How to Spend 4 Days in Atlanta

I have been to Atlanta, GA quite a few times over the years. My oldest brother Mark has lived there since the late 70’s.

The first summer that he lived there we drove through the night to Atlanta. All I can remember about the drive was that every other song on the radio was from the movie Grease. Remember Grease is the word.

This past fall Southwest had a sale and I was able to use some points to book a flight down to Atlanta for the middle of January.

My oldest daughter, Madison, was supposed to go along but she was unable to go since her husband, Ben, was getting operated on.

So, in January, I flew down to see him and my niece Nicole who also lives in Atlanta. Mark was gracious to go with me to see some of the sights. A number of the things we did I have done before and other things were new to me.

This was the first time that I had been to Atlanta during the winter time. Before when I have been there it has been in early spring or summer time.

Where to Stay In Atlanta

There are obviously many different areas of the city that you can stay in while visiting Atlanta. Here are a few of the options.

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Downtown

The downtown area has a number of different hotels to pick from and has a number of tourist attractions like the World of Coke and the Georgia Aquarium to name just a few.

Midtown

The Midtown area is known for the arts and Piedmont Park. It is located adjacent to the downtown area. You have easy access to MARTA and it is easy to Uber where you want to go.

Airport

If you want to be a little further out from the city center, you can stay out by the airport. There are many chain hotels there plus you can ride MARTA into the city.

How to Get Around in the City

If you are driving a rental car or your own car, depending on what part of the day you may run into traffic. Atlanta is known for its traffic. Parking in the downtown area is going to cost you $15 and up for the day.

Once you are in an area like the downtown, it is easy to walk around. Just like any other city walking from one area to the next is going to be a chore.

MARTA operates the trains that run in the city. You can travel north, south, east or west using the train. The cost is affordable. It is $3.50 initially and you can reload the card for $2.50. MARTA also operates the buses that travel throughout the city.

MARTA also operates the buses that run all throughout the city. Riding the bus may be an option depending on what part of town you are staying in and the time that you have.

Uber/Lyft/Taxis are other ways that you can move around in the city. What I like about Uber and Lyft is that you see what it is going to cost you up front.

Day 1 – College Football Hall of Fame – World of Coke

I flew from Columbus, OH into Atlanta’s airport. I got into Atlanta just after 10 in the morning. Mark was not at home since he was doing some work down in St. Kitts. Life is rough but someone has to do it.

I took MARTA from the airport to the Midtown stop which is where Mark lives. It was around 11:15am when I got to his place. I took a break for a while and then tried to get an Uber to take me to the College Football Hall of Fame.

I had never used Uber before but I was having an issue with the app. No, it wasn’t a user error. So, I called Madison who booked me an Uber on her phone.

College Football Hall of Fame

I got to the College Football Hall of Fame and it wasn’t too busy. The last time that I was in Atlanta the hall wasn’t there. So, it was something new to me.

The hall has 3 floors. As you walk into the hall of fame, there is a large display of 760 helmets, a large mural, a playing field area where you can throw the football around, do football drills and try a field goal. The gift shop is also located on this level.

On the second and third floors, you will find interactive displays. There are also exhibits of different items like the trombone from the infamous Stanford vs Cal game. There are many displays talking about the history of the college game.

You can also watch a 10-12 minute video about college football in the Game Day Theater. You will feel like you are in the action.

I am a big college football fan so I totally enjoyed my time there. It is a place that I would go back to.

I have written a post about my experience at the College Football Hall of Fame. I share my experience along with tips for your visit. You can click the link to go to the article.

Address– 250 Marietta St. NW, Atlanta

Hours– Thursday-Monday 9:00-5:00 Closed Monday and Tuesday

Cost– Adults $24.99 – Kids 3-12 $17.99 – Under 3 Free – Seniors 65+ $20.99 – Students with valid ID $20.99 – Military Active and Retired with valid ID Free

Tickets are more expensive if you purchase tickets online.

Parking– There is no on site parking at the hall of fame.

Time Needed– 2 to 3 hours

Lunch

The College Football Hall of Fame has a Chick-fil-A attached to it and so I grabbed a quick bite to eat there before I went to my next location.

You can never go wrong with Chick-fil-A.

World of Coke

A short walk away from the College Football Hall of Fame is the World of Coke. I had been to the World of Coke before but it has been 6 years or so.

The line to get into the World of Coke wasn’t that long. Since it was the middle of January the crowds were much less than during the summer time.

