Hello,
Please allow to me to be the first to welcome you to Atlanta! I work with Dr. Bradley Wright at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte as a graduate assistant in the Department of Political Science. I have been coordinating with him over the last several months to prepare for the upcoming Academy of Management Conference this August in Atlanta, GA. As a native of Georgia, I thought I might be able to provide a little insight into some of the exciting activities to do during any down time you might have during this year's conference. So, here goes...
Atlanta, as many of you already know, is a lively and diverse city often referred to as the "Capital of the South." Given this distinction, as you might imagine, the city of Atlanta offers many fun and exciting opportunities for you and your families to enjoy during your visit. I will attempt to highlight a few that are within a reasonable distance from the conference location, although it's really just the tip of the iceberg. Most of these are within walking distance or just a short cab ride away from the conference hotels. (Note: the distance is listed following the location site.)
The Georgia Aquarium (.8 miles) – the newest attraction to Atlanta, the Georgia Aquarium is the largest aquarium in the world. For more information, visit their website: www.georgiaaquarium.org.
World of Coke & the Coca-Cola Museum (1.5 miles) – great fun for families and Coke fans! The world's largest collection of Coke memorabilia at the place where Coke was invented. Visit their website: www.woccatlanta.com.
Underground Atlanta (1 mile) – This restored transit/rail station offers food, shopping, entertainment, etc. for the entire family. Visit their website: www.underground-atlanta.com.
Home of the Atlanta Braves (3 miles) – For all of you baseball fans, you're in luck! The Atlanta Braves have a home series against Milwaukee Friday – Sunday, August 11 – 13. Tentative game times are: Friday at 7:35, Saturday at 7:05 and Sunday at 1:05. Form more information, visit their website: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com. You can also find information for the Braves Museum & Hall of Fame at www.bravesmuseum.com.
The Atlanta Zoo (3 miles) – Zoo Atlanta is full of exotic animals-pandas, gorillas, giraffes-both fun and fascinating for children of all ages. For more information, visit: www.zooatlanta.org.
Also, for those of you more culturally minded, Atlanta is home to The High Museum of Art (2 miles), www.high.org, as well as The Fox Theatre (.8 miles), www.foxtheatre.org. For a truly unique experience of the dramatic arts, visit the New American Shakespeare Tavern (.5 mile) where dinner and theater combine, www.shakespearetavern.com.
While this list is definitely not exhaustive, hopefully it provides you with a taste of things to do while you're in Atlanta. If you have any questions, or would like more information about things to do in the city, feel free to contact me at mebass1@uncc.edu. I may not have answers to everything, but I will certainly do my best....Thanks and enjoy your visit!
Mary Beth Bass
Graduate Assistant, UNCC