickr
Vortex Bar and GrillClevergrrl/Flickr
Amicalola FallsTcr-Iii/Wikipedia
ATL PlaygroundSinan/Wikipedia
Atlanta from the AshesPaul Sableman/Flickr
Clara Meer BridgeDavid Cole/Wikipedia
Federal Reserve Bank of AtlantaRasputin243/Wikipedia
Margaret Mitchell HouseRolfmueller/Wikipedia
Martin Luther King Jr. SiteEdward stojakovic/Flickr
Olympia BuildingKeizers/Wikipedia
Through His EyesShannon McGee/Flickr
Tribute to Olympism and HellenismCryogenic666/Flickr
World EventsVeggiefrog/Flickr
Zoo AtlantaTim/Wikipedia
Atlanta Marriott MarquisDavid/Flickr
Atlantic Station SmokestackChris Yunker/Wikipedia
Ballet OlympiaLee Coursey/Flickr
Candler BuildingGaneshk/Wikipedia
Fernbank Museum of Natural HistoryJames Emery/Flickr
Lion of AtlantaAndrew Kuchling/Flickr
National Center for Civil RightsMarco Correa/Wikipedia
Neal MonumentHgeist/Wikipedia
Shakespeare Tavern PlayhouseGreg Hanthorn Jr/Wikipedia
SkyView AtlantaFrankieleon/Flickr
Stone Mountain BridgeLonesome Crow/Wikipedia
World of Coca-ColaTom Driggers/Flickr
Atlanta Botanical GardenRob Bixby/Wikipedia
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan MandirTerry Johnson/Wikipedia
Gateway of DreamsSzilveszter Farkas/Flickr
King Birth HomeBill Rand/Flickr
Midtown Atlanta skylineMike/Wikipedia
Nelson Mandela FountainNicolas Henderson/Flickr
Bank of America PlazaJames Willamor/Flickr
Boys Club of America HeadquartersRoger Salz/Flickr
Carnegie BuildingJames Emery/Wikipedia
Dixie Coca-Cola Bottling CompanyGaneshk/Wikipedia
High Museum of ArtJosh Hallett/Wikipedia
Jimmy CarterFw_gadget/Flickr
Jimmy Carter Library and MuseumWolf/Wikipedia
Parterre FountainSailn1/Flickr
World Athletes MonumentMuffinn/Flickr
Kennesaw Battlefield ParkMikereichold/Wikipedia

Contents

Map

About PhotoSecrets

 
 
 
 

Foreword

A great travel photo­graph, like a great news photo­graph, requires you to be in the right place at the right time to capture that special moment. Professional photo­graphers have a short-hand phrase for this: “F8 and be there.”

There are countless books that can help you with photo­graphic technique, the “F8” portion of that equation. But until now, there’s been little help for the other, more critical portion of that equation, the “be there” part. To find the right spot, you had to expend lots of time and shoe leather to wander around, track down every potential viewpoint, and essentially re-invent the wheel.

In my career as a professional travel photo­grapher, well over half my time on location is spent seeking out the good angles. Andrew Hudson’s PhotoSecrets does all that legwork for you, so you can spend your time photo­graphing instead of wandering about. It’s like having a professional location scout in your camera bag. I wish I had one of these books for every city I photo­graph on assignment.

PhotoSecrets can help you capture the most beautiful sights with a minimum of hassle and a maximum of enjoyment. So grab your camera, find your favorite PhotoSecrets spots, and “be there!”

About Bob Krist

Bob Krist has photo­graphed assignments for National Geographic, National Geographic Traveler, Travel/­Holiday, Smithsonian, and Islands. He won “Travel photo­grapher of the Year” from the Society of American Travel Writers in 1994, 2007, and 2008.

For National Geographic, Bob has led round-the-world tours and a traveling lecture series. His book In Tuscany with Frances Mayes spent a month on The New York Times’ bestseller list and his how-to book Spirit of Place was hailed by American Photo­grapher magazine as “the best book about travel photo­graphy we’ve ever read.”

The parents of three sons, Bob and his wife live in New Hope, Pennsylvania.

Welcome

Thank you for reading PhotoSecrets. As a fellow fan of travel and photo­graphy, I hope this guide will help you quickly find the most visually stunning places, and come home with equally stunning photo­graphs.

PhotoSecrets is designed to show you all the best sights. Flick through, see the classic shots, and use them as a departure point for your own creations. Get ideas for comp­osition and interesting viewpoints. See what piques your interest. Know what to shoot, where to stand, when to go, and why it’s interesting. Now you can spend less time researching and more time photographing.

The idea for PhotoSecrets came during a trip to Thailand, when I tried to find the exotic beach used in the James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun. None of the guidebooks I had showed a picture, so I thought a guidebook of postcard photos would be useful for us photographers. Twenty-plus years later, you have this guide. Thanks!

Now, start exploring — and take lots of photos!

About Andrew Hudson

Originally an engineer, Andrew Hudson started PhotoSecrets in 1995. His first book won the Benjamin Franklin Award for Best First Book and his second won the Grand Prize in the National Self-Published Book Awards.

Andrew has published 38 nationally-distributed photo­graphy books. He has photo­graphed assignments for Macy’s, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Men’s Health and Seventeen, and been a location scout for Nikon. His photos and articles have appeared in Alaska Airlines, National Geographic Traveler, Shutterbug Outdoor and Nature photo­graphy, Where, and Woman’s World.