Once you enter, they have a waiting area. Next, you go into a room where they have a short presentation. You are then led into a theater where you watch a 10 minute video/commercial about Coke. As you would expect, it is well done.

After the video is done, you are dismissed. You then can go through the different exhibits. There is a “Vault” where you can learn a little more about the history of Coke.

In “Bottle Works”, you can see a bottling plant in action. The most popular place is the “Tasting Room.” You can taste Coke products from all over the world. You exit the museum through the large gift store.

The World of Coke is interesting and worth a visit if you have never been there. Since I have been there two times now, I don’t see myself going back anytime soon.

Address– 121 Baker St. NW, Atlanta

Hours– Monday-Thursday 10:00am-5:00pm – Friday-Sunday 10:00am-7:00pm

Cost– Adults 13-64 $19 – Youth 3-12 $15 – Senior 65+ $17 – Toddlers 0-2 Free with paid adult

The following prices don’t include tax. The price for an adult ticket is $20.69 with tax. Ticket prices go up an additional $1 if you buy them at the gate.

Parking– $17 for the day.

Time Needed– 2 hours

If you are interested in going to the World of Coke, you can read my post about my experience and different tips about your visit by clicking the following link.

Ordered Takeout from “Eats” for Dinner

I took an Uber back to my brother’s place. For supper I ordered food from “Eats.” They have an eclectic menu offering jerk chicken, baked chicken, meatloaf, chicken lasagna and more.

I got the jerk chicken and chicken chili. The portions were a nice size with both dishes. I like spice in my food and there was a nice amount of spice in the chili and chicken.

The prices for the dishes were very reasonable.

Address– 600 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA

Ratings– Google 4.5 – Tripadvisor 4.0

Day 2 – Georgia Aquarium – Fernbank Museum of Natural History

Breakfast- Einstein’s Brothers Bagels

We got a late breakfast from “Einstein’s Brothers Bagels.” I got a coffee which was good along with a bagel sandwich. It was quite good. It is a chain restaurant but I had never been there before.

Address– 800 Peachtree St. NE Midtown Atlanta, GA

Ratings– Google 4.0 – Tripadvisor 4.0

Georgia Aquarium

The Georgia Aquarium is one of the best aquariums in the states and is the largest one. I went to the aquarium once before but I was really looking forward to visiting it again.

Once you enter the aquarium you can visit any of the areas. The areas include: Ocean Voyager, Tropical Diver, Coldwater Quest, Dolphin Coast, and River Scout.

They also have dolphin and sea lion shows. The shows weren’t going on the day that we were there. I was a little disappointed. There is also a 4D theater.

Out of all of the areas my favorite one was the Ocean Voyager exhibit. In one area, you walk through an aquatic tunnel. There is a slow moving path that you can stand on or you can walk on your own.

There is a large room with steps to sit down on while you watch all of the different fish swim by. The two whale sharks were quite impressive. The one woman that we talked to said that once they die there probably won’t be anymore in the tank.

While sitting in the room, they have soothing music playing that goes well with the fish that are swimming in the large tank.

Address– 225 Baker St. NW, Atlanta, GA

Hours– Monday-Thursday 9:00am-6:00pm Friday-Sunday 9:00am-9:00pm

Cost– $47.99 excluding tax if buying a ticket the day of visit or $42.99 excluding tax if purchasing a ticket more than a day from your visit.

Parking– $17 for the day but you can purchase a pass online for $12.

Time needed– 3-4 hours

You can read my post about the Georgia Aquarium. In the post, I share more details about the aquarium along with tips to help you on your visit. You can click on the following link to read the post.

Lunch- Woody’s Cheesesteaks

If you like Philadelphia style cheesesteaks you will want to check out Woody’s Cheesesteaks. They have a number of locations in the city. We went to the one in Midtown.

On the menu, they have cheesesteaks, sausages, deli sandwiches, beer, ice cream and milkshakes.

My brother and I split a cheesesteak with mushrooms and onions. It was very good. The prices were very reasonable, also.

Address– 981 Monroe Dr NE, Atlanta, GA 30308

Ratings– Google 4.4 – Tripadvisor 4.0

Fernbank Museum of Natural History

The Fernbank Museum of Natural History is a good place to go on your own or with a family. There are a number of areas that are geared towards kids.

If you like dinosaurs, you will like the main open area of the museum known as the “Giants of the Mesozoic.” There are skeletons of an Argentinosaurus, Giganotosaurus, Anhangurera, and a Pterodaustro. It is quite cool.

