Here Are 50+ FREE Things To Do In Atlanta
Castleberry Hill Art Stroll
Come out to the Castleberry Hill Art Stroll on every second Friday for a self-guided tour of art galleries from established artists. On many nights, you can also enjoy light bites and wine.
Centennial Olympic Park
The largest park in downtown Atlanta, Centennial Olympic Park was birthed for the 1996 Olympics. The park now hosts private events, concerts and is full of serene walking paths and water gardens. During the warm months, bring the kids out to enjoy the Fountain of Rings. Come out at night or on the weekends to see the stars illuminate the site. 265 Park Avenue West, Atlanta, GA 30313.
Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark
Krog Street Market
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park
Oakland Cemetery
Perhaps the most entertaining cemetery in the nation, Oakland Cemetery is more than a memorial place, it’s a who’s who of Atlanta and Georgia’s dearly departed. Who knew that being in a graveyard could be so fun and exciting? The 1850s-era site has voice-recorded tours of Atlanta’s most notable people as well as Confederate veterans and famous African-Americans. 248 Oakland Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30312.
Piedmont Park
Silver Comet Trail
SkyView Atlanta
Yep, ATL has a ferris wheel. The 20-story Skyview Atlanta ferris wheel has gondolas that are air-conditioned and roomy. If you want to get into truly fun things to do in Atlanta, this is one of them. Take a ride to see a bird’s eye view of downtown and Centennial Park. 168 Luckie St NW, Atlanta, GA 30303.
Underground Atlanta
Woodruff Park
Few green spaces have the visibility of Woodruff Park, located along the city’s spine of Peachtree Street. The park located in the center of Georgia’s financial center, downtown Atlanta and Georgia State University has fountains, sculptures, a famous chess court and a pavilion. What makes it a fun thing to do is the beautiful and peaceful contrast it provides to the concrete jungle around it. You’ll love the serenity of hearing and looking at the water fountain do its thing. 91 Peachtree St NW, Atlanta, GA 30303.
Yoga in the park
Get your zen on for free with yoga in the park at Om Wellness Lounge in Jonesboro. The free yoga is located at 3359 Jodeco Rd suite f, Jonesboro, GA 30236.
When it comes to finding fun things to do in Atlanta, the city’s sprawling metro area has plenty of more places to see, visit and experience. You may be in the mood for some good home cookin’ — and if you are, here are some top soul food places in Atlanta.
If you want to see more free events in Atlanta, festivals in the city’s parks and other venues are your best bet. Here are some of the top Atlanta festivals that are FREE:
Take A Segway Tour
Want to see the city up-close block by block? Book a segway and electric car tour. ATL-Cruzers Electric Car & Segway Tours offers 90-minute guided tours around downtown and midtown Atlanta.
Shoot The Hooch
If you want to enjoy the most famous waters of Atlanta, that would be the Chattahoochee River. Shoot the Hooch allows you to go tubing, rafting and kayaking down the river.
Shop At Your Local Farmers Market
Fresh fruit and vegetables shouldn’t be a novelty in your kitchen. Make sure you stop by your local farmer’s market and support it by buying the items you need.
Here are the best farmers markets in Atlanta.
Visit Arabia Mountain
If natural scenic beauty is your thing, Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area is a great place to visit. There are plenty of trails to hike and mountains to explore.
Silver Comet Trail
Have you ever been to the Silver Comet Trail? If not, make this the weekend you do it. You can walk or run the trail or rent a bicycle with Comet Trail Cycles.
Atlanta Brunch Festival
The Atlanta Brunch Festival kicks off March 7, 2020 from 12 to 4 p.m. at Atlantic Station in Midtown. Come enjoy live bands, food from some of the most awesome local eateries, drinks and more.
Bloody Mary Festival
The Bloody Mary Festival on March 15 will showcase ATL’s most creative and innovative Bloody Marys, created by the finest restaurants and bars around. Also includes yummy food and drink tastes from local companies, temp tattoos, and much more.
As the weather warms, these events will usher in patio season in Atlanta. Here are the Atlanta spring festivals:
Brookhaven Beer Fest
There’s going to be live music, food and suds at the Brookhaven Beer Fest, which takes place usually in April at Brookhaven Park. This is a 21+ event. No dogs allowed.
Atlanta Spring Wine Festival
The Atlanta Spring Wine Festival is set for Saturday, April 11, 2020 in Midtown. The festival will take place from 1 to 5 pm at Historic 4th Ward Park. Get the details.
Georgia Renaissance Festival
The Georgia Renaissance Festival kicks off for several weeks between April and June. The schedule is typically from 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and Memorial Day. Admission is $20-$24; $10-$12 ages 6-12, free for ages 5 and younger. 6905 Virlyn B. Smith Road, Fairburn.
Atlanta Dogwood Festival
The Atlanta Dogwood Festival starts anew at Piedmont Park in Midtown. Hours will be Friday, April 17 through Sunday, April 19. Get details.
