Day 1 You'll See:
- Centennial Park
Day 2 You'll See:
- Sweet Auburn Avenue
- Big Bethel AME
- APEX Museum
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Visitor Center
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birth Home
Day 3 You'll See:
- Atlanta History Center
- Stone Mountain Park
If your group is looking for an exciting destination with sites both fun and educational, plus a focus on black history, Atlanta, Georgia, has everything you need. We’ve put together this sample itinerary to show you exactly what Atlanta has to offer, from historic landmarks and neighborhoods to studio tours, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, and sheer fun like the critically acclaimed Zoo Atlanta. Take a look at everything this city has to offer.
1
This stunning 21-acre oasis and popular events venue in the heart of Atlanta was part of a wave of fantastic, big-ticket improvements readying the city for the 1996 Olympic Games; a good portion of the park’s funding was generated by the sale of nearly a half-million “special” bricks displaying personalized messages purchased by patrons and used in its construction. Its magnificent features include a dramatic interactive Fountain of Rings that treats visitors to refreshing and ever-changing water and light shows year-round.
2
More successes happened on this famous thoroughfare than any other African American street in the South; a street "paved in gold," observed John Wesley Dobbs. Today, the landmark structures on this mile-long stretch honor the determination and tenacity of Black Americans operating within the oppressive confines of segregation between 1880 and 1965 to build a thriving community - including six centers of higher education adjacent to Sweet Auburn Avenue.
Big Bethel AME
Beautiful Big Bethel AME Church is the oldest African-American congregation in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood and is the mother church of AME in North Georgia. In 1879, the first public school for blacks in Atlanta was founded in its basement; landmark institution Morris Brown College held its first classes here. Once known as "Sweet Auburn's City Hall" Big Bethel has courted a range of notable speakers over the years, including President William Howard Taft and Nelson Mandela.
APEX Museum
This landmark institution located in the 6-block Sweet Auburn historic district treats guests to a fascinating journey that begins in Ancient Africa; they will enjoy interactive tours led by resourceful docents who deftly bring an educational visit to life. Current exhibits, “Africa, the Untold Story”, “The Trolley Theater” and “Sweet Auburn, Street of Pride” promise to engage, entertain and enlighten visitors to The APEX Museum - “where every month is Black History Month.”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Visitor Center
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Visitor’s Center in the historic Sweet Auburn District, Established in 1968 by Mrs. Coretta Scott King, has been a global destination, rich resource center and community institution for over a quarter-century. Nearly 1,000,000 people each year make the pilgrimage to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site to learn, be inspired and pay their respects to Dr. King’s legacy. Touring these landmark facilities, which include the wonderful Visitor’s Center, one can learn about Dr. King's remarkable life, his lifelong dream and his influence on others through examining a series of informative exhibits and site guide features.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birth Home
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born January 15, 1929, at 501 Auburn Avenue, the home of his maternal grandparents; he lived here with his family and various boarders until the age of 12. His birth home is open for tours on a daily basis, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day, with the first tour at 10:00 am and the last tour at 4:00 or 4:30 p.m., dependent upon staffing. This popular, ranger-led tour is free and lasts approximately 30 minutes, during which time you will learn about the life of a young M. L. King.
3
Located on 33 glorious acres in the historic Buckhead District, the Atlanta History Center is an exclusive campus inviting groups on Peach State excursion to explore Georgia’s important past through a tour of its landmark structures, award-winning collections and exhibits, scenic trails and historic gardens full of heirloom flora, all carefully designed to treat visitors to a vibrant and diverse cross-section of life in the Atlanta of years past.
Stone Mountain Park
Sprawled on 3,200 beautiful acres, Stone Mountain features family-style outdoor activities and hosts an array of exciting annual events. Hike beautiful trails, experience a SkyHike rope adventure or cruise Skyride to the summit to get a closer look at the magnificent Confederate Memorial Carving. Tour the Antebellum Plantation and Farmyard open-air museum, visit the historic Grist Mill and Quarry Exhibit and thrill to the Stone Mountain Laser Show Spectacular and Fireworks Finale, a Stone Mountain Atlanta tradition!