Centennial Olympic Park District
Located in the heart of Atlanta, this area features a cluster of visitor destinations centered around the urban Centennial Olympic Park. The Georgia Aquarium is the largest in the world, and the neighboring World of Coca-Cola documents the birth, growth, and future of the popular soft drink. The nearby Imagine It! Children's Museum offers engaging fun for kids, and the CNN Center hosts a tour of the news network's studios.
Centennial Olympic Park
265 Park Ave. West N.W.
Atlanta, GA 30313
(404) 223-4412
www.centennialpark.com
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area is actually comprised of 16 individual parks along the famed Chattahoochee River. The parks collectively have over 50 miles of trails, creating plenty of scenic hiking opportunities. The river affords many chances for rafting, canoeing, and hiking. Mountain biking is also possible at certain park units, and fishing is allowed year-round.
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
1978 Island Ford Pkwy
Atlanta, GA 30350
(678) 538-1200
www.nps.gov
Grant Park
Grant Park is a large urban park, nestled in one of Atlanta's oldest neighborhoods. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the architect of New York's Central Park, this park features picnic areas, tennis, and walking trails. Of far greater note to visitors, however, are the two attractions within the park's borders. Zoo Atlanta is the city's zoo, with over 200 species in the Zoo's collection. Directly next to the zoo is the Cyclorama, the world's largest oil painting, which offers a rotating view depicting the Civil War Battle of Atlanta.
Grant Park
840 Cherokee Ave. SE
Atlanta, GA 30315
(404) 817-6744
www.gpconservancy.org
Cascade Springs Nature Preserve
The site of a civil war battle, the Cascade Springs Nature Preserve is a respite from the bustle of Atlanta (or the rush of a tourist trip). With 135 forested acres and two natural springs, the Preserve has lots of history--over the past century, it has been used as a bottled water supply, nature resort, and has even withstood redevelopment efforts. Its current, preserved incarnation offers hiking trails through beautiful woodlands.
Cascade Springs Nature Preserve
2852 Cascade Road SW
Atlanta, GA 30311
(404) 817-6744
www.wawaonline.org
Woodruff Arts Center
The Woodruff Arts Center is a conglomeration of several different arts venues and resources. The home of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Woodruff Arts Center also hosts theatre performances on several stages of the Alliance Theatre. The complex also contains the famed High Museum of Art, which recently expanded to include a greater collection and larger traveling collections of famed works.
Woodruff Arts Center
1280 Peachtree St. NE
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404) 733-4200
www.woodruffcenter.org