Atlanta Grilled Cheese Festival
The Atlanta Grilled Cheese Festival kicks off April 18, 2020 from 12 to 6 p.m. at Atlantic Station in Midtown (1380 Atlantic Drive NW), Pinnacle Lot. Come enjoy live bands, food from some of the most awesome local eateries, drinks and more. Tickets are on sale.
Sweetwater 420 Festival
The Sweetwater 420 Festival is going down at Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta. Buy tickets here.
Atlanta Food & Wine Festival
The Atlanta Food & Wine Festival will be held Thursday, May 30 to Sunday, June 2 in Midtown. Now in its ninth year, the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival will feature more than 150 of the best chefs, mixologists and culinary experts in the Southeast. Buy tickets here.
Atlanta has no shortage of green spaces. These beautiful parks are part of Atlanta’s natural canopy and are FREE to enjoy.
Visit Any Of The Best Atlanta Parks
So, you can see that finding great park space is no biggie in Atlanta, and yet, many Atlanta parks have their own features, dynamics and geography. Whether you’re looking for a place to just chill and relax or trying to find a place for your kids to play, you’ll find that the best Atlanta parks have a little of both.
So, which Atlanta parks are the best? Well, how about we rely on the many voices found on the internet to answer that question? AtlantaFi has compiled numerous comments from various sites to get their take on the best Atlanta parks you can find.
Perkerson Park
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrDPsi0A6aC/
Perkerson Park, located at 770 Deckner Ave SW Atlanta, is a 50-acre park in the Capitol View/Sylvan Hills neighborhoods. It has a basketball half-court just past its entrance, but up the path on a plateau about 200 yards away is a full court basketball court. There’s also a kids’ playground, a recreational fields, a jogging track and frisbee tournament grounds.
South Atlanta Park
Located at Gammon St SE, South Atlanta Park opens at 8 a.m. daily. One Google reviewer said this about South Atlanta Park: “I normally love coming to this park but lately it feels like maintenance has been lacking. This used to be one of my favorite places to come- don’t get me wrong- still is an amazing park. Just wished it was a bit cleaner and up kept.”
South Bend Park
South Bend Park, one of the south side’s signature parks, is located at 1955 Compton Dr SE Atlanta.
Here’s what one Google reviewer said: “The trail is very nice but the park itself is a bit sketchy. A lot of homeless make the covered areas their residence. The playground, and all play areas for that matter, could use a good pressure washing. The baseball field looks nice but no rec sports are offered by this park. There’s no public engagement from the city at this park. Which is unfortunate because our community needs it! Maybe a burger/hot dog day in exchange for the community to come out and clean up the park while meeting the neighbors. Just a thought.”
Centennial Olympic
Centennial Olympic Park located in Downtown Atlanta fascinated me so much that we(my family & I)ended up spending more than an hour here appreciating the Fall Foliage and clicking tonnes of pictures.
The Fountain of Rings, The Bronze Arch statue and the Statue of The founder of Olympic Committee are the predominant Charms of the park.”
Emma Millican Park
View this post on Instagram#cleanup #cleaningupthepark #emmamillicanpark #trash #grabber #volunteering
Emma Millican Park, located in Capital View Manor neighoborhood just off Metropolitan Parkway in southwest Atlanta, is a relatively small park built for families, picnics and shade tree chillin’.
Here’s what one Google reviewer said: “Perfect place for a 1 year old grandson to take his grandpa to wear him out so grandpa will sleep well that night. All of it is clean and in great shape. We go several times each week.”
Grant Park
Grant Park, adjacent to its namesake neighborhood, is the oldest city park in Atlanta and is known for its sprawling green space. The park is a favorite of eastsiders, many of whom live in the Victorian homes that surround the park.
One Google reviewer said: “Much nicer than it was in the 90s. Yes, it has been that long since I have been there. The Farmer’s Market that runs 9 to 1 most Sundays is great. Less produce and more local artisans with cheese, meats, soaps, bread and on like that. We were there to walk our dogs, but the market was nice. We had wood fired pizza, scones, donuts, coffee, and iced tea. There is produce, but not many. Maybe in warmer months there is more.”
D.H. Stanton Park
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D.H. Stanton Park has some pretty trails as well as a baseball park. Located at 213 Haygood Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30315, Stanton Park is located around some of the oldest neighborhoods in southwest Atlanta.
One Google reviewer said this: “Wow! Such a nice playground for kids. Splash pad, rubber Hill area, seating, the works! Use Martin Street address when getting directions from MAPS. If you use Haygood address you will end up on a dead end on a tight Street you don’t want to be on! Didn’t give it 5 stars because there is limited shaded area that is subject to being taken over for a birthday party and no off-street parking.”
Historic Fourth Ward
Avery Park (The
Avery Park, where the Gilbert House is located, sits on a civil war site that has been turned into a tourist gathering spot in southwest Atlanta.