Andrew has a degree in Computer Engineering from Manchester University and a certificate in copyright law from Harvard Law School. Born in Redditch, England, he lives with his wife, two kids, and two chocolate Labs, in San Diego, California.

Introduction

At a Glance

Name:Atlanta
Address:Atlanta, GA
Fame:Capital of Georgia
Nickname(s):Hotlanta, ATL, The City in a Forest, The A, The Gate City
Country:United States
State:Georgia
Counties:Fulton, DeKalb
Terminus:1837
Marthasville:1843
City of Atlanta:1847
Population:463,878 (city, 2015)
5,522,942 (metro)
Time zone:EST (UTC-5)
GPS:33.7677129,-84.4206039
Website:atlantaga.gov

Atlanta offers photographers the capital of Georgia and the birthplaces of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coca-Cola.

Founded as a railroad hub, the city was named in 1845 for what it offered — a route to the Atlantic Ocean. Burned to the ground in the Civil War, Atlanta rose from the ashes as the capital of the “New South” with a modern economy and higher education, becoming a leader of the civil rights movement.

Situated among the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Atlanta straddles the Eastern Continental Divide and is nicknamed the “city in a forest” due to an abundance of trees that is rare among major cities. Creek Indians lived about eight miles north of today’s downtown, where Peachtree Creek flows into the Chattahoochee River but they were forced to leave in 1821 in favor of white settlers.

Downtown

South Downtown

Capitol Hill

Georgia State Capitol

Atlanta > Downtown > South Downtown > Capitol Hill

Georgia State Capitol is an architecturally and historically significant building in the center of Atlanta. The Capitol houses the governor’s office, legislative chambers, and a museum.

Atlanta donated the site (previously home to the first Atlanta City Hall) to encourage the state government to relocate the capital city to rapidly growing and industrialized Atlanta from rural Milledgeville.

Completed in 1899, Georgia State Capitol is designed to resemble the Neoclassical architectural style of the United States Capitol, in Washington, D.C.

The dome is gilded (since 1958) with native gold leaf from near Dahlonega in Lumpkin County, where the first American gold rush occurred during the 1830s. Hence state media refers to legislative business as what is happening “under the Gold Dome.”

Addr:206 Washington St SW,
Atlanta GA 30334
Where:33.748243
-84.387596
What:BuildingWhen:Anytime
Look:North-northwest Far:100 m (310 feet)
Wik:Georgia_State_Capitol

Ideas for Georgia State Capitol

Miss Freedom

Atlanta > Downtown > South Downtown > Capitol Hill > Georgia State Capitol

Miss Freedom (originally Goddess of Liberty) is a statue on top of the Georgia State Capitol. Installed in 1888, she holds aloft a torch which is a Mercury vapor lamp, casting a blue-green light at night. The light represents truth and enlightenment, while a sword in her other hand symbolizes the fight of people who seek liberty.

The hollow copper statue is painted white, weighs over 1600 lbs and is over 26 feet tall. Miss Freedom wears a robe and Phrygian cap adorned with a star.

Addr:Georgia State Capitol,
Atlanta GA 30334
Where:33.749897
-84.388411
What:StatueWhen:Afternoon
Look:South-southeast Far:100 m (320 feet)
AKA:Goddess of LibertyWik:Miss_Freedom

Jimmy Carter

Atlanta > Downtown > South Downtown > Capitol Hill > Georgia State Capitol

Jimmy Carter is a statue of the 76th Governor of Georgia and 39th President of the United States.

Addr:Georgia State Capitol,
Atlanta GA 30334
Where:33.749562
-84.388239
What:StatueWhen:Afternoon
Look:South ↓Far:18 m (59 feet)
Wik:Jimmy_Carter

Liberty Plaza

Atlanta > Downtown > South Downtown > Capitol Hill

Liberty Plaza is a park in front of the State Capitol. Opened in 2015, the plaza includes a flag circle, a replica of the Liberty Bell, and a model of the Statue of Liberty.

Addr:Capitol Ave SW,
Atlanta GA 30334
Where:33.747631
-84.387537
What:BuildingWhen:Afternoon
Look:North-northeast Far:40 m (130 feet)

Centennial Park District

Centennial Olympic Park

Tribute to Olympism and Hellenism

Atlanta > Downtown > Centennial Park District > Centennial Olympic Park

Tribute to Olympism and Hellenism is a bronze fan-shaped sculpture with three running figures made in 1996 by Greek artist Peter Calaboyias.

Addr:Centennial Olympic Park,
Atlanta GA 30313
Where:33.760793
-84.392273
What:SculptureWhen:Morning
Look:North ↑Far:18 m (59 feet)

Ideas for Tribute to Olympism and Hellenism

Gateway of Dreams

Atlanta > Downtown > Centennial Park District > Centennial Olympic Park

Gateway of Dreams honors the founder of the modern Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertin.

Addr:Centennial Olympic Park,
Atlanta GA 30313
Where:33.760262
-84.393518
What:SculptureWhen:Afternoon
Look:North ↑Far:14 m (46 feet)

CNN Center

Atlanta > Downtown > Centennial Park District

The CNN Center is the world headquarters of CNN (Cable News Network). CNN was founded in 1980 by media proprietor Ted Turner as the first television channel to provide 24-hour news coverage. The network moved to this location in 1987 and was bought by Time Warner in 1996.

