101 Things to do in Atlanta – COVID Edition

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

1. Find a student organization to join in the Panther Involvement Network
2. Take a picture with the bronze Pounce statue in Unity Plaza
3. Volunteer to serve in the local community
4. Attend the Homecoming golf cart parade
5. Listen to Album 88
6. Login to Handshake to find on and off-campus jobs
7. Take a picture outside Georgia State Stadium
8. Watch a TV show or movie filmed in Atlanta
9. Read The Signal
10. Livestream an event from the Rialto Center for the Arts
11. Attend the Daffodil Festival at Perimeter College’s Newton campus
12. Learn the Georgia State Alma Mater
13. Catch a performance from the College of the Arts or at Perimeter College’s Clarkston theater
14. Visit the GSU Perimeter College Native Plant Botanical Garden
15. Watch a Georgia State sporting event (live or livestreamed!)
16. Join GSU intramurals or a sport club

Festivals / Parades/ Events

17. Enjoy music in the streets at the Sweet Auburn Music Fest (September 26-27)
18. Participate in the virtual Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade (September 21 - 26)
19. Check out all the virtual events at JapanFest (September 26 - 27)
20. Celebrate at the German-themed Oktoberfest (October 9-10)
21. Atlanta Pride Virtual Celebration (October 9-11)
22. Enjoy live music at Sunset Sessions at Park Tavern
23. Indulge your love of books with events from the AJC Decatur Book Festival

Museums and History

24. View the John Lewis mural at 219 Auburn Ave.
25. View modern art at the High Museum of Art
26. Learn about rights around the world at the Center for Civil and Human Rights
27. Explore the history of the city at the Atlanta History Center
28. View dinosaur bones or a 3D movie at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History
29. See puppets from around the world at the Center for Puppetry Arts
30. Explore exhibits for free at the Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center
31. Take a self-guided tour on the Castleberry Hill Art Stroll (2^nd Friday of each month)
32. Spend a weekend on the trails at the Autrey Mill Nature Preserve and Heritage Center
33. Tour the State Capitol
34. Check out 95,000 square feet of the College Football Hall of Fame
35. View history from an African American perspective at the APEX Museum
36. Explore Georgia history at the Georgia Archives
37. See a historic Pullman car at the Southeastern Railway Museum
38. Check out fashion and film at SCAD FASH
39. View the glass art gallery at Decatur Glassblowing
40. Celebrate artists of color at Hammonds House Museum

Attractions

41. Rent a tube or bring your own and shoot the hooch (float down the Chattahoochee River)
42. See a movie at the Starlight Drive-In
43. Grab a hotdog at the world’s largest drive in, The Varsity
44. Try world cuisines at the restaurants along Buford Highway
45. Go roller skating or ice skating
46. Test your swing at TopGolf 
47. Attend an American Cooking Class
48. Try your hand at one of the many Painting Classes
49. See how fast you can emerge from an Escape Room
50. Ride a Bird scooter around campus
51. Sing some karaoke!
52. Sign up for a free yoga event
53. Find a Tiny Door
54. Visit the World of Coca-Cola
55. Visit life under the sea at the Georgia Aquarium*
56. Check out the wildlife at Zoo Atlanta*
57. Test your speed at Andretti's Indoor Karting & Games
58. Experience the thrills at Six Flags*
59. Splash in the water at Six Flags White Water*
60. Ride the Skyview Atlanta Ferris Wheel*
61. Enjoy jazz on the lawn at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
62. Take a Segway tour of the city

Get outside!

63. Sign up for a trip through GSU’s Touch the Earth programs
64. Walk or ride your bike down the Silver Comet Trail
65. Cross the swing bridge at the Morningside Nature Preserve
66. Show off your skills at the Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark
67. View the wildlife on the trails at Zonolite Park
68. Get in a two-mile run at Tanyard Creek Park
69. Visit Kennesaw Mountain National Park
70. Stroll through Oakland Cemetery 
71. Take a walk or grab a bite to eat on the Atlanta Beltline
72. Smell the flowers at the Atlanta Botanical Garden
73. Explore the trails or check out the farmer’s market at Piedmont Park
74. Picnic in Grant Park 
75. Canoe with friends at the Chattahoochee Nature Center
76. Hit the trails at Chastain Park Conservancy
77. View the site of an old textile mill at Sweetwater Creek State Park
78. Wills Park is a can’t miss for horse lovers
79. Run the PATH 400 Greenway along GA 400 and into the heart of Buckhead
80. Rent a bike and explore Atlanta on two wheels
81. Run, bike, or walk on Newton Trails
82. Experience the wonder of nature at the Dunwoody Nature Center
83. Venture away from the perimeter to see land and water at Red Top Mountain
84. Visit the most intact Mississippian Culture site in the southeast at Etowah Indian Mounds
85. Explore the tree, plant, and wildlife sanctuary at Big Trees Forest Preserve
86. Go birding at the Lullwater Preserve
87. Relax with friends in Freedom Park

Cool Neighborhoods & Markets to Explore

88. Enjoy the best views of the city from the Jackson Street Bridge
89. Visit the Krog Street Market food hall
90. Check out the street art in the Krog Street Tunnel
91. Visit the historic Municipal Market in Sweet Auburn
92. Catch great views of the city from Ponce City Market / Skyline Park
93. Experience the eclectic Little Five Points
94. Shop, dine, and play at Atlantic Station
95. Visit the Decatur Square
96. Explore the Summerhill neighborhood
97. View community art in Cabbagetown 
98. Taste food from around the world at Your Dekalb Farmers Market
99. Pick up fruit and veggies at the Fresh MARTA Market near you
100. Check out street art using the Atlanta Street Art Map
101. Explore shopping, dining, and entertainment at the Avalon in Alpharetta

By Pearl Dang