Atlanta is hardly Georgia’s oldest city; it was founded in 1837, more than a century after Savannah. Still, the city is rich with history. The Battle of Atlanta inflicted heavy damage during the Civil War. In the 1960s, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. strategized peaceful change from Atlanta’s churches and colleges. Renowned writers and soft drink tycoons left their marks on the city as well.
“Atlanta has a proud history of being one of the world’s most welcoming destinations,” says Kristin Delahunt, director of convention services at the Atlanta CVB. “Atlanta was the birthplace of the American Civil Rights Movement and the city that welcomed the world for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. Our residents and our entire hospitality community continue this legacy by providing visitors with true Southern hospitality.”
Historic Hotels
Atlanta’s historic boutique hotels lend style and gravitas to smaller meetings.
Named for its location midway between downtown Atlanta and Buckhead, Midtown became a prominent shopping destination and upscale residential area at the turn of the 20th century. Although many fine old buildings were lost to demolition in the 1980s, several vintage boutique hotels remain to grace Peachtree Street in Midtown’s Cultural Arts District.
The storied Georgian Terrace opened in 19ll. A few of its famous guests have included Elvis Presley, Rudolph Valentino, presidents Coolidge and Harding, and Walt Disney. The glamorous property hosted many of the stars of Gone with the Wind during the beloved film’s premiere, and Arthur Murray taught dance lessons in its ballroom. There are 326 guest rooms, 5,514 square feet of meeting space and a private dining room seating 20.
Designed by the renowned William Lee Stoddart, Ellis Hotel opened in 1913. The Beaux-Arts property has sectioned out several floors to accommodate its wide variety of guests. There is a women-only floor, a pet-friendly floor and a fresh-air floor for those with allergies. The award-winning property has 127 guest rooms and 1,500 square feet of meeting space.
The Spanish Mediterranean-influenced Artmore Hotel was built in 1924. The Artmore offers indoor reception space for 350 and outdoor gatherings around the fire pit in the courtyard for 200.
In the Luckie Marietta section of downtown, Glenn Hotel represents Marriott’s Autograph Collection. Originally constructed as an office building in 1923, the property was converted into a hotel in 2006. There are 93 guest rooms and 2,000 square feet of meeting space. After hours, groups can relax at the lux SkyLounge rooftop bar.
Venerable Off-site Venues
Proof that Atlantans cherish their rich history, the Atlanta History Center boasts a 33-acre campus in Buckhead comprising two museums, six history-theme gardens, a research center, a house and a farm. Construction is ongoing to add a 23,000-square-foot annex that will house the Atlanta Cyclorama, a panoramic painting portraying the Battle of Atlanta. The Atlanta History Museum can accommodate 500 for receptions. The Grand Overlook seats 500 for banquets beneath a vaulted ceiling, overlooking the Quarry Garden. McElreath Hall offers a 400-seat auditorium, and the rustic Smith Family Farm can host gatherings of 350. Guided tours of the campus are available for groups of six or more.
The center also owns the Margaret Mitchell House in Midtown. The author wrote Gone with the Wind in the Tudor Revival property, which is listed on the National Register for Historic Sites. The house can welcome 50 indoors or 300 for outdoor events.
Downtown, Centennial Olympic Park is perfect for outdoor gatherings as large as 25,000. The 21-acre green space frequently hosts live music and festivals throughout the warmer months.
Callanwolde, the stately Gothic-Tudor home of one of the original heirs to the Coca-Cola fortune, has provided an elegant backdrop for several movies and momentous events. The house was completed in 1924 and stands amidst 12.5 landscaped acres in Druid Hills. The stunning mansion itself can seat 160, while the courtyard can host 300.
Grant Park, the oldest park in Atlanta, lends its name to a historic district abounding with Victorian homes. The district features the city’s oldest attraction—Zoo Atlanta—and its oldest cemetery. Both provide gracious and unique settings for off-site events.
Founded in 1889, Zoo Atlanta is one of only four U.S. zoos that display giant pandas. The zoo can host group events as large as 5,000 in a wide variety of venues adjacent to animal enclosures, including the Chinese Plaza and Panda Veranda.
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It may sound macabre to some, but Oakland Cemetery is a popular site for group picnics and weddings. Oakland is the final resting place of luminaries that include Margaret Mitchell, golf great Bobby Jones and several tycoons and Atlanta mayors. Its 48 acres are studded with mature gardens, breathtaking statuary and mausoleums with Tiffany stained glass windows. The cemetery can welcome groups as large as 2,000 for events. Guided tours are available.
Pilgrimages to the Past
Recent developments in Atlanta continue to make it even easier to relive the city’s history.
“The new Center for Civil and Human Rights opened in 2014 and allows visitors to explore the evolution of the American Civil Rights movement and how it relates to current human rights struggles around the globe,” Delahunt says. “The new Atlanta streetcar also connects the major attractions around Centennial Olympic Park to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site just east of downtown, so after a visit to the Center for Civil and Human Rights, guests can learn more about the life of Dr. King and his legacy in Atlanta.”
During the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, Atlanta mostly lived up to its image as “the city too busy to hate.” Atlanta experienced less race-related rioting than many cities, and its historically black Sweet Auburn neighborhood served as an organizing center for Dr. King and other movement leaders. The city offers many sites with guided group tours devoted to preserving and interpreting the events and figures of this defining moment in the country’s past.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, or as it is known locally, the King Center, enshrines Dr. King’s vision for community, justice and equality. Guided tours lead groups through the Freedom Hall, view Dr. and Mrs. King’s crypts, and glimpse the Eternal Flame symbolizing the ongoing effort to make Dr. King’s vision a reality.
Administered by the National Park Service, Martin Luther King, Jr. Historic Site offers ranger-led tours. Groups can visit Dr. King’s birth home and Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, where the beloved community leader was baptized, worked as a co-pastor alongside his father and was memorialized during his funeral.
APEX Museum, an acronym for African American Panoramic Experience, is devoted to African-American history from Africa to the present day. Group rates on guided tours are available for 10 or more people.
The Atlanta Preservation Center offers guided walking tours of the city’s historic neighborhoods, including Sweet Auburn. Private tours are available for groups of 20 or more.
Delahunt encourages planners to think out of the box about incorporating history into Atlanta outings.
“Planners have also created teambuilding activities and scavenger hunts that follow themes of Atlanta’s key historical figures and our legacy with the Olympic Games,” she says.
Vintage Vittles
Since 1928, diners have been greeted by “What’ll ya have?” at The Varsity. Billed as the world’s largest drive-through, the small, local chain’s downtown Atlanta location covers more than two acres. There is space for 600 cars for old-fashioned car hop service or indoor dining for 800. The classic menu comprises a selection of hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, onion rings, milkshakes and, of course, sweet tea.
Paschal’s opened at its original location in 1947 to serve soulful Southern cuisine. Famous for its fried chicken, short ribs, fried green tomatoes and peach cobbler, Paschal’s opened at its current Castleberry Hill Arts District digs in 2002. Worthies including Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, Dr. King and former Vice President Al Gore have enjoyed meals at Paschal’s, which can host groups as large as 700 for private dining.
The famously hospitable Mary Mac’s Tea Room has been serving up home-cooked Southern food since 1945. Its Midtown restaurant offers private dining rooms capable of seating 200. Don’t miss the salmon cakes and fried okra.