Other areas of the museum include A Walk Through Time in Georgia which looks at the different geographical areas of the state of Georgia.

Conveyed in Clay covers 5,000 years of human history through pottery. Our Favorite Things has a number of different displays covering human history. Reflections of Culture shows different clothing from around the world,

Sky High shows different birds that you can find in Georgia. World of Shells displays shells that can be found in Georgia and around the world.

Three areas geared towards kids include: Fantastic Forces, NatureQuest, and a STEAM lab.

They have outdoor areas which I would have loved to see more of but it was January and quite chilly. The areas include: Dinosaur Plaza, Fernbank Forest, Rain Garden, Fernbank’s Tiny Door, and WildWoods.

We walked some of the WildWoods walkway. It takes you through the woods and is quite cool. I would love to come back and do that when it is warmer out.

They also have a theater at the museum. We saw a 30 minute film titled “Secrets of the Sea.” It was well done and was appropriate since we were just at the aquarium.

Hours– Monday-Sunday 10:00am-5:00pm

Cost– Adult 13-64 $25.95 – Seniors 65+ $24.95 – Child 3-12 $23.95

Parking– Free on site.

Time– 2-3 hours

Supper at Campagnolo Restaurant and Bar

Campagnolo is a casual Italian restaurant located in Midtown. The restaurant has a seating area outside in front of the restaurant that looks quite nice. It was too cold out to enjoy that area.

In the restaurant, they have a bar area that seats 8 to 10 people. The restaurant had a laid back vibe to it. They have many of the standard Italian dishes.

I got spaghetti and meatballs with marinara sauce. That is not on the menu but is available. My brother’s favorite is the lasagna which he got and loved.

Both dishes were nice sized portions and my spaghetti was very good. The prices were also reasonable.

Address– 980 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA

Ratings– Google 4.3 – Tripadvisor 4.0

Day 3 – Atlanta History Center – National Center for Civil and Human Rights – Centennial Olympic Park – Sky View Atlanta

Breakfast- Alon’s Bakery and Market

My brother loves this place and after having breakfast there I can see why. This is a multipurpose place. They have a bakery, a market with cheese, prepared meals, soups and more.

I am a soup guy and would have loved to have some of their soup but I love sweets and I had a twice baked almond croissant and an Apple Danish.

The almond croissant had a filling in it that was great. Plus, the powdered sugar on the outside helped to put it over the top. I got a cinnamon stick for later which was also good.

They have a small eating area in the bakery. It is a little pricey but it was worth it.

Address– 1394 North Highland Ave. NE., Atlanta, GA

Ratings– Google 4.7 – Tripadvisor 4.0.

Atlanta History Center

If you like history then you will love the Atlanta History Center. The Atlanta History Center is located on 33 acres. It includes a cyclorama, homes, gardens and different types of exhibits.

The cyclorama depicts the battle of Atlanta. It is almost 50 feet high. It is hard to tell where the painting ends and the 3D models begin.

There is a 12-15 minute presentation on the history of the cyclorama that is shown at the top of every hour. It was interesting.

After the opening presentation, you could stay on the upper level to look at the cyclorama or go down below to get a closer view. There are people there to answer any questions that you have.

They have many different types of exhibits in the museum including: Atlanta 96, the Centennial of the 19th Amendment, Railroads and the Making of Atlanta, and Stories of Atlanta to name just a few.

There are gardens that you can walk through. You can tour the Swan House which was built in 1928 and is in the National Register of Historical Places. They even have a farm from the 1800s on the property.

It was rather chilly when we were there. I would love to come back and see more of the grounds when it would be warmer outside.

If you want to get a bite to eat, they have a restaurant in the museum. It was rather busy during lunch time.

Address– 130 West Paces Ferry Road NW, Atlanta, GA

Hours– Tuesday-Sunday 9:00am-4:00pm

Cost– Adult $24 – Seniors 65+ $20 – Student $20 – Youth Ages 4-12 $10

Parking– Free parking on site.

Time– 2-3 hours

National Center for Civil and Human Rights

The National Center for Civil and Human Rights takes you on a journey through the civil rights movement and it also shows you human rights struggles around the world.

The center has 3 different levels to it. On the upper level, you will find the Spark of Conviction. It shows you fighters of human rights from all over the world. The level also includes the last part of the U.S. Civil Rights gallery.

The entrance level contains the Paula Scher mural that is located in the main lobby. It is very well done.

You will also find the “Rolls Down Like Water” gallery. This area was a combination of plaques to read, interactive displays and films to watch of the civil rights movement in the U.S.

