Atlanta’s expanding arts and culture scene tempts groups with a number of off-site options. The city is home to world-renowned museums and galleries, traveling Broadway theater, symphony, and improv comedy, among other creatively inspired attractions.
“In the last decade we have seen a spurt of cultural product emerging,” says Jo Ann Haden-Miller, director of cultural and heritage marketing for the Atlanta CVB. “We’ve had iconic institutions in Atlanta for many years—the Fox Theatre, the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum, and Margaret Mitchell House and Museum, [the birthplace of Gone with the Wind].
“You can have a party and have a dinosaur close by or be immersed in wonderful sculpture,” she adds.
Atlanta’s myriad neighborhoods are becoming destinations in themselves, many with vibrant arts scenes, according to Haden-Miller. Castleberry Hill, which features a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places, is home to the largest and best concentrated remnant of railroad buildings in Atlanta. The old warehouse district now houses numerous galleries, boutiques and restaurants.
“There are at least 100-plus galleries in the city of Atlanta that are good for parties,” Haden-Miller says. “We as a bureau have our special events at art galleries, and it always makes a special experience to have an event in the midst of great art.”
Virginia Highland is another artsy neighborhood filled with boutiques and eclectic galleries, while Buckhead is home to comedy clubs, including the Punchline, as well as small live music venues.
Midtown, a hub of the arts, is home to the Fox Theatre, which hosts receptions and events in its Egyptian Ballroom. Also in Midtown, the Woodruff Arts Center consists of the High Museum of Art, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Alliance Theater, and 14th Street Playhouse. The Renzo Piano-designed High Museum can host group receptions for up to 1,500 people.
Downtown Atlanta is home to the Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University, which is open to corporate events for up to 650 people and hosts classical performances, while in the area of Emory University, the Michael C. Carlos Museum offers exhibits and readings and can host receptions for 300 people.
Other group options include the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, with 2,500 square feet of event space, and the Center for Puppetry Arts, with 2,100 square feet of space. The center, the largest museum dedicated to puppetry in North America, is planning an expansion that will double the museum’s current size and enable it to bring many of its 4,500 collectibles out of storage.
