Parks

With over 180 acres of lakes, fields, tennis courts and bike paths, Midtown's Piedmont Park plays host to concerts, arts and crafts shows, and the annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival. In the heart of downtown, Centennial Olympic Park, with its spectacular five-concentric-ring fountain, is a popular spot with lunch-hour sun-seekers. A bit more bucolic and relaxed is Chastain Park in Buckhead, which features a two-and-a-half-mile walking trail and hosts a summer concert series.

For the lover of natural wonders, take a short drive east to Stone Mountain State Park. This 3,000-acre expanse of forests and lakes centers around the park's namesake, a chunk of solid granite that rises 1,683 feet and is adorned with the world's largest bas-relief sculpture.

Museums

Located in the northwest corner of Piedmont Park, the Atlanta Botanical Gardens houses floral specimens from the four corners of the globe, as well as a family-friendly children's garden. Flora is fine, but it can't roar like fauna, which can be found in abundance at Zoo Atlanta, located within the grounds of beautiful Grant Park.

Lovers of high culture will discover a world of spiraling wonder at the High Museum of Art in Midtown. This architectural marvel is home to over 10,000 works, and plays frequent host to touring collections, such as those of Pablo Picasso and Norman Rockwell.

For all-out fascination, few attractions can match the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, which also offers a five-story movie screen in its I-MAX theater. Or for a refreshing twist on history, learn that of the planet's most famous soft drink at the World of Coca-Cola Museum at Underground Atlanta.

History

The legacy of Atlanta's past is given its rightful due in Buckhead at the Atlanta History Center, just down West Paces Ferry Road from the Governor's Mansion. In addition to its excellent museum, the history center maintains an expansive property of gardens and trails, complete with an authentically-restored working plantation.

Of course, no event played a more prominent role in the history of Atlanta than the Civil War. The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain was perhaps the South's most significant victory in the fighting for Atlanta in 1864, and this slice of history is immortalized at the 3,000-acre Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. For more on Atlanta's role in the Civil War, visit the Cyclorama in Grant Park, a 365-degree mural that depicts the Battle of Atlanta. And no view of Atlanta history would be complete without a glance through the eyes of Margaret Mitchell. The Margaret Mitchell House and Museum in Midtown is where she wrote most of the legendary epic "Gone With the Wind."

Just east of downtown, the Jimmy Carter Center occupies a 30-acre compound of gardens and pools, and commands an impressive view of the city. Just down the road, another of Atlanta's favorite sons is honored at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site.

For an often-overlooked glance into Atlanta's past, stop by Oakland Cemetery at 248 Oakland Avenue, a veritable Who's Who of Atlanta history, literature, politics and society dating back to 1850.

Theater

Atlanta's premier venue for stage events is also one of her most beloved and storied landmarks. The Fabulous Fox Theater was built as in 1916 at the corner of Peachtree Street and Ponce de Leon, as a temple for the Shriners fraternal organization. Today, the Fox plays host to myriad cultural events, including concerts, musicals, opera, ballet, and regular performances by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

A few blocks down Peachtree, the Woodruff Performing Arts Center is the home turf of the Alliance Theatre Company, and also sponsors a full schedule of ballet and children's shows.
Numerous other companies compete to produce a crowded theater schedule each year in Atlanta. Among the most popular venues are Midtown's Shakespeare Tavern, Seven Stages Theatre, and Neighborhood Playhouse.

Music

For top-notch classical entertainment, nothing beats the summer classics series at Chastain Park Amphitheater. This 6,000-seat pavilion plays host to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra from June through August, as some of the biggest names in show business perform to the accompaniment of the ASO.

If you like your music a bit louder, head down I-85 to the Coca-Cola Lakewood Amphitheater. This outdoor venue features 7,000 covered seats and an expansive, sloping lawn to accommodate 12,000 more. Recent bookings have included such powerhouses as the Dave Matthews Band and the Lilith Fair.

Tops among smaller venues is Blind Willie's, a tiny Virginia-Highlands dive that offers an intimate setting for some of the best local talent and legendary stars working in blues today. A few blocks away in Midtown, the Cotton Club is popular with a younger crowd, and provides a great atmosphere for getting to know the best in up-and-coming bands. For true variety, head over to the Variety Playhouse in Little Five Points. Harmony and soft strings are the keys at Eddie's Attic in Decatur, where such prominent acts as the Indigo Girls frequently drop in.