The lower level has the “Voice to the Voiceless” collection. The collection has speeches and other artifacts from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It was really interesting to see some of the speeches and the edits he did on them.

You couldn’t take any pictures or videos in this section of the center. All of the other areas, it was fine to take pictures and videos.

My favorite levels were the entrance level and the lower level. It was very sobering to see how things used to be in the U.S. and still are in many parts of the world.

Address– 100 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard, Atlanta, GA

Hours– Tuesday-Friday and Sunday 12:00pm-5:00pm and Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm

Cost– Adult $19.99 – Senior $17.99 – Youth $15.99

Parking– There is no parking on site but there is parking at the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coke and other parking garages in the area.

Centennial Olympic Park

Olympic Park is located in the center of the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coke, the College Football Hall of Fame, Skyview Atlanta and the National Center for Human and Civil Rights. So, if you are walking to go from one place to another you can easily go through the park.

We traveled through the park to go to get some lunch. The park is laid out nicely. You have an area with Olympic Rings on the ground with water shooting up from them. A popular spot in the summertime.

On one end of the park there is a large Olympic ring. There is green space, statues and different places to relax through the park.

Another spot that I would like to come back to when it is warmer out. Is anyone seeing a theme here?

Lunch- Ted’s Montana Grill

For lunch, we headed to Ted’s Montana Grill. They are located in 15 different states. This was the first time that I had been to one. The restaurant had a laid back vibe to it.

There was a large bar on one side of the restaurant with booths running down the other side. There were some free standing tables and then some more booths in the other part of the restaurant.

Mark and I both got the bison burger with fries. The burger and fries were great. I would have never known that the meat that I was eating was bison. It was lean and still nice and juicy. The fries had a nice crunch to them. The service was really good and the cost of the meal was very reasonable.

Address– 133 Luckie St. NW, Atlanta, GA

Ratings– Google 4.3 – Tripadvisor 4.0

Skyview Atlanta

There were a number of different times that I tried to ride the ferris wheel but it was never running. It wasn’t running when we went to lunch but Mark noticed that it was running when we were heading back to the car after eating.

So, we made the short walk to the ferris wheel to get on it. The ferris wheel is located right beside the Centennial Olympic Park.

The ferris wheel is nearly 20 stories high and has 42 different gondolas to ride in. You can fit up to 4 people in the gondolas.

You get a great view of Olympic Park and the downtown area. We had 4 trips around before we had to get off. We were also stopped at the top for a short period of time.

Who is not a sucker for a ferris wheel? Maybe I am the only one. It was well worth the money to take a ride.

Address– 168 Luckie St. NW, Atlanta, GA

Hours– Monday-Thursday 4:00pm-10:00pm – Friday Noon-11:00pm – Saturday 10:00am-11:00pm – Sunday 10:00am-10:00pm

Cost– Adult 12+ $14.75 – Seniors 65+ $12.75 – Children 3-11 $9.75 – Children 2 and under Free – Military $12.75 – Student $12.75

The following prices don’t include tax.

Dinner- Agave

Mark and I picked up my niece Nicole and we headed to Agave for dinner. Agave is a southwestern cuisine restaurant that has Native American decor through the restaurant.

We got to the restaurant between 7:30 and 8:00 and it was full. There are two different rooms in the restaurant with one of them having a large fireplace.

They brought out a large basket of chips and salsa to the table. Mark and Nicole got the Homemade Guacamole for an appetizer.

I got the Pulled Pork Verde Enchilada. The meat was tender and juicy. The rice and beans were good. It was a great meal.

So, if you like southwest cuisine, I would highly recommend Agave.

Address– 242 Boulevard SE, Atlanta, GA

Ratings– Google 4.5 – Tripadvisor 4.5

Day 4 – Monet Immersive Experience

Breakfast- Original House of Pancakes

We started off the day with a trip to the Original House of Pancakes. Personally, I could eat breakfast every meal of the day.

The restaurant had a 50s vibe to it. There was a bar area where you could sit down to eat. We got a booth by the windows.

I got french toast, ham and coffee. The french toast was made from thick pieces of bread. That is the way that I like it. The ham was thick and juicy. I was impressed with the meal.

Address– 2321 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE, Atlanta, GA

Ratings– Google 4.0 – Tripadvisor 4.0

Monet Immersive Experience

I am not a huge art guy but I thought that the Monet Immersive Experience looked pretty cool. The experience was at the Atlanta Art Center in Doraville.

