Centennial Olympic Park serves as a major recreation hub in the heart of Atlanta, so naturally, there are many exciting things within walking distance. Enjoy a day exploring the Olympic memorial space, complete with a splash pad style fountain— and yes, you can jump in. Then within a mile or so, restaurants and fascinating attractions await.
Mercedes Benz Stadium
Atlanta’s new stadium is best known for the retractable roof and digital halo board that serves as a circular television. If a sports event is going on while you’re in town, you should go. With astronomically cheaper food than the average stadium, local barbecue, beer and goodies can be enjoyed on a budget. The outdoor play plaza throws a party whether it be a Falcons or Atlanta United game, and you’ll collect bags full of free swag.
CNN Center
Atlanta’s CNN Center is the worldwide hub for the broadcasting network, and you can explore it all during a 50-minute tour. Anyone can stop by the food court, even if opting out of the tour, while several well-known restaurants circle a central eating area, where offices and giant news screens can be seen.
World of Coca-Cola
Atlanta is the home of Coca-Cola, so of course, there’s an interactive museum where visitors can learn all about brand evolution, manufacturing and the future. An enormous tasting room is including with admission, allowing for lots of sips of Coke products from all around the world.
SkyView Atlanta
One of the best skylines is in this city, and on a clear day, you can see for miles when reaching the top of the towering Ferris wheel. Instead of classic open-air buckets, passengers hop inside air-conditioned, enclosed pods with comfortable seating, generally making for a more relaxing experience.
Philips Arena
Philips Arena has been the place to go for basketball games, concerts and other live shows for years, and new, major renovation plans indicate that this will continue to be the case. Philips Arena, Mercedes Benz Stadium and the CNN Center set in a nice little cluster, just a stone’s throw from each other.
Georgia Aquarium
Ten million gallons of water house over 100,000 marine animals in the Georgia Aquarium, which features a central area surrounded by five branches of underwater wonder. Explore on your own, or see things more “in depth” by taking a Behind the Seas tour. Dolphins, otters, sea lions, sharks and other amazing creatures await you, along with a pretty sweet 4D theater experience.
Children's Museum of Atlanta
With play areas and exhibits designed for fun learning, the Children’s Museum encourages exploration, creativity and family bonding. Parents enjoy the interactive toys almost as much as the little ones, and there couldn’t be a better place to take the kids when its blazing hot, or frigidly cold in climate unpredictable Georgia.
Restaurants
Atlanta is bursting at the seams with good food, so it isn’t hard to find great eats in walking distance of one of the most popular parks. To narrow it down, fried haddock or grilled trout at Legal Seafood, Atlanta Breakfast Club’s fried green tomato BLT biscuit or chicken and waffles at Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint would all be solid selections. Aamar Indian Cuisine offers authentic curries and iconic dishes like chicken Tikki Masala if something different than southern cuisine is on the mind.
Hotels
The American Hotel Atlanta, Glenn Hotel, Springhill Suites by Marriott and Aloft Atlanta Downtown are all great lodging choices with rich “city’ vibes. Try to get a room with a view. The American Hotel is particularly awesome when it comes to being able to see the city layout, and we can’t think of a better way to close out the day.