“The Gilbert house is a historical Civil War Revenant one of the few homes surviving the burning of Atlanta the house was saved by local who put the fire out years later in the mid-60s the house was restored and now acts as a spool the grounds are very attractive and large lots of shade trees and the home itself is very handsome,” one Google reviewer said. “Excellent artifact from the 1800s in the Civil War Gilbert house if you’d like to see a piece of History.”
Springvale Park
Springvale Park is located in the Inman Park neighborhood in Midtown Atlanta. Located at 889 Euclid Ave NE, Springvale Park is a best-kept secret in the city.
Here’s what one Google reviewer had to say: “Cute little Park tucked away in the Inman Park neighborhood. Has a stream that is really cute for taking pictures.”
Pittman Park
Pittman Park is a recreational mecca for the neighborhoods around Garibaldi Street in southwest Atlanta. PIttman Park has a basketball ball court, a recreation field, a tennis court, a pool and more.
One Google reviewer said: “It is a good park the have cheerleading, football, basketball, and track. You will really love it.”
Howell Park
Howell Park is one of the best parks in Atlanta’s West End area. Located at 983 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd SW, Howell Park is a great place to get some fresh air or read a book.
Here’s what one Google reviewer said: “This park needs a facelift…. Things are slowly being added to improve the serviceability of the park but the city should do more to push the junkies and the drunks that frequent the park somewhere else.”
Orange Park
James Orange Park at 1305 Oakland Ln SW has been a family gathering spot for Oakland City residents for years.
“Nice park,” one reviewer said. “Well maintained. Upgraded pool. Not very busy. Nice gazebo for parties and reunions. Surrounding areas is a little questionable.”
Hurt Park
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Hurt Park in downtown Atlanta is a favorite green space near the city’s financial district as well as Georgia State University. Since the main homeless shelter closed in 2017, Hurt Park has been a primary place for homeless people.
Here’s what a reviewer said: “This is a historic park in the area of Edgewood Ave. At this park you will see college students, professional people, people playing board games etc. However, homeless individuals gather here too. Our ministerial group passed out Pre-Thanksgiving dishes to the homeless.”
Boulevard Crossing
Atlanta Memorial Park
Atlanta Memorial Park is a great place to run, jog or walk. With multiple tennis courts, the park is well-designed for athletic play. It also has a golf course, playgrounds and trails.
Here’s how a Google reviewer described it: “Great park for trail walking. Dogs are allowed as long as they are on leash. Beautiful wooded trails with multiple loops/ routes for different distances. A lot of different wildlife can be seen, from deer to owls. Very popular for runners and walkers. Has a pond and streams. The pond can be fished. Great family spot.”
Woodruff Park
Woodruff Park in downtown Atlanta is a beautiful park a short distance from Underground Atlanta just off Peachtree Street. It’s nothing to see scores of people in the park due to GSU students milling about in the pavilion as well as homeless people congregating there to play or watch chess games.
One Google reviewer said: “I love coming to this place. There are two different areas to choose from depending on the size of your dog or what tots you’d like to have available for them to play with. People here are always friendly and nice and even bad weather can’t spoil the fun of bringing out your pet to play!”
Cabbagetown Park
Cabbagetown Park is a major green space in its namesake neighborhood. While it’s not a large park, it packs a punch with a children’s playground, sculptures and plenty of room to run around.
“Cool neighborhood park,” one reviewer said. “Perfect for a quiet afternoon of reading or chilling with kids/dogs. The sitting area under the big tree is very shaded for those hot days. Walk over to Sweet Cheats for coffee and something sweet.”
Maddox Park
Situated on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway, Maddox Park is a hot location due to its inclusion in the Beltline designs. Want easy access? Maddox Park is conveniently located across from the Bankhead MARTA Station.
Here’s what one reviewer said: “With the train station being literally at the park, the industrial ambiance is quite relaxing, if you ask me. The Marta train station is located across the street. Thankfully, a pavilion is close in distance to cool off at & is perfect for hosting parties. The basketball court is gated and filled with great street players. There is also a gated pool with a kiddie umbrella water area. The only thing I dislike is the lack of parking spaces in front of the parks community building.”
There are so many Atlanta events popping off every week it’s hard to keep up with it all. That’s why I suggest you subscribe to AtlantaFi.com to get all the freshest gatherings, Atlanta happenings, parties and more delivered to your inbox.
Things to do in Atlanta on a weekly basis can range from going golfing mid-week to checking out the latest restaurant openings. At AtlantaFi.com, we curate the city for you!
Explore Atlanta At Your Own Pace
First, to find all the good things happening in the city this week, all you have to do is take a look at downtown Atlanta.
Here are more articles from AtlantaFi.com:
- Check out these FREE events in Atlanta
- Feeling adventurous? Here are some outdoorsy things to do in ATL
Got an event or know of something opening in and around Atlanta? Holla: CJ@AtlantaFi.com. See what’s poppin’ in the ATL! Subscribe to our news alerts here, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