Once you get your ticket, the first room that you go into is like a more traditional museum experience. There are plaques that talk about Monet’s voyages that inspired many of his paintings and more.

Then you enter Monet’s salon-atelier, a replica of his living room in France. There are replicas of a number of his paintings all over the walls.

The next room depicts his painting “The Japanese Footbridge.” Green carpet covers part of the floor along with a projected pond with fish swimming around. There are 3 foot bridges covered with fake vines.

Next, you enter the room where the immersive experience takes place. The 15,000 square foot room has projections on all four walls.

There are beach chairs that are around the walls where you can sit or you can have a seat on a piece of artificial turf that is located on the floor.

Different scenes come and go as you watch. It is spring, summer, fall and then winter. You see many of his works of art and some of the places where he painted them.

You see the windmills of Holland turning from the wind and a train pulling into the Paris train station. There are fish that swim by your feet as you take in the different scenes.

The whole experience lasts for 35 minutes and runs on a continuous loop. So, you can stay and watch as much as you like.

After you leave the room, you can pay $5 extra to watch a 10 minute virtual reality experience. It is worth the $5 to do.

Address– 5660 Buford Hwy NE, Doraville, GA

Cost– Adult $33.90 – Seniors 65+ $24.90 – Student 13-26 $24.90 – Military $24.90 – Child 4-12 $22.90

The price of tickets go up on the weekends by $2 or $3 depending on what type of ticket it is.

Hours– Wednesday-Friday 10:00am-8:00pm – Saturday 9:00am-9:00pm – Sundays 9:00am-8:00pm

Time needed– 1.5 to 2 hours

Parking– Free

Lunch- Fat Matt’s Rib Shack

Fat Matt’s Rib Shack is a no frills place to eat. The food makes up for the lack of the frills.

The inside of the restaurant has a funky painting on the back wall along with all kinds of pictures on another wall. They have live music in the evenings.

They offer traditional bbq fare like ribs, chicken and sides. I got a half slab of ribs. They were tender and juicy. They were a little grisly on the one end but I don’t eat ribs that often to know if that is normal.

The ribs and bbq sauce were very tasty. My brother got the baked beans which he says were very tasty.

Address– 1811 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA

Ratings– Google 4.5 – Tripadvisor 4.5

I had planned on either going to Stone Mountain, Piedmont Park or even the Margaret Mitchell House. It was too cold to go to Stone Mountain or Piedmont Park. The Margaret Mitchell house was temporarily closed. So, I called it a day as it comes to going out and seeing things.

Stone Mountain

I had planned on going to Stone Mountain at this time if it was warm enough out. Needless to say, it wasn’t and so I didn’t go.

I have been there numerous times and we even stayed there a whole week when I was young. If you have never been there it is well worth the time to drive a little ways outside of the city to experience it.

Dinner- The Varsity

The Varsity is one of those iconic places that you need to go to if you are in Atlanta. We went early in the evening so it was pretty empty.

Once you enter the restaurant there is a long front counter where you order and get your food. There are multiple rooms that you can take your food to eat. The restaurant has a 50s vibe which I enjoy.

I ended up getting two coney dogs with onion rings and a coke. I rarely eat hot dogs and anything fried but I made an exception for the Varsity.

Address– 61 North Ave. NW, Atlanta, GA

Ratings– Google 4.1 – Tripadvisor 4.0

Suggestions

Driving or Uber to Downtown

Depending where you are staying and how many people are in your party, you will want to determine if you should drive or take an Uber.

You can purchase an all day parking pass for the Georgia Aquarium for $12 online. You can easily walk to the World of Coke, National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Olympic Park, College Football Hall of Fame, and SkyView Atlanta.

Otherwise, it is going to cost you $15 or more to park around the downtown area.

CityPASS

One way to save some money to see some of the attractions is by getting a CityPASS. You can purchase a CityPASS for $93.54.

The pass comes with admission to the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coke and the Atlanta Zoo. You then can pick two of the following attractions: Fernbank Museum of Natural History, the College Football Hall of Fame and National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

After you purchase the pass, they send you an email with a link to the pass. You can make a copy of the pass to show them when you go to an attraction or you can bring it up on your phone.

I made a hard copy as a backup since you never know when you may have issues with your phone. I didn’t have any phone issues and I just showed them the pass on my phone. It was very convenient and it saved me time and money.

I got the pass but didn’t go to the zoo. I did go to 4 of the attractions. It saved me around $25.