Addr:190 Marietta St,
Atlanta GA 30303
Where:33.757284
-84.394349
What:BuildingWhen:Morning
Look:Northwest ↖Far:60 m (200 feet)
Wik:CNN_Center

Ideas for CNN Center

CNN Center south entrance

Atlanta > Downtown > Centennial Park District > CNN Center

The south entrance of CNN Center has a large logo sculpture.

Addr:Where:33.757055
-84.394607
When:MorningLook:Northwest ↖
Far:27 m (89 feet)

Atrium

Atlanta > Downtown > Centennial Park District > CNN Center

The atrium at CNN Center includes the world’s longest free-standing (supported only at the ends) escalator, built for a theme park that once occupied the building.

Addr:CNN Center,
Atlanta GA 30303
Where:33.757284
-84.394349
What:AtriumWhen:Anytime

Georgia World Congress Center

The Flair

Atlanta > Downtown > Centennial Park District > Georgia World Congress Center

The Flair is a bronze statue by Richard MacDonald made for the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Addr:1 Philips Dr,
Atlanta GA 30303
Where:33.757077
-84.398711
What:StatueWhen:Afternoon
Look:East →Far:13 m (43 feet)
Wik:The_Flair

Pemberton Place

Georgia Aquarium

Atlanta > Downtown > Centennial Park District > Pemberton Place

The Georgia Aquarium is America’s largest aquarium with over 100,000 animals in 10 million US gallons (38,000 m) of marine and salt water.

Addr:Where:33.76278
-84.39472
What:AquariumWhen:Anytime
AKA:Atlanta AquariumWik:Georgia_Aquarium

Ideas for Georgia Aquarium

World of Coca-Cola

Atlanta > Downtown > Centennial Park District > Pemberton Place

The World of Coca-Cola is a museum opened in 2007 showcasing the history of The Coca-Cola Company. It is located just blocks away from where John Pemberton created the original Coca-Cola formula.

Addr:121 Baker St NW,
Atlanta GA 30313
Where:33.7634317
-84.3934716
What:MuseumWhen:Afternoon
Look:Southeast ↘Far:90 m (310 feet)
Wik:World_of_Coca-Cola

John Pemberton

Atlanta > Downtown > Centennial Park District > Pemberton Place > World of Coca-Cola

John Pemberton is a statue of Coca-Cola’s inventor. An injured Civil War veteran, John Pemberton invented Coca-Cola in Atlanta in 1886, originally as a pain-relieving medicine using cocaine and kola nut. (Cocaine was removed in 1899). Poverty forced him to sell the patent for $2,300 by 1888 and he died of stomach cancer and morphine addiction.

Addr:World of Coca-Cola,
Atlanta GA 30313
Where:33.762766
-84.393711
What:StatueWhen:Afternoon
Look:East →Far:20 m (66 feet)
Wik:John_Pemberton

Ideas for John Pemberton

National Center for Civil Rights

Atlanta > Downtown > Centennial Park District > Pemberton Place

The National Center for Civil Rights is a museum dedicated to the achievements of both the civil rights movement in the United States and the broader worldwide human rights movement. Designed by Philip Freelo, he building opened in 2014 on land donated by the Coca-Cola Company.

Addr:100 Ivan Allen Jr Blvd NW,
Atlanta GA 30313
Where:33.7634231
-84.3932262
What:MuseumWhen:Afternoon
Look:North ↑Far:70 m (210 feet)
Wik:National_Center_for_Civil_and_Human_Rights

Ideas for National Center for Civil Rights

Nelson Mandela Fountain

Atlanta > Downtown > Centennial Park District > Pemberton Place > National Center for Civil Rights

The Nelson Mandela Fountain is a 2014 sculpture by Larry Kirkland with water cascading down two 32-foot-high panes of glass. Each pane is etched with a quote.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world.” — Margaret Mead.

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” — Nelson Mandela.

Addr:National Center for Civil Rights,
Atlanta GA 30313
Where:33.764463
-84.392536
What:FountainWhen:Morning
Look:South-southwest Far:40 m (130 feet)

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Rise Up

Atlanta > Downtown > Centennial Park District > Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Rise Up is the largest freestanding bird sculpture in the world. The 41-foot-high falcon on a 13-foot-high football stands at the home of the Atlanta Falcons NFL team and is named for the team’s motto. It was designed by Gábor Miklós Szőke in Hungary.

Addr:Mercedes-Benz Stadium,
Atlanta GA 30313
Where:33.756108
-84.399456
What:SculptureWhen:Anytime
Look:Southwest ↙Far:30 m (100 feet)

SkyView Atlanta

Atlanta > Downtown > Centennial Park District

[start]SkyView Atlanta is a 200-foot (61 m) Ferris wheel with 42 gondolas, installed in 2013.

Addr:168 Luckie Street NW,
Atlanta GA 30303
Where:33.759145
-84.392365
What:Ferris wheelWhen:Anytime
Look:East-southeast Far:60 m (200 feet)

Peachtree Center

Hyatt Regency Atlanta

Atlanta > Downtown > Peachtree Center

The Hyatt Regency Atlanta hotel is capped with a revolving restaurant called Polaris under a blue dome. This view is taken from the Marriott Marquis.

Addr:265 Peachtree St NW,
Atlanta GA 30303
Where:33.761529
-84.385471
What:HotelWhen:Morning
Look:West ←Far:130 m (410 feet)
Wik:Hyatt_Regency_Atlanta

Ideas for Hyatt Regency Atlanta

Atrium

Atlanta > Downtown > Peachtree Center > Hyatt Regency Atlanta

The cavernous atrium of the Hyatt Regency Atlanta soars 22 stories. Designed by John C. Portman, Jr., it opened in 1967.

