So Many Reasons To Visit Atlanta In The Spring

By Carol Carter

Published February 10, 2021
Last Updated February 7, 2023

Winter comes late and leaves early in Atlanta, making it the perfect city for a spring getaway. What with dogwoods and azaleas in full bloom everywhere you turn, it’s impossible to avoid spring fever in this City in the Forest. As in every city and town in America, a few things have changed due to the pandemic, but there are plenty of welcoming outdoor spaces perfect for safely enjoying spring in Atlanta.

Play in a Park. We Have Plenty. 

Piedmont Park in Midtown is where you’ll always find locals – playing ball, walking their dogs, watching the kids in the Noguchi playground, roller skating, picnicking or sitting outside and enjoying a drink or a meal at Park Tavern.

Chastain Park in Buckhead. The best question to ask about this popular park is what it DOESN’T offer. That’s because, in addition to playgrounds, ball fields, a golf course and a pool, there also is a horse park. No joke.    

Grant Park, just east of the city. Pick up a to-go lunch and do what the locals do – sit back and enjoy the warm weather where average daytime temp in March is 66 degrees; in April, 73 degrees. One wild attraction found only at Grant Park is the beastly Zoo Atlanta. It’s grrrreat!

Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta is so named because it was the gathering spot for, well, absolutely everyone during the city’s 1996 Olympic Games. Today, it is a beautiful oasis smack in the middle of Downtown where you can take a walk, relax by a water feature or take selfies in front of the Olympic Rings sculpture. And that’s not to mention that several of Atlanta’s most popular attractions ring the park, namely Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and the Children’s Museum of Atlanta. The park is closed for the time being.

Find out more about Atlanta parks.

Pop into a Shop. But Don’t Drop.

Shoppers gotta shop, and it doesn’t get much better than Atlanta’s outdoor shopping destinations, which are extra nice now that the pandemic keeps us outside as much as possible. Atlantic Station in Midtown is where to find IKEA, Banana Republic, DSW Shoe Warehouse and Target, to name a few.

Nearby, also in Midtown, Ponce City Market beckons with Williams-Sonoma for all things kitchen-related, Elk Head Clothing men’s store, Madewell with jewelry and clothing for women and the brand new Village Market that features goods made by Black entrepreneurs.

If you find yourself on Atlanta’s Westside, be sure to visit Westside Provisions District. Shop designer duds at Billy Reid, fun and funky clothes for women at Free People, vintage goods as well as rotating pop-ups at Brick + Mortar.

Buckhead is, of course, Atlanta’s most well-known shopping destination, and, no surprise, the neighborhood includes an outdoor center, Shops Around Lenox. Find Reese Witherspoon’s Draper James here as well as West Elm and Crate & Barrel.

Read all about shopping opportunities in Atlanta.

Wake Up Your Muscles. On Two Feet or Two Wheels. 

The Atlanta BeltLine tugs at all Atlantans, especially in the spring, with its miles and miles of paths that take us through in-town neighborhoods and treat us to outdoor artwork and fabulous restaurants. Lace up your sneakers and hoof it or test your pedal power on a bike ride.

See Atlanta on two wheels. Springtime weather is just right for bicycle tour, one way to really get to know Atlanta. Sign up with Bicycle Tours Atlanta, and choose from the Fall In Love With Atlanta Tour or Atlanta’s Journey for Civil Rights Tour. And get peddling.

Get to know the Atlanta BeltLine.

Take Yourself Out to the Old Ballpark

Everybody knows that April brings baseball season, and our Atlanta Braves take to the field for home games at Truist Park. It’s a long way to October ball, and all true baseball fans like to check out the team early on. Go early and enjoy a brew or barbecue or at The Battery Atlanta, an entertainment complex directly outside the stadium gates.

Baseball fans, stop in here.

Have More Fun than you Knew Was Possible with MLS Soccer

The season opens in early April, and, well, there’s not much to compare to the crazy excitement inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium when Atlanta United FC takes the field.

Get to know the Five Stripes (aka Atlanta United).

Find Out How Our Gardens Grow

Our gardens grow beautifully, and there oughta be a fine for not visiting one or all of them.

Atlanta Botanical Garden, right next to Piedmont Park in Midtown, encompasses 30 acres of breathtaking sights. And it doesn’t get much better than Atlanta Blooms throughout March and April. We are talking about hundreds of thousands of daffodils, hyacinths, tulips and crocuses. Oh my.

Goizueta Gardens at Atlanta History Center make you feel as if you’ve discovered a secret because this enchanting spot is slightly below ground level in what used to be a quarry. Follow the path for surprises at every twist and turn.

Gardens at Jimmy Carter Presidential Library. Our presidential library is closed due to COVID-19, but the Carters invite everyone to visit the beautiful grounds surrounding the center. The library is surrounded by 35 acres of ponds, animals and rolling grounds.

World Peace Rose Garden at Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park is a worldwide effort to help youth recognize the importance and value of peace. Planted in 1992, the garden is an artistic interpretation of Dr. King’s life and ideals of peace through nonviolence. The garden’s starburst design brings attention to the brilliance of Dr. King’s ideals using the official flower of the United States, the rose. You will see 185 roses in a variety of colors and fragrances.

To make the most of your visit to Atlanta, check this list of 50 fun things to do.

Journalist Carol Carter writes and edits for Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau.