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During your Atlanta vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Margaret Mitchell House and Museum (Birthplace of Gone With the Wind)
Six decades after it was first published, Gone With the Wind continues to fascinate people around the world. But until this attraction opened in 1997, after a 10-year effort to preserve the house from demolition, disappointed pilgrims found precious little evidence here of the famous book or its author. Now the house and museum are a must-see for visiting GWTW fans.It's rather surprising that it took so long for restoration efforts to get underway on the dilapidated Tudor-revival apartment house where Margaret Mitchell wrote most of her epic novel and lived with her husband, John Marsh, from 1925 to 1932. The structure was built as a single-family dwelling in 1899, then moved to the back of the lot in 1913 and converted into a 10-unit apartment building 6 years later. It remained an apartment building until 1979, when it was abandoned and eventually boarded up. When the newlyweds moved in, they called it "The Dump." It was not an affectionate nickname; according to a friend of Mitchell's, she disliked living there (finances left few alternatives) and would probably be offended by the notion of its restoration. But the house has been attracting its share of visitors -- from all 50 states and more than 70 countries.The house and museum tell the complex story of the famous novelist. Guided tours, which last an hour to an hour-and-a-half, begin in the visitor center. Before beginning the tour, guests enter the theater to see a 17-minute film titled "It May Not Be Tara," featuring an overview of Mitchell's life, and interviews with some of her friends and family members. Also in the theater is an exhibition of photos taken of Mitchell in her teens and 20s. The tour of the house includes a visit to the Mitchell-Marsh apartment, which is furnished much as it was when the couple lived here. Mitchell wrote much of her novel in the front room, seated at a typewriter and desk below the beveled glass windows in the small corner alcove. Like most writers, she preferred to keep her literary efforts private and would throw a towel over her typewriter when friends dropped in -- which was often.The museum contains movie memorabilia and chronicles the making of the movie, its premiere in Atlanta, and the impact that the book and movie had on society. The tour concludes in the museum shop, which features a variety of GWTW collectibles and memorabilia. If you finish your tour around mealtime and you're ready for a real change of pace, walk a few blocks south on Peachtree to the Vortex, a rowdy burger joint and bar that serves some of the best hamburgers in town.
Georgia State Capitol
It wasn't until after the Civil War (1868) that Atlanta became, once and for all, the state capital; its present capitol building, completed July 4, 1889, was hailed as a testament to the city's recovery. Modeled after the nation's Capitol, another neoclassical edifice atop a "crowning hill," its 75-foot dome, covered in gold leaf and topped by a Statue of Freedom, is a major Atlanta landmark. The building is fronted by a massive four-story portico with a pediment supported by six Corinthian columns set on large stone piers. In the rotunda, with its soaring 237-foot ceiling, are busts of famous Georgians, including signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. The governor's office is off the main hall. The capitol building's public spaces are currently being restored to their 1889 grandeur.Grand staircases in both wings rise to the third floor, where you'll enter the House of Representatives, and, across the hall, the Senate chambers. The legislature meets for 40 days, beginning the second Monday in January (it can also be called into special sessions); all of its sessions are open to the public. The fourth floor houses legislative galleries and the Georgia Capitol Museum, with exhibits on cotton, peach, and peanut growing; cases of mounted birds, fish, deer, insects, and other species native to Georgia; rocks and minerals; American Indian artifacts; and more. Note, too, the museum displays on the first floor.Tours begin on the main floor, and this level also serves as an information center for city and state attractions. The tours take 60 to 90 minutes; allow at least another 30 minutes to browse around on your own after the tour. Highlights of the grounds are detailed in a brochure available at the tour desk. Note: For security reasons, your bag will be searched when you enter.If you're visiting in December or January, take note of two special treats: A beautifully decorated 40-foot tree adorns the rotunda at Christmas, and on January 15, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, there's a memorial program featuring speeches by local dignitaries, including the governor.
William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum
This museum, the largest of its kind in the Southeast, offers a unique glimpse into Atlanta's history, exploring Jewish heritage with a special emphasis on the Atlanta Jewish experience. Two main galleries juxtapose the destruction of the Holocaust with the re-emergence of Jewish communities in Atlanta and throughout the world. The stories are told through photographs, documents, and memorabilia uncovered in the attics and basements of local families and individuals. Especially moving are the stories and possessions generously shared by Holocaust survivors living in Atlanta.In addition to the two main galleries, there's a Discovery Center with hands-on activities related to the exhibitions, a community archive, a genealogy center, a library, and a gift shop.
Homewood Suites Atlanta-Galleria/Cumberland
The Hampton Inn Atlanta-Buckhead is located inside the I-285 perimeter off GA-400-- in the heart of Buckhead, just two blocks north of Peachtree St. MARTA train, 1 mi.; Airport, 20 mi.; Downtown, 8 mi.; Oglethorpe University, 5 ...
Hotel Indigo HOTEL INDIGO-ATLANTA MIDTOWN
Hotel Indigo Atlanta. The InterContinental Hotels Group introduces Hotel Indigo, an intriguing hotel that delivers high peace and renewal to people who are tired of mundane `cookie-cutter® hotels. Hotel Indigo Atlanta is conveniently located across from the historic Fox Theater and BellSouth HQ. Other nearby attractions include; The Convention Center, GWCC, Coca-Cola, CNN, Underground Atlanta, High Museum, Atlanta Ballet, Alliance Theater, Ga. Aquarium and Phillips Arena/ Georgia Dome. ...
Grand Hyatt Atlanta
Grand Hyatt Atlanta 3300 Peachtree Road Atlanta, GA 30305 In the heart of Buckhead, Atlanta's most prestigious and fashionable area, with convenient access to the city's finest shopping, dining and entertainment areas; 15 minutes to downtown with easy access to MARTA rapid transit; walking distance to Phipps Plaza and Lenox Square shopping areas; 18 miles to Hartsfield International ...
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