The Ultimate Weekend in Atlanta For a Sports Fan
Atlanta is an incredible city for sports fans, whether you're watching, playing, or both
In Atlanta, visiting sports fans will get what you expect from the American South—classic Southern cooking and deep-rooted sports culture—and you'll get something extra: the perfect hub for outdoor activities like golf, tennis, cycling, and adventures in gorgeous Georgia nature. It's also become a film industry hotspot, has long been known as the unofficial headquarters of Southern hip-hop, and regularly hosts a variety of events including podcast, film, art, TV, and food festivals. All of which is to say, there are loads of reasons to visit Atlanta.
Atlanta’s historical roots feel present—the city was home to several Civil Rights leaders including Dr. Martin Luther King and John Lewis, and was once dubbed "the city too busy to hate" as part of an effort to fight racism and promote business in the 1950s and 60s. Today, it boasts the country’s busiest airport, a buzzing film and television industry, and is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. It’s also increasingly known as a transplant city, where native Georgians and folks from all over the country combine to create an exciting mix of culture, food—and of course, sports.
Atlanta has five major professional sports teams in the Atlanta Braves, Falcons, Hawks, Dream and United. In the heart of the south, Saturdays in the fall mean everything here, as college football is king. Locals have reason to be proud; the city has played host to every massive sporting event including the Super Bowl, the Olympics, March Madness tournaments, and college football national championships. It'll host the 2026 FIFA World Cup and another Super Bowl in 2028, too. Here, I’ll share my picks for a trip to Atlanta that’ll please everyone, but especially a sports fan.
Who I am: I'm Morgan Moriarty, a professional sports writer and Florida native who has called Atlanta home since 2015. I love tennis and the outdoors and Atlanta’s got plenty of both.
Before You Go
Need to know: Atlanta traffic is no joke so give yourself an extra 15 minutes to get anywhere. I recommend taking public transit like MARTA trains when you can to avoid the headache. They're clean, super convenient, and can be taken to and from the airport.
Book early: Popular museums and exhibits like the College Football Hall of Fame, Georgia Aquarium, and World of Coca-Cola all have a set number of time slots and tickets available each day, so it’s best to log on early and get ahead of the 510,000 locals, not to mention tourists, who also love these local attractions.
Where to stay
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This four-star hotel stands tall with a striking glass curved exterior that surrounds 26 floors of rooms and suites. You’ll find pilates and yoga classes on offer, plus a 24-hour fitness center and a full-service spa in case you overdo it on the schedule. You can also catch a great view of Georgia Tech's campus and the home of GT football, Bobby Dodd's Stadium, too.
Where to stay
Westin Peachtree Plaza
If you're looking to stay closer to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, State Farm Arena, or the College Football Hall of Fame, this is a great option in the heart of Downtown Atlanta. It also features a bar and restaurant on the top floor that offers a 360-degree panorama view of Atlanta.
Two sporty days in Atlanta
Day 1
Morning
- Go early to avoid the humidity: If you’re in Georgia from May-September and you’re not accustomed to it, you’ll instantly notice the humidity, which gets close to 100% during the summer. Wake up early to walk, run, or bike Piedmont Park, a fun outdoor recreation area that offers a 2.4-mile paved loop that's teeming with bikers, runners, and casual walkers. There’s always something interesting happening whether it’s formal or informal; you’ll find grassy areas, free yoga classes, neighborhood kickball teams, tee ball, an intro to adult fishing class, soccer fields, and sand volleyball courts. In addition to plenty of festivals (my favorite's the Dogwood Festival in April) there's always something to see or do in Piedmont Park year-round.
- The most important meal, 24/7: Waffle House is a necessary stop. There are over 200 locations in Atlanta alone so no need to Google locations—just look up! You can't go wrong with an All-Star Special, which is a waffle with hash browns smothered and covered (topped with onions and cheese).
Mid day
- Golf, meet technology: Imagine if TopGolf was TopMiniGolf. Puttshack isn't your typical putt-putt golf establishment. Your ball is linked to your own personalized game profile, so there's no need for eraserless pencils or scorecards. Unlike the 18-hole, four-hour version of golf, high-score wins here. The drinks are great—I’m partial to the Puttshack Paloma or Peach Tea on Peachtree. There's also an outdoor patio and multiple TVs, because, Atlanta.
Afternoon
- You can pickle it: Check out the Painted Pickle, a 32,000 square-foot pickleball complex that doubles as an adult playground. It’s got nine courts and ample seating to watch. It also includes an indoor putting green, something called bucket ball, cornhole, darts, table shuffleboard, and board games. Otherwise family friendly, this place is 21+ on weekend evenings so make sure you check the schedule before visiting.
- Get a panoramic view of Atlanta: Check out Skyline Park, located at the top of Ponce City Market, which has local boutiques, arts and crafts, bars, and restaurants. My recommendation is to go in the evening when the sun is setting for a great view of the skyline. They’ve also got mini golf, skee-ball, basketball, and the popular carnival game goblet toss.
Evening
- The south’s sneakiest pro sports culture: The south is world renowned for its dedication to college football but don’t sleep on Atlanta’s pro sports events. State Farm Arena (the Hawks) and Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta United) are just a little over a half a mile from each other, and you can take the MARTA to the GWCC/CNN Center stop to get to either venue. United's Supporter Section is one of the rowdiest in MLS, but neither fanbase will give you a hard time if you're there to casually enjoy the game.
- Try the hottest barbecue in the city: While arguments about whether ‘Georgia barbecue’ actually exists in Atlanta deserve merit, Fox Brothers BBQ has the most popular Texas-style beef in the city. There are three locations but the original is on Dekalb Avenue. They’re known for their tots (try the Lopez), but if you close your eyes and point at something on the menu, you will not be disappointed.
