Exploring Atlantas Most Popular Sites

Exploring Atlanta’s Most Popular Sites
By Tina Fountain

As if there weren’t enough reasons to lay down roots in
Atlanta: Consider all of the world-class sites which entertain,
amaze and educate million of visitors and residents alike each
year:

Piedmont Park

Piedmont Park is the epitome of the ultimate, urban park. One
hundred eighty-five acres of green space, dotted with
playgrounds and baseball fields, along with a picturesque lake,
has provided residents and visitors alike with a respite from
the city since 1909. Originally the scene of the Gentleman’s
Driving Club in the late 19th century, Piedmont Park has a long
history in Atlanta.

Frederick L. Olmsted was an influential landscape designer who
was first involved in the area in 1895, when it was used as the
site of the Cotton States and International Exposition fair. It
was then sold to the city of Atlanta in 1904. At that point, the
city removed the exposition buildings and, under the watchful
eye of the Olmsted Brothers architectural firm, began to evolve
the park into what is seen by millions of visitors each year.

The Olmsted Brothers incorporated the then-existing stone
stairways and handsome, stone urns to create transitions between
the different areas of the park. Much of the landscapes and
vistas of that time remain today, offering residents and
visitors a truly beautiful area in which to relax, picnic or
participate in outdoor activities.

Martin Luther King Jr. Historical Site

A trip to Atlanta is never complete without first visiting the
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site. This area, which
includes a visitor center and is administered by the National
Park Service, includes King’s birth home, his church and his
grave. Set along several blocks in downtown Atlanta, the
Historical Site pays tribute to one of the nation’s most
prominent leaders of the twentieth century.

Part of the site includes the Ebenezer Baptist Church where
King once served as pastor, his childhood home on Auburn Avenue
and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social
Change, Inc., which today continues King’s legacy and work.

A memorial park was erected in 1976 to honor King, which
includes his marble crypt, an arch-covered walkway, a chapel and
a reflecting pool.

Centennial Olympic Park

In 1996, Atlanta served as host for the Centennial Olympic
Games. It was at that time that the city took a run-down park
and transformed it into a beautiful gathering spot where
recreation is enjoyed and where community events are held each
year.

The estimated $75 million project was accomplished through
private sector donations alone. The State of Georgia oversaw the
park’s development and assumed ownership after the Olympic
Games.

This grand park of 21 acres serves not only as Georgia’s
lasting legacy to the Centennial Olympic Games, but as a
showpiece for the revitalization movement in Atlanta.

The Park sponsors community-wide free events, including the
Fourth of July Celebration, Wednesday Wind Down concert series
and Fourth Saturday Family Fun Days. The park also hosts
festivals, fundraisers and private events. An estimated three
million people visit this area each year.

Georgia Aquarium

Billed as the “world’s largest aquarium,” the Georgia Aquarium
contains a staggering 8.1 million gallons of marine and fresh
water and more than 100,000 animals.

The aquarium was originally built on a 20-acre patch of land in
downtown Atlanta in 2005, north of Centennial Olympic Park. The
largest donation to the aquarium came from Home Depot founder
Bernie Marcus, in the form of $250 million.

The Georgia Aquarium is one of only two aquariums in the US to
house a Great Hammerhead Shark and was only one of a handful of
aquariums to house five, 11-foot beluga whales.

The aquarium’s five different galleries include the Georgia
Explorer, Tropical Diver, Ocean Voyager, Cold- Water Quest, and
River Scout, with each corresponding to a specific environment.

The Georgia Aquarium, in addition to serving as a one-of-a-kind
aquarium, is also devoted to conservation and environmental
missions.

About the Author: Tina Fountain is the Broker Owner of Tina
Fountain Realtors, an Atlanta Real Estate company. Tina and her
staff of professional agents serve the entire metro Atlanta area
including the Buckhead Real Estate market.
http://www.tinafountain.com/

Source: http://www.isnare.com

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