Atlanta, the capital of Georgia, provides some of the most exciting experiences in the state. Home to the Coca-Cola Company, CNN, and the largest aquarium in the country (the Georgia Aquarium), Atlanta’s many attractions have opened up under new Covid-19 social distancing guidelines. From the High Museum to The National Center for Civil and Human Rights, you can channel your inner artist or learn the history that shapes Atlanta—and the world today.
If you want to venture outdoors, there are plenty of attractions to find on land (biking on the Beltline), water (tubing in the Chattahoochee), and air (Six Flags).
Whether you're living in Atlanta, visiting for the holidays, or just dropping by on a random day, there is something to do. Here is a list of 101 things to do in Atlanta to have fun safely while following social distancing standards.
101 Things to do in Atlanta – COVID Edition
(* indicates discounted tickets available for Georgia State students)
Georgia State Traditions
- Find a student organization to join in the Panther Involvement Network
- Take a picture with the bronze Pounce statue in Unity Plaza
- Volunteer to serve in the local community
- Attend the Homecoming golf cart parade
- Listen to Album 88
- Login to Handshake to find on and off-campus jobs
- Take a picture outside Georgia State Stadium
- Watch a TV show or movie filmed in Atlanta
- Read The Signal
- Livestream an event from the Rialto Center for the Arts
- Attend the Daffodil Festival at Perimeter College’s Newton campus
- Learn the Georgia State Alma Mater
- Catch a performance from the College of the Arts or at Perimeter College’s Clarkston theater
- Visit the GSU Perimeter College Native Plant Botanical Garden
- Watch a Georgia State sporting event (live or livestreamed!)
- Join GSU intramurals or a sport club
Festivals / Parades/ Events
- Enjoy music in the streets at the Sweet Auburn Music Fest (September 26-27)
- Participate in the virtual Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade (September 21 - 26)
- Check out all the virtual events at JapanFest (September 26 - 27)
- Celebrate at the German-themed Oktoberfest (October 9-10)
- Atlanta Pride Virtual Celebration (October 9-11)
- Enjoy live music at Sunset Sessions at Park Tavern
- Indulge your love of books with events from the AJC Decatur Book Festival
Museums and History
- View the John Lewis mural at 219 Auburn Ave.
- View modern art at the High Museum of Art
- Learn about rights around the world at the Center for Civil and Human Rights
- Explore the history of the city at the Atlanta History Center
- View dinosaur bones or a 3D movie at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- See puppets from around the world at the Center for Puppetry Arts
- Explore exhibits for free at the Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center
- Take a self-guided tour on the Castleberry Hill Art Stroll (2nd Friday of each month)
- Spend a weekend on the trails at the Autrey Mill Nature Preserve and Heritage Center
- Tour the State Capitol
- Check out 95,000 square feet of the College Football Hall of Fame
- View history from an African American perspective at the APEX Museum
- Explore Georgia history at the Georgia Archives
- See a historic Pullman car at the Southeastern Railway Museum
- Check out fashion and film at SCAD FASH
- View the glass art gallery at Decatur Glassblowing
- Celebrate artists of color at Hammonds House Museum
Attractions
- Rent a tube or bring your own and shoot the hooch (float down the Chattahoochee River)
- See a movie at the Starlight Drive-In
- Grab a hotdog at the world’s largest drive in, The Varsity
- Try world cuisines at the restaurants along Buford Highway
- Go roller skating or ice skating
- Test your swing at TopGolf
- Attend an American Cooking Class
- Try your hand at one of the many Painting Classes
- See how fast you can emerge from an Escape Room
- Ride a Bird scooter around campus
- Sing some karaoke!
- Sign up for a free yoga event
- Find a Tiny Door
- Visit the World of Coca-Cola
- Visit life under the sea at the Georgia Aquarium*
- Check out the wildlife at Zoo Atlanta*
- Test your speed at Andretti's Indoor Karting & Games
- Experience the thrills at Six Flags*
- Splash in the water at Six Flags White Water*
- Ride the Skyview Atlanta Ferris Wheel*
- Enjoy jazz on the lawn at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
- Take a Segway tour of the city
Get outside!
- Sign up for a trip through GSU’s Touch the Earth programs
- Walk or ride your bike down the Silver Comet Trail
- Cross the swing bridge at the Morningside Nature Preserve
- Show off your skills at the Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark
- View the wildlife on the trails at Zonolite Park
- Get in a two-mile run at Tanyard Creek Park
- Visit Kennesaw Mountain National Park
- Stroll through Oakland Cemetery
- Take a walk or grab a bite to eat on the Atlanta Beltline
- Smell the flowers at the Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Explore the trails or check out the farmer’s market at Piedmont Park
- Picnic in Grant Park
- Canoe with friends at the Chattahoochee Nature Center
- Hit the trails at Chastain Park Conservancy
- View the site of an old textile mill at Sweetwater Creek State Park
- Wills Park is a can’t miss for horse lovers
- Run the PATH 400 Greenway along GA 400 and into the heart of Buckhead
- Rent a bike and explore Atlanta on two wheels
- Run, bike, or walk on Newton Trails
- Experience the wonder of nature at the Dunwoody Nature Center
- Venture away from the perimeter to see land and water at Red Top Mountain
- Visit the most intact Mississippian Culture site in the southeast at Etowah Indian Mounds
- Explore the tree, plant, and wildlife sanctuary at Big Trees Forest Preserve
- Go birding at the Lullwater Preserve
- Relax with friends in Freedom Park
Cool Neighborhoods & Markets to Explore
- Enjoy the best views of the city from the Jackson Street Bridge
- Visit the Krog Street Market food hall
- Check out the street art in the Krog Street Tunnel
- Visit the historic Municipal Market in Sweet Auburn
- Catch great views of the city from Ponce City Market / Skyline Park
- Experience the eclectic Little Five Points
- Shop, dine, and play at Atlantic Station
- Visit the Decatur Square
- Explore the Summerhill neighborhood
- View community art in Cabbagetown
- Taste food from around the world at Your Dekalb Farmers Market
- Pick up fruit and veggies at the Fresh MARTA Market near you
- Check out street art using the Atlanta Street Art Map
- Explore shopping, dining, and entertainment at the Avalon in Alpharetta
By Pearl Dang