Visiting Atlanta and wondering what creative things to do in and around the city? We’ve got some of our favorite suggestions — from museums to parks, and shopping tips.
If the weather is nice, take a trip to Doll’s Head Trail, just a few miles from downtown Atlanta. This is the site of an abandoned 19th century brick factory and is a wildlife refuge that has thriving wetlands — a haven for birds. What makes this a unique and fun place for creatives to visit? It has been created for and dedicated to found art — thus its name “Doll’s Head Trail”.
Graffiti art more your style? Then make sure to visit Atlanta’s Krog Street Tunnel. This underpass is 100% painted — not one inch of unpainted space. It connects the neighborhoods of Cabbagetown and Inman Park and displays an ever changing mix of images, words and ideas.
History shapes so much of our everyday lives in ways that we sometimes don’t realize, and it can inspire art. A visit to the Jimmy Carter Library & Museum is a delightful step back in time to understand the politics and social environment during his tenure as president. Visiting here will get your wheels churning on both domestic and world cultures and politics.
The Michael J. Carlos Museum is on the grounds of Emory University. Specializing in artwork from ancient Egypt, Nubia, and the Near East; Greece and Rome; the Americas; Africa; and Asia, you’ll find special exhibitions as well as a world-class permanent collection.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.
Puppets have entertained audiences since sticks and leaves could act out a story. Visit the Center for Puppetry Arts to see collections of puppets large and small, old and modern. Check their website to see a schedule of upcoming puppetry shows, then plan your visit around one that you’d like to see!
Make sure to stop by the The High Contemporary Art Museum and enjoy more than 15,000 works of art in its permanent collection. They also boast an extensive anthology of 19th and 20th century American and decorative art, as well as a significant number of European paintings, a growing collection of African American art and collections of both modern and contemporary art that include photography, folk and self-taught art.
Scad Fash, the Museum of Fashion and Film, is a must stop if you enjoy fashion or sewing garments as well as the movies. SCAD FASH celebrates fashion as a universal language with garments as important conduits of identity and film as an immersive and memorable medium. Visit the museum to browse through the special exhibits, then view pieces from their own collection.
Cotton mills and small milltowns were important centers of commerce in the 1800’s. Visit The Patch Works Art and History Center to learn more about Atlanta’s Cabbagetown. It was a 19th century milltown community, impacted by the urban development of Atlanta.
Make sure to leave some time for some shop hops! Here are some of the fabric stores you’ll want to visit as you build your stash to remember Atlanta!
Are you more of a knitter or yarn person? Here are some great yarn shops to visit!
And, I don’t know about you, but I love to add a few beads to just about everything. And they don’t take much room in my bags! Here are some great bead stores to visit in Atlanta.
What’s your favorite creative place in Atlanta? Send us an email and we’d love to add it to our list!