Addr:Hyatt Regency Atlanta,
Atlanta GA 30303
Where:33.763749
-84.386625
What:AtriumWhen:Anytime

Ideas for atrium

Atlanta Marriott Marquis

Atlanta > Downtown > Peachtree Center

The Atlanta Marriott Marquis is known for its large atrium — the largest in the world from 1985-1999 at 470 feet (143 m) high. Designed by Atlanta architect John C. Portman, Jr., the atrium spans the entire 52-story height of the building and consists of two vertical chambers divided by elevator shafts and bridges.

The hotel was the Capitol’s tribute center in the films The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1.

Addr:265 Peachtree Center Ave NE,
Atlanta GA 30303
Where:33.761538
-84.384913
What:HotelWhen:Anytime
Wik:Atlanta_Marriott_Marquis

Ideas for Atlanta Marriott Marquis

SunTrust Plaza

Ballet Olympia

Atlanta > Downtown > Peachtree Center > SunTrust Plaza

Ballet Olympia is a 1992 sculpture by John Portman based on Maenad (1953) by Paul Manship.

Addr:SunTrust Plaza,
303 Peachtree St NW,
Atlanta GA 30308
Where:33.7624267
-84.3868332
What:SculptureWhen:Anytime
Look:West-northwest Far:17 m (56 feet)

Ideas for Ballet Olympia

Five Points

Olympia Building

Atlanta > Downtown > Five Points

The Olympia Building is a landmark at Five Points, the absolute center of Atlanta. Designed by architects Ivey and Crook, it was built between 1935 and 1936. Since 2003, a flashing Coca-Cola sign has stood on top of the building, the space for which Coke pays $8,641 a month.

Addr:23 Peachtree Street Northwest,
Atlanta GA 30303
Where:33.754767
-84.389178
What:BuildingWhen:Morning
Look:South-southwest Far:60 m (190 feet)
AKA:Five Points Coca-Cola signWik:Olympia_Building

Ideas for Olympia Building

Woodruff Park

ATL Playground

Atlanta > Downtown > Woodruff Park

ATL is the airport code for Atlanta, and forms the basis of a playground in Woodruff Park.

Addr:Woodruff Park,
Atlanta GA 30303
Where:33.755727
-84.388611
What:SculptureWhen:Afternoon
Look:South ↓Far:15 m (49 feet)

From the Ashes

Atlanta > Downtown > Woodruff Park

Atlanta from the Ashes (The Phoenix) is a bronze monument symbolizing Atlanta’s rise from the ashes of the Civil War to become a world city.

Designed by James Siegler of Texas, it was sculpted in Italy and dedicated in 1969. The sculpture depicts a woman being lifted from flames by a phoenix, in reference to the phoenix of Egyptian mythology that was consumed by fire and rose from the ashes, just as Atlanta rose from the ashes after the city’s infrastructure was burned by William T. Sherman’s Union Army during the Civil War.

The monument was a gift of the Rich Foundation in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Rich’s Department store and was originally located by the first Rich’s Department store in downtown Atlanta, from 1969 to 1995.

Addr:Where:33.7545042
-84.3895871
What:StatueWhen:Afternoon
Look:East-northeast Far:30 m (110 feet)
AKA:The PhoenixWik:Atlanta_from_the_Ashes_(The_Phoenix)

Candler Building

Atlanta > Downtown > Woodruff Park

The Candler Building is a 17-story Beaux-Arts office tower named for Coca-Cola magnate Asa Griggs Candler. When completed in 1906 it was the tallest building in the city. The building was featured in the 2017 crime film Baby Driver, where it was the site of the first bank robbery committed in the film.

Addr:113 Peachtree St NE,
Atlanta GA 30303
Where:33.75696
-84.388116
What:BuildingWhen:Afternoon
Look:East-southeast Far:23 m (75 feet)
Wik:Candler_Building_(Atlanta)

Ideas for Candler Building

SoNo

Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse

Atlanta > Downtown > SoNo

The Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse is an Elizabethan theater with a Globe-inspired façade, home to the Atlanta Shakespeare Company. The tavern serves British pub food and beer before each performance.

Addr:499 Peachtree St NW,
Atlanta GA 30308
Where:33.768249
-84.3853
What:PlayhouseWhen:Afternoon
Look:East →Far:23 m (75 feet)
Wik:Shakespeare_Tavern

Bank of America Plaza

Atlanta > Downtown > SoNo

Bank of America Plaza is the tallest building in Georgia and the tallest building in any U.S. state capital. The 1992 Art Déco tower is topped with a lattice pyramid which lights up at night, and a 90 ft (27 m) spire covered in 23 karat (96 percent) gold leaf.

Addr:600 Peachtree St NW,
Atlanta GA 30308
Where:33.764463
-84.392536
What:SkyscraperWhen:Afternoon
Look:Northeast ↗Far:0.92 km (0.57 miles)
AKA:NationsBank PlazaWik:Bank_of_America_Plaza_(Atlanta)

Georgia State area

Dixie Coca-Cola Bottling Company

Atlanta > Downtown > Georgia State area

The Dixie Coca-Cola Bottling Company Plant, built in 1891, is where Coke became a mass-marketed bottled soft drink.

Addr:125 Edgewood Ave SE,
Atlanta GA 30303
Where:33.754535
-84.384388
What:BuildingWhen:Afternoon
Look:Southeast ↘Far:40 m (140 feet)
Wik:Dixie_Coca-Cola_Bottling_Company_Plant

Midtown Atlanta

Woodruff Arts Center

High Museum of Art

Atlanta > Midtown Atlanta > Woodruff Arts Center

The High Museum of Art is the leading art museum in the Southeastern United States. The 1983 building won Pritzker Prize for architect Richard Meier.

Addr:1280 Peachtree St NW,
Atlanta GA 30309
Where:33.790579
-84.385182
What:MuseumWhen:Morning
Look:South-southwest Far:70 m (240 feet)
Wik:High_Museum_of_Art

The Shade

Atlanta > Midtown Atlanta > Woodruff Arts Center > High Museum of Art

The Shade is a sculpture by Auguste Rodin at the entrance to the High Museum of Art. Similar to The Thinker, this is one of several casts of individual figures from Rodin’s monumental sculpture The Gates of Hell, based on Dante’s Inferno.

Addr:High Museum of Art,
Atlanta GA 30309
Where:33.789857
-84.384817
What:ArtworkWhen:Morning
Look:West ←Far:21 m (69 feet)

House III

Atlanta > Midtown Atlanta > Woodruff Arts Center > High Museum of Art

House III, 1997 (fabricated 2002) by Roy Lichtenstein is an optical illusion, where the corner that appears to be nearer the viewer is actually farther.

Addr:High Museum of Art,
Atlanta GA 30309
Where:33.789843
-84.384962
What:ArtworkWhen:Morning
Look:West-southwest Far:40 m (120 feet)

World Events

Atlanta > Midtown Atlanta > Woodruff Arts Center

World Events is a 1996 sculpture by Tony Cragg, at the entrance to the Woodruff Arts Center.

Addr:Woodruff Arts Center,
Atlanta GA 30309
Where:33.788706
-84.384444
What:SculptureWhen:Morning
Look:West ←Far:30 m (110 feet)

Ideas for World Events

Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

Atlanta > Midtown Atlanta

The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta is a 2001 building housing the sixth district of the 12 Federal Reserve Banks of the United States.

Addr:11000 Peachtree St NW,
Atlanta GA 30309
Where:33.781747
-84.383889
What:BankWhen:Afternoon
Look:Northeast ↗Far:28 m (92 feet)
Wik:Federal_Reserve_Bank_of_Atlanta

Margaret Mitchell House

Atlanta > Midtown Atlanta

The Margaret Mitchell House was the home of author Margaret Mitchell, wrote the bulk of her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Gone with the Wind, while living in Apt. 1 on the ground floor from 1925 to 1932.

Addr:979 Crescent Ave NE,
Atlanta GA 30309
Where:33.781332
-84.384023
What:MuseumWhen:Morning
Look:West ←Far:30 m (110 feet)
Wik:Margaret_Mitchell_House_and_Museum

Piedmont Park

Lake Clara Meer

Clara Meer Bridge

Atlanta > Midtown Atlanta > Piedmont Park > Lake Clara Meer

Clara Meer Bridge in Piedmont Park has a gazebo.

Addr:Piedmont Park,
Atlanta GA 30309
Where:33.786259
-84.373262
What:BridgeWhen:Anytime
Look:South-southwest Far:130 m (430 feet)

Midtown Atlanta skyline

Atlanta > Midtown Atlanta > Piedmont Park > Lake Clara Meer

The Midtown Atlanta skyline from Lake Clara Meer in Piedmont Park.

Addr:Piedmont Park,
Atlanta GA 30309
Where:33.7839324
-84.3734488
When:MorningLook:West-northwest
Far:2.14 km (1.33 miles)

Atlanta Botanical Garden

Atlanta > Midtown Atlanta > Piedmont Park

The Atlanta Botanical Garden at Piedmont Park is a 30-acre (12 ha) botanical garden incorporated in 1976.

Addr:1345 Piedmont Ave NE,
Atlanta GA 30309
Where:33.789416
-84.373509
What:Botanical gardenWhen:Morning
Look:North-northwest Far:50 m (150 feet)
Wik:Atlanta_Botanical_Garden

Earth Goddess

Atlanta > Midtown Atlanta > Piedmont Park > Atlanta Botanical Garden

Earth Goddess in the Cascades Garden is a 25-foot-tall mosaiculture — a living carpet of plants over a steel skeletons created by International Mosaiculture of Montreal.

Addr:Atlanta Botanical Garden,
Atlanta GA
Where:33.790958
-84.373348
What:FountainWhen:Morning
Look:West ←Far:28 m (92 feet)

Parterre Fountain

Atlanta > Midtown Atlanta > Piedmont Park > Atlanta Botanical Garden

The Parterre Fountain is topped with a blue glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly in 2004.

Addr:Atlanta Botanical Garden,
Atlanta GA
Where:33.7896029
-84.3735277
What:FountainWhen:Morning
Look:West ←Far:0 m (0 feet)

Rhodes Hall

Atlanta > Midtown Atlanta

Rhodes Hall (known as The Castle) is a historic Romanesque Revival house built for furniture magnate Amos Giles Rhodes.

