Discover Atlanta: Civil Rights and Culture Self-Guided Tour

Discover Atlanta's extraordinary civil rights heritage and vibrant Southern culture with our self-guided tour, allowing you to explore Georgia's dynamic capital at your own pace. Walk the path of Martin Luther King Jr. through Sweet Auburn to Ebenezer Baptist Church where he preached and the King Center where he rests beside the eternal flame. Stand in the 4,678-seat Fox Theatre, a 1929 Moorish palace with gilded ceilings designed to evoke an Arabian courtyard under the stars. Explore the High Museum of Art's galleries by Richard Meier and Renzo Piano. Walk the 22-mile BeltLine trail connecting Ponce City Market to Krog Street Market and the neighborhoods of Inman Park and Virginia-Highland. Stroll 189 acres of Piedmont Park beneath the Midtown skyline, then climb the treetop Canopy Walk at the Botanical Garden. Taste soul food on Auburn Avenue, explore Buford Highway's international corridor representing 75 countries, and feel why Atlanta calls itself the city too busy to hate.

1. 1

   Centennial Olympic Park

   45 min

   The 21-acre urban green space built as the centerpiece of the 1996 Summer Olympics — the Fountain of Rings performs choreographed water-and-music shows while children play in the spray, surrounded by the downtown skyline and monuments to the Olympic legacy.

2. 2

   Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park

   30 min

   The sacred 35-acre district on Auburn Avenue preserving Dr. King's 1929 birthplace home, Fire Station No. 6, and powerful exhibits on the Civil Rights Movement. Timed-entry reservations required for the birthplace home tour.

3. 3

   The King Center

   1 hour

   The crypts of Dr. King and Coretta Scott King rest beside the eternal flame burning since 1977. Across the street, the historic 1922 Ebenezer Baptist Church sanctuary where Dr. King preached — still holding Sunday services, co-pastored today by Senator Raphael Warnock.

4. 4

   Fox Theatre

   Pass by

   One of the world's most magnificent theater palaces — a 1929 Moorish Revival masterpiece with 4,678 seats, gilded details, and a starlit ceiling designed to evoke an Arabian courtyard. The Mighty Mo organ with 3,610 pipes fills the space during the summer movie series.

5. 5

   High Museum Of Art

   Pass by

   The Southeast's leading art museum — Richard Meier's 1983 white modernist building expanded by Renzo Piano in 2005. The 17,000-work collection features American masters, European paintings by Monet and Degas, African art, photography, and one of America's finest folk art collections.

6. 6

   Piedmont Park

   1 hour

   Atlanta's 189-acre Central Park with skyline views, a 12-acre lake, and sports fields. Inside, the 30-acre Botanical Garden features a tropical conservatory, a 200-foot Canopy Walk through the treetops, and the Fuqua Orchid Center with 600+ species.

7. 7

   Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail

   1 hour

   The transformative 22-mile multi-use trail built on former railroad corridors. The Eastside Trail connects Piedmont Park to Inman Park past murals and public art. Ponce City Market — a 1926 Sears warehouse turned food hall — anchors the route with Skyline Park's rooftop amusements.

8. 8

   Krog Street Market

   1 hour

   The historic 1889 Atlanta Stove Works building reborn as a food hall with 25+ local vendors serving Georgia ingredients. Surrounding Inman Park — Atlanta's first planned suburb from 1889 — features Victorian mansions, independent shops, and the annual festival and parade.

9. 9

   Oakland Cemetery

   1 hour

   Atlanta's oldest cemetery spanning 48 acres since 1850 — the final resting place of Gone with the Wind author Margaret Mitchell, golf legend Bobby Jones, and 6,900 Confederate soldiers. Gothic Revival monuments and Victorian sculpture create one of America's most artistic burial grounds.

10. 10

    Sweet Auburn

    1 hour

    Once called 'the richest Negro street in the world' by Fortune magazine — the commercial and cultural heart of Black Atlanta from the 1900s through the Civil Rights era. Historic churches, the APEX Museum, and the original Ebenezer Baptist Church tell the story of Black enterprise and resilience.

• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.