See a show at Variety Playhouse, a 1940 cinema turned venue

The Georgian Terrace opened in 1911 as a Beaux-Arts hotel on Peachtree Street in Midtown and still takes guests today. Its Grand Ballroom hosted the 1939 Gone with the Wind gala, with stars including Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh. It has been a Historic Hotels of America member since 2001. Book direct, check the exact…

Every April the Inman Park neighborhood hosts its all-volunteer festival, which is free to enter, with music, a parade, a dance festival, arts and crafts, a street market and food. A separate Tour of Homes runs the same weekend and needs its own ticket. Check the festival website each winter for the exact dates and…

The Atlanta Jazz Festival fills Piedmont Park over Memorial Day weekend and is free and open to the public. The 2026 edition was the 49th, with music running into the night. Bring a blanket and arrive in the afternoon, and remember that glass containers, grilling and pets are not allowed in the festival area. Check…

Eddie's Attic is a listening room in Decatur, east of Atlanta, that calls itself the city's historic and legendary songwriter stage. John Mayer and other well-known artists built their fan bases here, and the Monday songwriters open mic is a long-running weekly night. Check the calendar on the official site for the…

Your DeKalb Farmers Market in Decatur opened in 1977 and now fills a huge building with produce, meat, seafood, bakery items and ingredients from around the world, with flags hanging above the counters. Local chefs shop here, and the prepared foods are handy for lunch. Expect a busy parking lot and few carts, so bring…

The Krog Street Tunnel, built in 1912, links Inman Park and Cabbagetown and has become an open wall for Atlanta street artists, with layers of murals and tags. Go early in the morning when traffic is light and backgrounds are cleaner, and bring a fast lens because the tunnel is dim. Wait for gaps in traffic before…

The Jackson Street bridge crosses Freedom Parkway in Old Fourth Ward and is the classic Atlanta skyline viewpoint. Arrive 30 to 45 minutes before sunset and stay through blue hour, with a tripod if you want light trails from the cars below. Stay on the pedestrian areas and watch for traffic. Parking on nearby side…

The National Center for Civil and Human Rights sits beside Centennial Olympic Park and the Georgia Aquarium. In the Rolls Down Like Water gallery, headphones and a recreated lunch counter simulate the taunts sit-in activists faced, and another gallery holds personal papers of Martin Luther King Jr. from the Morehouse…