Atlanta's 5 Best Tourist Spots To Check Out, According To Locals

If ever a city could be described as having something for everyone, it's Atlanta. Often featured on best places to visit lists because of its multicultural atmosphere and world-famous attractions, its appeal is wide-ranging. For history buffs, there's an abundance of museums and landmarks celebrating important events from Atlanta's colorful past. For entertainment and music, there are theaters, galleries, and concert halls citywide. And of course, there's the food. Atlanta's culinary scene is thriving, with award-winning restaurants across the city serving everything from traditional southern cuisine to flavors from around the world.

Even if you simply want to get a feel for the city and experience some famous southern hospitality, you could take one of Atlanta's best food and walking tours and check out some of those hidden spots only residents know about. You'll discover local markets, popular green spaces, and the best independent shops.

We read through recommendations from a few Atlanta locals to come up with five of the top tourist spots, helping you to avoid Atlanta's biggest tourist traps — and the crowds that go with them. So according to those who know best, you should check out the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, the Oakland Cemetery, Piedmont Park, Ponce City Market, and the Atlanta Beltline.

Atlanta is at the heart of the Civil Rights Movement, and a visit to the Center for Civil and Human Rights is one of the most interesting and emotionally powerful places to see in the city. This resident says, "It's the first place I take first timers to the city." It's also popular with locals on Reddit, with Rynniex2 saying, "So incredibly well done and one of my top recommendations for visitors." A reviewer on Yelp echoes the sentiment, describing it as the highlight of their trip to Atlanta.

The center is located in downtown, next to World of Coca-Cola and the Georgia Aquarium. It's open most days and adult entry costs from $26. Once inside, step into the heart of modern Atlanta history, and learn more about the key figures who played a part in shaping it. Be prepared to experience a rollercoaster of emotions as you pass through the immersive exhibitions. They guide you through the legacy of the Reconstruction era, a gallery dedicated to the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., and up to modern-day global human rights movements. An inspirational experience, yet at the same time sometimes harrowing.

If the visit inspires you to dive a little deeper into the struggle for racial equality, you could also head to the Martin Luther King National Historical Park and walk in the footsteps of the man who helped change the course of history. For a more guided experience, try the Black History and Civil Rights tour, where, for $74, you'll be driven around some of the city's most important civil rights landmarks.

A cemetery may be an unusual addition to the list, but it's one of the best tourist spots in Atlanta for history lovers. Located on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in the Grant Park neighborhood, not far from downtown, Oakland Cemetery is also the city's oldest public park. Opened in 1850, the original six acres have expanded into 48 acres filled with ancient oak trees, winding pathways, and Victorian architecture. The cemetery is made up of easy-to-navigate sections, including an arboretum, a sculpture museum, and an Audubon wildlife sanctuary — meaning it plays its part in species conservation and wildlife protection.

Several Atlanta locals on Reddit have recommended a visit to Oakland Cemetery, with many advising travelers to visit when the flowers are in bloom, and the scent of magnolias fills the air. A peaceful and moving way to step into Atlanta's past, records indicate that there are around 70,000 souls resting there, approximately 7,000 of whom are soldiers who died on nearby battlefields during the Civil War. Other famous residents include Margaret Mitchell, the author of "Gone with the Wind," and Maynard Jackson, who was Atlanta's first African American mayor.

The cemetery is free to visit, and the grounds are open every day from dawn until dusk. The visitor center is open every day from 10AM until 5PM, and alongside an information desk and museum shop, this is also where many of the history tours begin. If you have an hour and a half to spare, The Oakland Tour is one of the most popular, and for $12, one of the guides will plunge you into the fascinating, sometimes tragic past of the cemetery and the city itself. Reddit user Alarming_Paper_8357 advises, "Get a tour at Oakland — they do a great job of pointing out famous resting places."

