The World of Coca-Cola is unique to Atlanta, which is both hometown and headquarters of the Coca-Cola Co. At the museum, groups can explore 130 years of Coca-Cola memorabilia, visit the vault where the soda’s secret formula is stored, get a behind-the-scenes view of the bottling and taste over 100 beverages from around the world.
When the College Football Hall of Fame moved from South Bend, Indiana, to Atlanta in 2014, it became an entirely new, customizable experience complete with interactive exhibits that greet guests by name, feature their favorite teams and store their scores to download later. Visitors will find a wall of 768 helmets that represent all college football teams and can try their skills on a 45-yard indoor playing field, give broadcasting a shot at the ESPN Game Day Desk, watch the “Game of Your Life” movie in the Game Day Theater and explore the Hall of Fame with its 900-plus players and coaches.
Sightseeing in the Suburbs
Outside city limits, the suburbs ringing Atlanta offer many attractions and seemingly endless activities.
About 30 miles northeast of Atlanta, Gwinnett County boasts some of the most diverse demographics in the Southeast. The county is home to a large Asian population with many Korean residents, and “there are a ton of Korean restaurants in the area,” said Victoria Hawkins, marketing communications director for Explore Gwinnett. In 2017, Explore Gwinnett started offering Korean food tours to the public, which the agency will also arrange for groups. A staff member who is fluent in Korean and “a big-time foodie” leads the tours, either on a trolley or as a step-on guide, and talks about Korean food traditions. For example, Korean fried chicken isn’t an entree, but rather a snack food that people might munch on before dinner.
The tour typically lasts four hours and includes four stops: a traditional Korean restaurant with all the side dishes, a Korean barbecue where guests grill their meat at their tables, a Korean snack food place and a Korean bakery with pastries.
Gwinnett County is also home to BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, the largest Hindu temple in the United States and one of the most-visited attractions in the region.
“It is a magnificent structure,” Hawkins said.
Nearly every surface of the elaborate temple is covered in hand-carved marble friezes and figures. Visitors can opt for a free self-guided tour, pay for an audio tour or arrange for a guided group tour to learn about the temple’s design and workmanship; participate in Hindu rituals; or learn about Hinduism. The temple is an active place of worship, and guests must follow a strict dress code. Tops must cover the shoulders, chest, navel and upper arms, and legwear must be below the knee. It’s also customary to remove shoes, so socks are encouraged.
At Stone Mountain Park in DeKalb County, a massive bas-relief sculpture on the mountain face shows three Civil War Confederate heroes: President Jefferson Davis, Gen. Robert E. Lee and Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. One of the best ways to view the carving, which was started in 1923 but wasn’t completed until 1972, is by way of the Summit Skyride. Each 80-person cable car gives passengers a close-up view as it glides above the sculpture to the summit, which offers views of the Atlanta skyline and the North Georgia Mountains. The park’s signature event, the Lasershow Spectacular, runs from spring to fall. The 45-minute laser light show is projected onto the mountain carving, and the finale includes fireworks. Visitors can also hike, fish at Stone Mountain Lake, ride the train or ride the Ducks.