Addr:1516 Peachtree St NW,
Atlanta GA 30309
Where:33.7956806
-84.3878337
What:Historic houseWhen:Morning
Look:Northwest ↖Far:60 m (180 feet)
AKA:The CastleWik:Rhodes_Hall

Boys Club of America Headquarters

Atlanta > Midtown Atlanta

Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) is a national organization of local chapters which provide after-school programs for young people. Founded in 1860, the headquarters is in Atlanta.

Addr:1275 Peachtree St NW #500,
Atlanta GA 30309
Where:33.7891718
-84.3841847
What:BuildingWhen:Afternoon
Look:East-northeast Far:17 m (56 feet)
Wik:Boys_%26_Girls_Clubs_of_America

World Athletes Monument

Atlanta > Midtown Atlanta

The World Athletes Monument (Prince Charles Monument) was a gift from HRH the Prince of Wales in honor of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games.

Addr:1409 Peachtree St NW,
Atlanta GA 30309
Where:33.7951639
-84.3880332
What:MonumentWhen:Afternoon
Look:South-southeast Far:22 m (72 feet)
AKA:Prince Charles Monument or Prince of Wales MonumentWik:World_Athletes_Monument

Atlanta City

Buckhead

Atlanta History Center

Swan House

Atlanta > Atlanta City > Buckhead > Atlanta History Center

Swan House was built in 1928 for Edward and Emily Inman by Philip Trammell Shutze combining Classical and Renaissance styles. The rear facade has a fountain cascading down a staircase. A recurring motif are sculpted or painted swans throughout the house and grounds.

The house was used in the 2013 film The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and in its 2015 sequel, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2.

Addr:130 West Paces Ferry Rd NW,
Atlanta GA 30305
Where:33.840646
-84.387951
What:HouseWhen:Afternoon
Look:East-southeast Far:40 m (130 feet)
Wik:Swan_House_(Atlanta)

Eastside

Little Five Points

Vortex Bar and Grill

Atlanta > Atlanta City > Eastside > Little Five Points

The Vortex Bar and Grill in ittle Five Points is a burger restaurant opened in 1996 with a large “Laughing Skull” entrance. There is another location in Midtown.

Addr:438 Moreland Ave NE,
Atlanta GA 30307
Where:33.7664405
-84.3490174
What:BarWhen:Anytime
Look:Southwest ↙Far:29 m (95 feet)
Wik:The_Vortex_Bar_%26_Grill

Sweet Auburn

Martin Luther King Jr. Site

Atlanta > Atlanta City > Eastside > Sweet Auburn

The Martin Luther King Junior National Historic Site consists of several buildings including the original Ebenezer Baptist Church, the church where King and his father Martin Luther King Sr. were pastors.

Established in 1980, the 35-acre site includes many buildings and a museum that chronicles the American Civil Rights Movement.

Addr:450 Auburn Ave NE,
Atlanta GA 30312
Where:33.7554247
-84.3743436
What:MuseumWhen:Afternoon
Look:East →Far:12 m (39 feet)
Wik:Martin_Luther_King_Jr._National_Historic_Site

Ideas for Martin Luther King Jr. Site

King Tomb

Atlanta > Atlanta City > Eastside > Sweet Auburn > Martin Luther King Jr. Site

The King Tomb is the final resting place of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In the year following King’s 1968 assassination, his wife, Coretta Scott King, started the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in the basement of the couple’s home. In 1981, the center was moved into a multimillion- dollar facility on Auburn Avenue, near King’s birth home and next to Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he preached from 1960 until his death.

In 1977, a memorial tomb was dedicated to King. His remains were moved to the tomb, on a plaza between the center and the church. King’s gravesite and a reflecting pool are located next to Freedom Hall. After her death, Mrs. King was interred with her husband on February 7, 2006. An eternal flame is located nearby.

Addr:449 Auburn Ave NE,
Atlanta GA 30312
Where:33.754974
-84.372796
What:TombWhen:Morning
Look:West ←Far:60 m (190 feet)
Wik:Martin_Luther_King_Jr._National_Historic_Site#King_Center

Ideas for King Tomb

Behold

Atlanta > Atlanta City > Eastside > Sweet Auburn > Martin Luther King Jr. Site

Behold commemorates the historic principles that guided the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The monument was unveiled in 1990 by Mrs. Coretta Scott King as an enduring inspiration to all who fight for dignity, social justice, and human rights.

The sculptor, Patrick Morelli, was inspired by the ancient African ritual of lifting a newborn child to the heavens and reciting the words “Behold the only thing greater than yourself.”

The heroic-sized, bronze figure of the father raises his infant child to the heavens and looks toward Ebenezer Baptist Church — the source of his spiritual strength and a site significant to the civil rights movement as the church in which both Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his father, “Daddy” King, gave many powerful and inspirational sermons.

Addr:Auburn Ave NE,
Atlanta GA 30312
Where:33.7557474
-84.3740463
What:StatueWhen:Afternoon
Look:Southeast ↘Far:15 m (49 feet)

Ghandi

Atlanta > Atlanta City > Eastside > Sweet Auburn > Martin Luther King Jr. Site

Gandhi is a 1998 statue by Ram Sutar of the father of modern India and inspiration for peaceful protest to Martin Luther King Jr.

Addr:Auburn Ave NE,
Atlanta GA 30312
Where:33.75677
-84.373155
What:StatueWhen:Morning
Look:Southwest ↙Far:12 m (39 feet)

King Birth Home

Atlanta > Atlanta City > Eastside > Sweet Auburn > Martin Luther King Jr. Site

The King Birth Home is the house where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in 1929. Built in 1895, the house was bought in 1909 by King’s maternal grandfather, pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church, about a block east.

