Georgia’s capital is an amazing place to be with new attractions across the city, brand new streetcar, a vibrant and growing food scene and ton of urban green space. If there was ever a time to visit Atlanta, it’s now. There are several things you can do, places you can visit and you do not have to dip too deep into your wallet to have a great time in Atlanta. This is because there are places of free and cheap things to do, eat and see. The public transportation services in Atlanta make commuting within the city easy for any first-time visitor.
In this article we will list out some of the amazing things you can do in Atlanta for free and some of them are incredibly cheap, get a great sense of what this city has to offer with these free and cheap activities, events and much more.
Things To Do in Atlanta
- Visit Olympic Park
- See the Art Gallery
- See a movie at Startling Drive-in
- Visit Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site
- Go strolling on BeltLine
- Spend an afternoon at Woodruff Park
- Visit Governor’s Mansion
- Explore Atlanta Monetary Museum
- Enjoy a movie at the Lasers and Lights
- Enjoy Recreational activities at Piedmont Park
- Explore Krog Street Market
- See exhibits at the Fernbank Science Centre
Visit Olympic Park
This is a significant part of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta; it is a free and fun place to hang out with friends and family for some reasons. This 21-acre park hosts a free lunchtime music series, Music at Noon, during this lunchtime music series, there are several local musicians performing. There is also a Wednesday evening concert series and Wednesday WindDown, ticket for this events are sold for just $5. You can also check out the beautiful Fountain of Rings.
See The Art Gallery
If you are in Atlanta on the first Thursday or second Friday of the month, you can participate in a free art walk through a First Thursdays ArtWalk or the Castleberry Hill Art Stroll. The First Thursday ArtWalk takes you through various galleries in downtown Atlanta, in several of this outings food and beverages are provided for participants. The Castleberry Hill Art Stroll on the other hand focuses only on Castleberry Hill, Atlanta’s historic arts district. These are ways to get in touch with the beautiful city of Atlanta.
If you are an artist, you can get your art and culture fix for free at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Gallery. In this gallery, there are different exhibitions each year ranging from local, national and international artists. Since 2015, admission to the gallery has been free and there is a bonus if you are in the city on a Thursday, the Atlanta Contemporary Art Gallery offers a program called Contemporary Cocktails during which you are free to attend a special event or presentation or check out an exhibition. Although admission is free but there is a cash bar which features a different local bartender serving up drinks every week.
See a movie at Startling Drive-In
If you love movies, you would not want to miss catching a movie at Atlanta Starling Drive-In Theatre. Since 1949, this theatre has been showing the latest movies. You can get a ticket for just $9 but it get you admission to two movies playing. For children within the age of 5 to 9 ticket is sold for just $1.
Visit Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site
At the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site, you can learn more about the civil rights leader and his legacy. Access to the site is free and you will find an informative visitor’s center. At Dr. King’s birth home free tours are offered to visitors, you’d be taken to the church where he was a pastor, and the “I Have A Dream” World Peace Rose Garden and several other significant sites.
Go strolling on BeltLine
You can walk, bike or run along the BeltLine, this is Atlanta’s newest outdoor space, it comprises of over 21 miles of unused railroad tracks which circles the core of the city of Atlanta. This is a place where you’d find various parks and green spaces, a skate park and several trails that takes you through Atlanta neighborhoods. To explore BeltLine is free and the calendar of events is loaded with free activities ranging from walking tours, to fitness and yoga classes.
Spend an afternoon at Woodruff Park
In this park, there are several activities you can engage in that won’t cost you a dime, it’s totally free. At the Woodruff Park, you play table tennis, chess and bocce; you can even get a magazine in the open-air reading room. There is a courtyard plaza and two cascading fountains where you can relax. On Wednesdays the park offers free yoga.
Visit Governor’s Mansion
You can take a tour of the Governor’s Mansion, the official home of Georgia’s 82nd Governor. This tour is offered for free on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, the time allowed for this is between 10 a.m and 11:30 a.m. You will learn more about the history of the city of Atlanta on your tour of the Governor’s Mansion and also get to see the three floors, 30 room mansion.
Explore Atlanta Monetary Museum
At the Atlanta Monetary Museum, you will get to learn about the history of cold, hard cash for free. There are displays showing the Federal Reserve’s role in the economy and the history of banking in America, rare currency and coins, etc.
Enjoy a movie at Lasers and Lights
At the Stone Mountain Park, the Lasershow Spectacular involve a whole lot of fireworks, lasers and lights and it’s a must do in the city. This show is free but parking is $15, it runs on Saturdays throughout the fall.
Enjoy recreational activities at Piedmont Park
This is an amazing park to visit in Atlanta. Piedmont Park offers outdoor fun. Its one of the free things you can do to cut down Atlanta living expensesAtlanta living expenses. At the park, you will find everything from picnic sites and playground to basketball, bocce courts, a farmers’ market, dog park, and free fitness classes. This is a place to be and you are guaranteed of having the time of your life
Explore Krog Street Market
This is an amazing place to hang out; it is housed in a repurposed industrial space. You can explore vendors, watch and grab a meal at some of Atlanta’s hottest restaurants
See exhibits at the Fernbank Science Centre
At the Fernbank Science Centre, admission and parking are free. Here you will find exhibits dedicated to wildlife and space travel. Fernbank is a home to a planetarium, for stargazing you will pay $7 but for kids its $5.
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