- The height of ’90s nostalgia: If you're into arcade games, check out Joystick Gamebar. Get your quarters ready and play Mortal Kombat, Galaga, Ms. Pacman, Frogger or NBA Jam. It also has pinball machines, foosball tables and board games. I’m a fan of the alcoholic slushies!
Day 2
Morning
- You don’t have to be a pro to have fun: A key part of Atlanta’s metro growth is a sprawling suburban landscape, which helped significantly grow tennis court real estate. There are now more than 400 courts and favorable playing conditions year-round. The city is also well-known for having produced tennis stars Christopher Eubanks and Alycia Parks and it hosts an ATP event, The Atlanta Open, every year. Public courts are first come first served so I recommend booking through the Agape Tennis Academy. My favorite is Bitsy Grant courts for their central location, sweeping city views, and beltline access.
- Get on a bike but don’t go anywhere: Atlanta has several national cycle studios like Cyclebar, SoulCycle, and Rukus Cycling. But I recommend local studios like CycleGANG, Drenched Cycling Studio, and Vibe Ride that allow walk-in riders, space permitting.
- Eat the ultimate southern breakfast: At Silver Skillet you can eat pork chops, biscuits, and red-eye gravy before 9am. And you might see Hollywood types roaming around; Netflix’s Ozark and many others have recently filmed here.
Mid day
- Feel like an Olympian: Centennial Olympic Park was the hub of the 1996 Summer Olympics and now serves as a real-life history book for those games. Here you can see the Olympic rings, Olympic torches, an Olympic Rings Fountain, and several plaques and monuments offering more historical context to the games. You can walk the park yourself, or take an audio tour.
- Lunch in the Old West: Check out Ted's Montana Grill. This place transports you to an old Western movie set, and offers a wide variety of bison and beef burgers and steaks, as well as brisket, meatloaf and short ribs.
- Bet you didn’t think to bring a wetsuit: Nearby, check out the Georgia Aquarium, where you can swim with sharks and rays. And don’t worry as the aquarium provides all the gear and a very safe environment for touching, feeding and interacting with the animals.
Take this home
has some seriously cool </a>drawings, stickers and t-shirts featuring some of Atlanta's unique neighborhoods, buildings, and landmarks.<br /> <br /> <br /> " data-vars-action="product name" data-vars-retailer="welcome to the neighborhood" data-vars-product-name="the atlanta skyline is one of the best in the south. local atlanta artist caleb morris <a href=https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/"https://heycaleb.com/collections/atlanta-neighborhoods">has some seriously cool </a>drawings, stickers and t-shirts featuring some of atlanta's unique neighborhoods, buildings, and landmarks.<br /> <br /> <br /> " data-vars-href="https://heycaleb.com/collections/atlanta-neighborhoods/products/atlanta-print">Atlanta Neighborhood Print
The Atlanta skyline is one of the best in the south. Local Atlanta artist Caleb Morris has some seriously cool drawings, stickers and t-shirts featuring some of Atlanta's unique neighborhoods, buildings, and landmarks.
Afternoon
- Immerse yourself in the south’s most legendary sport: Upon entering the College Football Hall of Fame, you can select the team of your choice. When you walk by exhibits that scan your lanyard, you’ll get recognized by name and shown customized content featuring your team. The first can't-miss exhibit is right when you walk in—the three-story helmet wall includes 775 helmets worn by teams across the country. There are a zillion trophies on display and you can also try kicking a field goal.
- Bowling with a twist: Visit Painted Pin or Painted Duck—the latter has palm-sized bowling balls and pins you wouldn’t expect. Both locations have plenty of other bar games like ‘Southern Skittles’, which combines bowling and tetherball.
- Watch 70 TVs with fried food: STATS Brewpub (try the dirty bird fried chicken) and Wild Leap Brewery both have TVs in abundance and tons of indoor and outdoor seating. These are both within shouting distance of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm arena and serve as great post or pre-game options.
Evening
- Baseball in the south is bigger than you think: Just over 10 miles north of metro Atlanta is Truist Park, home to the Atlanta Braves. The team used to play at Turner Field (which now hosts Georgia State's college football team), but moved here in 2017. The Holeman and Finch burger is fantastic if you want to eat at the stadium. During the game, don’t miss the Home Depot tool or Beat the Freeze races!
- If you’re still full of energy: Check out Pour Taproom. They let you pour and pay by the ounce, and include a wide variety of beer, wine, and seltzer options. There's also Ormsby's, located in West Midtown, which offers bocce ball, darts, shuffleboard, skeeball, and pool tables in the downstairs section of the bar.
If you have three days or more
All the above, but add…
- Get outside the city limits: Just 18 miles east of Atlanta, you'll find Stone Mountain Park, which offers a variety of hiking trails plus plenty of other events including ‘Dino Fest’ - great for the kids. If golf is more your thing, you can book a tee time at Stone Mountain Golf Club, which features two completely different courses.
- Some of the best wings in Atlanta: Look no further than Clay's Sports Cafe, located in Sandy Springs. They don't skimp on celery or service here. Expect to wait 10-15 minutes for a table but it’s well worth it.
- Drive to Athens: The University of Georgia is a one-hour drive east of Atlanta. Catch a Dawgs football game (a religion in Georgia) in the fall or a baseball game in the spring, which is a sneaky great event while visiting Atlanta.
- Do the dirty bird dance: If you're here in the fall, go check out an Atlanta Falcons home game. You might get lucky and catch rapper Ludacris rappelling from the ceiling like he did last season.
- If you wanna go fast like Ricky Bobby: Take a visit to Atlanta Motor Speedway, 27 miles south of downtown. The speedway hosts the NASCAR cup series Ambetter 400 every year but you can also take a track tour as well.