In 1926, when King’s father married, the couple moved into the house. King Jr. was born three years later and lived here to the age 12.

The visitor center offers free tours of the house (limited availability) led by National Park Service rangers.

Addr:501 Auburn Ave NE,
Atlanta GA 30312
Where:33.755466
-84.371157
What:Historic houseWhen:Morning
Look:South ↓Far:26 m (85 feet)
Wik:Martin_Luther_King_Jr._National_Historic_Site#Martin_Luther_King's_Birth_Home

Through His Eyes

Atlanta > Atlanta City > Eastside > Sweet Auburn

Through His Eyes is a 1996 sculpture by Ralph Helmick honoring civil rights leader John Wesley Dobbs.

Addr:Fort St NE,
Atlanta GA 30312
Where:33.7553827
-84.3779502
What:SculptureWhen:Afternoon
Look:East →Far:16 m (52 feet)
AKA:John Wesley Dobbs MemorialWik:John_Wesley_Dobbs

Grant Park

Zoo Atlanta

Atlanta > Atlanta City > Eastside > Grant Park

Zoo Atlanta exhibits more than 1,500 animals from 220 species, including gorillas and pandas.

The zoo was founded in 1889, when businessman George V. Gress purchased a bankrupt traveling circus and donated the animals to the city of Atlanta.

Addr:800 Cherokee Avenue SE,
Atlanta GA 30315
Where:33.73248000
-84.3696694
What:ZooWhen:Anytime
Wik:Zoo_Atlanta

Ideas for Zoo Atlanta

Oakland Cemetery

Lion of Atlanta

Atlanta > Atlanta City > Eastside > Grant Park > Oakland Cemetery

The Lion of Atlanta (or Lion of the Confederacy) is a sculpture in Oakland Cemetery honoring about 3,000 unknown Confederate dead that are buried here.

Carved by T.M. Brady in 1894 as a near copy of the Lion Monument (or Lion of Lucerne), an 1820 rock relief in Lucerne, Switzerland which Mark Twain declared “the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world.”

Addr:Oakland Cemetery,
Atlanta GA
Where:33.747992
-84.37161
What:MonumentWhen:Afternoon
Look:North ↑Far:17 m (56 feet)
AKA:Unknown Confederate Dead

Neal Monument

Atlanta > Atlanta City > Eastside > Grant Park > Oakland Cemetery

The Neal Monument is a Neoclassical sculpture in Oakland Cemetery.

Addr:Oakland Cemetery,
Atlanta GA
Where:33.747372
-84.373439
What:MonumentWhen:Afternoon
Look:North ↑Far:18 m (59 feet)

Poncey-Highland

Freedom Parkway

Homage to King

Atlanta > Atlanta City > Eastside > Poncey-Highland > Freedom Parkway

Homage to King is a sculpture of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Barcelona artist Xavier Medina-Campeny.

Addr:Boulevard and Freedom Parkway,
Atlanta GA
Where:33.759892
-84.372125
What:SculptureWhen:Morning
Look:West ←Far:30 m (100 feet)
AKA:Martin Luther King, Jr.Wik:Homage_to_King

Jimmy Carter Library and Museum

Atlanta > Atlanta City > Eastside > Poncey-Highland

The Jimmy Carter Library and Museum houses materials from the 39th president of the United States. There is a full-scale replica of the Oval Office as it was during the Carter Administration, including a reproduction of the Resolute Desk.

Addr:441 Freedom Pkwy NE,
Atlanta GA 30307
Where:33.767380
-84.355852
What:MuseumWhen:Morning
Look:West-southwest Far:50 m (150 feet)
AKA:Carter Presidential LibraryWik:Jimmy_Carter_Library_and_Museum

Atlantic Station

The Foundry Park

Atlantic Station Smokestack

Atlanta > Atlanta City > Atlantic Station > The Foundry Park

The Atlantic Station Smokestack is a chimney from the original Atlantic Station steel mill.

Addr:17th St NW,
Atlanta GA 30363
Where:33.7920308
-84.3988236
What:SmokestackWhen:Morning
Look:Southwest ↙Far:28 m (92 feet)

Georgia Institute of Technology

Tech Tower

Atlanta > Atlanta City > Georgia Institute of Technology

Tech Tower (officially the Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans Administration Building) is the focal point of Georgia Tech, and the original Academic Building from 1888.

Addr:Atlanta GA 30313Where:33.772139
-84.394722
What:Historic buildingWhen:Afternoon
Look:North-northeast Far:30 m (100 feet)
AKA:Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans Administration Building, Academic BuildingWik:Tech_Tower

Carnegie Building

Atlanta > Atlanta City > Georgia Institute of Technology

The Carnegie Building, funded by steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, opened in 1907 as the first campus standalone library. It is now the office to the President of the Institute.

Addr:225 North Avenue NW,
Atlanta GA 30332
Where:33.77228
-84.394231
What:BuildingWhen:Morning
Look:North ↑Far:18 m (59 feet)

Metro Atlanta

Fayette County

Starrs Mill

Starrs Mill

Atlanta > Metro Atlanta > Fayette County > Starrs Mill

Starr’s Mill is a picturesque grist mill on Whitewater Creek that used a water-powered turbine, instead of a wheel, to grind corn and operate a sawmill.

Hilliard Starr owned a mill on this site from 1866 until 1879. After the first two log structures burned, William T. Glower built the current building in 1907.