Known as the "city in the forest," Atlanta is full of parks, gardens, and green spaces if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city center. The most popular, and some might say prettiest, is Piedmont Park in the heart of midtown. Covering more than 200 acres, it's the perfect place for a picnic, and the views of the Atlanta skyline from Lake Clara Meer are gorgeous, especially if you catch them at sunset. If you're feeling particularly energetic, you could take a stroll, a jog, or hire a bike and follow the miles of nature trails and paved paths that weave through the woodlands and across the grassy meadows. You can understand why one local calls it "The perfect place to spend a sunny day".

Also recommended by Atlantans on Reddit, with jwilli79 calling it "The Central Park of Atlanta", Piedmont Park has an abundance of outdoor activities, from outdoor yoga in the summer to ice skating in the winter. There's also an event filled calendar to keep it interesting throughout the year, with popular festivals such as the Atlanta Jazz Festival in May and Atlanta Pride Festival in October.

The park is open daily from 6AM until 11PM and is free to enter, as are many of the activities. If you fancy seeing more of Atlanta's green spaces, head along Piedmont Avenue to Atlanta Botanical Gardens, right next to the park, for a laid-back escape full of natural beauty. The gardens are full of rare and tropical plant collections, and have some magnificent floral displays in the spring.

If you're wondering why a market is named as a top tourist spot in Atlanta, it's because Ponce City Market is no ordinary market. Just ask this local who says, "PCM is the safe way to play it, because there is something for everyone there". The market is located on the 16-mile-long Ponce de Léon Avenue, and conveniently situated on the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail. It's named after the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Léon, who's said to have searched for the fountain of youth here (although whether he ever set foot in Atlanta is highly debatable). Today, you're more likely to find historical homes, award-winning restaurants, and underground nightclubs than eternal youth.

More a large shopping mall and entertainment venue than a traditional market, Ponce City Market is full of unique shops and a variety of restaurants worth checking out, despite the industrial-looking exterior of the building. In the words of ATLDawg99, "You HAVE to go to Ponce City Market and walk the beltline to Krog Street Market."

Locals also recommend trying Botiwalla, owned by award-winning chef Meherwan Irani, which serves Indian street food inspired by Iranian flavors. City Winery is also located in the building and serves as a restaurant, a winery, and a concert venue under one roof. If you're after a lively night out in Atlanta, Ponce City Market is the place to go. There are plenty of surrounding carparks if you're driving there, but it's also conveniently situated on MARTA, the city's public transport system.

The Atlanta Beltline is a 22-mile loop that links 45 neighborhoods around Atlanta. It's one of the biggest urban development projects in the U.S. and was built along abandoned railway lines that used to circle the city. More exciting than it sounds, it's ideal for immersing yourself in the spirit of the city. Along different sections of the Beltline, you'll find walking and cycling trails, parks, murals, restaurants, cafes, and shops — including Ponce City Market.

It's a great way to explore Atlanta, with thomas16m enthusing, "It's honestly one of the best things Atlanta has done recently." There's usually more going on at the Eastside Trail section of the Beltline from Piedmont Park in midtown to Reynoldstown. Here you'll find colorful street art and live performances, with easy-to-reach restaurants along the way. It can get very crowded, and soon fills up with walkers, joggers, bikes, scooters, skateboards, you name it. Best to arrive early if you want a more peaceful experience.

The Westside Trail is much quieter, and takes you through the more historic neighborhoods of West End and Washington Park. It gives you the chance to see a part of Atlanta that's off the well-trodden tourist trail. One way of experiencing the BeltLine is on one of the Atlanta Beltline bike tours. Mostly over flat terrain, it's a relaxing and informative way to travel. Or experience the local cuisine on one of the food tours, where you can literally "eat your way down the Atlanta Beltline". Other events held throughout the year include history tours, volunteering programs, lantern parades, and art exhibitions.

To compile the best tourist spots in Atlanta according to locals, we gathered opinions from Reddit users as well as comments from locals on other sites. We also looked at visitor reviews on Tripadvisor to verify that these recommendations lived up to the hype. The final five Atlanta attractions we chose are consistently well-reviewed or highlight parts of the city that go beyond the more commonly listed tourist spots, showing a more local perspective.