Exploring Atlanta's Famous Sites

As if there weren't enough reasons to lay down rootscontinues King's legacy and work.
in Atlanta: Consider all of the world-class sites whichA memorial park was erected in 1976 to honor King,
entertain, amaze and educate million of visitors andwhich includes his marble crypt, an arch-covered
residents alike each year:walkway, a chapel and a reflecting pool.
Piedmont ParkCentennial Olympic Park
Piedmont Park is the epitome of the ultimate, urbanIn 1996, Atlanta served as host for the Centennial
park. One hundred eighty-five acres of green space,Olympic Games. It was at that time that the city took
dotted with playgrounds and baseball fields, along witha run-down park and transformed it into a beautiful
a picturesque lake, has provided residents and visitorsgathering spot where recreation is enjoyed and where
alike with a respite from the city since 1909. Originallycommunity events are held each year.
the scene of the Gentleman's Driving Club in the lateThe estimated $75 million project was accomplished
19th century, Piedmont Park has a long history inthrough private sector donations alone. The State of
Atlanta.Georgia oversaw the park's development and
Frederick L. Olmsted was an influential landscapeassumed ownership after the Olympic Games.
designer who was first involved in the area in 1895,This grand park of 21 acres serves not only as
when it was used as the site of the Cotton StatesGeorgia's lasting legacy to the Centennial Olympic
and International Exposition fair. It was then sold to theGames, but as a showpiece for the revitalization
city of Atlanta in 1904. At that point, the city removedmovement in Atlanta.
the exposition buildings and, under the watchful eye ofThe Park sponsors community-wide free events,
the Olmsted Brothers architectural firm, began toincluding the Fourth of July Celebration, Wednesday
evolve the park into what is seen by millions of visitorsWind Down concert series and Fourth Saturday
each year.Family Fun Days. The park also hosts festivals,
The Olmsted Brothers incorporated the then-existingfundraisers and private events. An estimated three
stone stairways and handsome, stone urns to createmillion people visit this area each year.
transitions between the different areas of the park.Georgia Aquarium
Much of the landscapes and vistas of that time remainBilled as the "world's largest aquarium," the Georgia
today, offering residents and visitors a truly beautifulAquarium contains a staggering 8.1 million gallons of
area in which to relax, picnic or participate in outdoormarine and fresh water and more than 100,000
activities.animals.
Martin Luther King Jr. Historical SiteThe aquarium was originally built on a 20-acre patch of
A trip to Atlanta is never complete without first visitingland in downtown Atlanta in 2005, north of Centennial
the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site. ThisOlympic Park. The largest donation to the aquarium
area, which includes a visitor center and is administeredcame from Home Depot founder Bernie Marcus, in the
by the National Park Service, includes King's birth home,form of $250 million.
his church and his grave. Set along several blocks inThe Georgia Aquarium is one of only two aquariums in
downtown Atlanta, the Historical Site pays tribute tothe US to house a Great Hammerhead Shark and
one of the nation's most prominent leaders of thewas only one of a handful of aquariums to house five,
twentieth century.11-foot beluga whales.
Part of the site includes the Ebenezer Baptist ChurchThe aquarium's five different galleries include the
where King once served as pastor, his childhood homeGeorgia Explorer, Tropical Diver, Ocean Voyager,
on Auburn Avenue and the Martin Luther King, Jr.Cold- Water Quest, and River Scout, with each
Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Inc., which todaycorresponding to a specific environment.