The mill is located 38 miles south of Atlanta in Fayette County, a suburb of Atlanta.

Addr:2474 GA-85,
Fayetteville GA 30215
Where:33.328736
-84.508040
What:Grist millWhen:Morning
Look:Northwest ↖Far:80 m (250 feet)
AKA:Starr’s MillWik:Starrs_Mill,_Georgia

Ideas for Starrs Mill

Dawson County

Amicalola Falls

Atlanta > Metro Atlanta > Dawson County

Amicalola Falls is the highest waterfall in Georgia, dropping 729 feet (222m). The name is derived from a word meaning “tumbling waters.”

Addr:280 Amicalola Falls State Park Rd,
Dawsonville GA 30534
Where:34.566727
-84.244845
What:WaterfallWhen:Afternoon
Look:Northeast ↗Far:40 m (140 feet)
Wik:Amicalola_Falls_State_Park

DeKalb County

Stone Mountain [Georgia]

Stone Mountain

Atlanta > Metro Atlanta > DeKalb County > Stone Mountain

Stone Mountain features the largest bas-relief in the world, a carving of Confederate figures: Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.

The dome-shaped mountain, made of quartz monzonite, is an isolated hill (monadnock) more than 5 miles (8 km) in circumference at its base and standing 825 feet (251 m) above the surrounding area. The summit can be reached by a walk-up trail on the west side of the mountain or by the Skyride aerial tram.

The dome formed around 300-350 million years ago as an upwelling of magma from within the Earth’s crust (called a pluton).

The Confederate Memorial Carving was conceived around 1915 by Mrs. C. Helen Plane of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC). After several phases and four artists, the carving was completed in 1972.

Addr:Stone Mountain,
DeKalb County GA
Where:33.811823
-84.143138
What:MonadnockWhen:Morning
Look:South-southwest Far:0.63 km (0.39 miles)
Wik:Stone_Mountain

Ideas for Stone Mountain

Stone Mountain Bridge

Atlanta > Metro Atlanta > DeKalb County > Stone Mountain > Stone Mountain

Stone Mountain Bridge is a covered bridge dating from 1892, which originally spanned the Oconee River in Athens, Georgia.

Addr:Where:33.803413
-84.13358
What:Covered bridgeWhen:Afternoon
Look:East →Far:40 m (120 feet)

Druid Hills

Fernbank Museum of Natural History

Atlanta > Metro Atlanta > DeKalb County > Druid Hills

Fernbank Museum of Natural History greets visitors with a family of Lophorhothon atopus dinosaurs, which once lived in this region. They are named Georgia (mother, center), Haddie (left) and Ferny (right).

The museum, opened 1992, features a glass-enclosed atrium overlooking the largest old-growth urban Piedmont forest in the country.

Addr:767 Clifton Rd,
Atlanta GA 30307
Where:33.774155
-84.328157
What:MuseumWhen:Morning
Look:North-northwest Far:10 m (33 feet)
Wik:Fernbank_Museum_of_Natural_History

Ideas for Fernbank Museum of Natural History

Cobb County

Marietta

Big Chicken

Atlanta > Metro Atlanta > Cobb County > Marietta

Big Chicken is a 56-foot-tall steel chicken with moving eyes and beak, above a KFC restaurant. Stanley R. “Tubby” Davis built the giant advertisement in 1963 for his restaurant called Johnny Reb’s Chick-Chuck-‘N’-Shake. After becoming a KFC franchise, KFC funded a $2 million renovation project in 2017.

Addr:12 Cobb Pkwy N,
Marietta GA 30062
Where:33.95076
-84.520515
What:SculptureWhen:Afternoon
Look:North ↑Far:60 m (210 feet)
Web:Marietta.comWik:Big_Chicken

Kennesaw

Kennesaw Battlefield Park

Atlanta > Metro Atlanta > Cobb County > Kennesaw

Kennesaw Battlefield Park preserves a Civil War battleground fought in 1864. The Confederate army of 50,000 men under Joseph E. Johnston defeated General Sherman’s Union army twice the size.

Addr:900 Kennesaw Mountain Dr,
Kennesaw GA 30188
Where:33.977646
-84.578032
What:Civil war battlegroundWhen:Morning
Look:West-southwest Far:29 m (95 feet)
AKA:Civil War battlegroundWik:Kennesaw_Mountain_National_Battlefield_Park

Gwinnett County

Lilburn

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

Atlanta > Metro Atlanta > Gwinnett County > Lilburn

The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is the largest Swaminarayan temple outside of India. Located in Lilburn, a suburb of Atlanta, this Hindu place of worship was opened in 2007. It is made of 34,450 pieces of hand-carved Italian marble, Turkish limestone and Indian pink sandstone.

Addr:460 Rockbridge Rd NW,
Lilburn GA 30047
Where:33.884618
-84.160938
What:Place of worshipWhen:Morning
Look:Northwest ↖Far:120 m (390 feet)
Wik:BAPS_Shri_Swaminarayan_Mandir_Atlanta

Credits

Thank you to the many wonderful people and companies that made their work available to use in this guide.

Photo key: Tap the camera icon to see the photo. The two letters reference the distributor and license. Key for distributors: f:Flickr; s:Shutterstock; w:Wikipedia. Key for license: a:CC-BY-SA; b:CC-BY; c:CC-PD; h:Shutterstock standard; m:public domain.

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Index

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