Unusual Things To Do In Atlanta Georgia

An Overview of Atlanta

Atlanta is Georgia’s largest city and one of the major transportation hubs of the United States. The large metropolitan area is known for it’s contributions to hip-hop, it’s historical legacy as a prominent Civil Rights community and numerous off-beat shops. Much of the metropolitan is filled with green parks, art venues and quirky shops. There are many unusual things to do in Atlanta Georgia.

Unusual Things To Do In Atlanta Georgia

Dolls Head Trail

Located in Constitution Lake Park, this demented trail has abandoned brick factories, various bird houses, and a strange hiking trail decorated with discarded, demented doll parts. It’s one of the creepiest and most unusual things to do in Atlanta.

Alpaca Treehouse

This is a strange and nostalgic treehouse hideaway suspended in a bamboo forest overtop an alpaca and llama rescue. The secluded treehouse is crafted with reclaimed antiques and serves as a popular overnight lodge.

Atlanta Botanical Garden

The Atlanta Botanical Garden is a grassroots community garden created in the 1970s which led to the creation of an ever-evolving series of themed gardens. The garden’s mission is to “develop and maintain plant collections for the purposes of display, education, conservation, research and enjoyment.”  The themed-gardens are spectacular, showcasing hedges and flowers making the shapes of winged dragons, furry dogs, movie scenes, wooly mammoths and much more.

Folk Art Park

This is a bizarre psychedelic totem park with the city skyline in the background, created by the visionary artist St. EOM. The park is full with oddly painted scultures and unique outdoor space designs.

National Center for Civil and Human Rights

This is an expansive and well-designed museum dedicated to the historical achievements and ongoing efforts of the civil rights movement in the United States with additional exhibitions discussing the development of civil rights around the world.

Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama

This is an excellent 360 degree painting and immersive experience displaying the 1864 Battle of Atlanta with fascinating details.  It is considered the largest oil painting in the world and clocks in at more than 10,000 pounds due to the amount of paint used on the rounded canvas.  

Trader Vics

Though the original structure has long since been destroyed, this homage is continuing its work.  The original tiki store lending itself to United States culture sold “Exotic delicacies” which were Americanized Chinese dishes alongside bamboo, fake tribal masks, rum and tiki bars.  It’s a tacky shop but interesting.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s Atlanta Falcon

Named for the home team, this enormous winged statue is the largest freestanding bird-sculpture in the world. The impressive art piece is made of thousands of overlapping stainless-steel pieces and a bronze-football perch.

Atlanta Glass Treehouse Loft

(Note, this is a private residence. The Atlanta Glass Treehouse Loft is a strange sleek piece of modern architecture, basically invisible from the street.  The materials used, most notably glass, causes strange visual effects for the viewer.

Krog Street Tunnel

Krog Street Tunnel is an urban tunnel set aside for graffiti artists to ply their craft.  The short underpass was built in 1912 and became an art-icon destination in the 1960’s.

Westview Cemetery

This is a beautiful, hidden necropolis and the largest cemetery in the Southeastern United States.  The sprawling cemetery is home to incredible views overlooking the West View Abbey Mausoleum.  

Piedmont Park

This is a large, urban park in Atlanta containing over 200 acres of greenspace. The park, which is home to lush grounds, views of the city’s skyline, blue lakes and artfully forested walking trails, hosts numerous events throughout the year.

Centennial Olympic Park

This is a sizeable park which was built to host the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The large park is a popular outdoor venue with plaza fountains and skyline views. The park is surrounded by some of Atlanta’s more popular attractions, including the World of Coca-Cola, Pemberton Place, the Georgia Aquarium and the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame

Junkman’s Daughter

The Junkman’s Daughter is an offbeat storefront full of premium odd goods, including salvage, obscure, junk-oriented artwork, strange attire and costumes.

Tiny Secret Doors

These tiny features of Georgia are scattered throughout Atlanta, hidden as miniature calf-high doors which dot the downtown area artfully. The doors were designed as an urban art installation used to demonstrate the spirit and other unique elements of the downtown community.

The StarLight Drive-In

This is Atlanta’s only drive-in movie theater, showcasing films on multiple screens.

My Parent’s Basement

My Parent’s Basement is a unique eatery with excellent pinball machines, games and numerous comics.  The attatched taproom serves local craft beers and creative food.

Hindu Temple of Atlanta

The Hindu Temple of Atlanta is a gorgeous, traditional Hindu Temple built from white stone. The temple is an active place of worship and serves as a site for Hindu heritage. It’s considered one of the most beautiful structures in the city.

The Van Gogh Immersive Experience

This is a unique museum with immersive exhibits portraying some of Gogh’s most famous and interesting works.  There are great VR experiences included for visitors.

Ponce City Market

This popular urban market is consider one of the best areas to get enjoy of interesting street food in Atlanta.

The Rock Garden Calhoun

This is a strange structure made from thousands of pebbles pressed together to make models of buildings, castles, forts and other iconic structures. The majority of the Rock Garden was created by volunteers.  The unique walkthrough area has many small gardens and walking paths nearby.

Read more about unusual things to do in Atlanta and seeing the world by visiting Leftfade Trails Blog.

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