10 Eco-Friendly Atlanta Attractions Worth Visiting

Atlanta, Georgia, is known for its Southern charm, culinary delights, vibrant local art scene, and rich history. It’s easy to fall in love with Atlanta, especially when you see the strides local businesses have taken to become more sustainable. Find out which Atlanta attractions are the most eco-friendly in this guide.

Top 10 Eco-Friendly Attractions in Atlanta

1. Zoo Atlanta

Zoo Atlanta began in 1889 with a jaguar, a hyena, a black bear, a raccoon, an elk, a gazelle, a Mexican hog, lionesses, pumas, camels, and snakes—all former residents of a traveling menagerie that went bankrupt on its way through town and left the animals abandoned. Today, the zoo has blossomed into a conservation organization that promotes the preservation of threatened species.

The zoo has implemented a number of award-winning environmental programs. Its elephant manure and bamboo composting program won first place for Waste Reduction and Recycling in the 2008 Keep Georgia Beautiful Awards.

The zoo estimates that it diverts more than 1,800 cubic yards of waste from landfills each year by composting elephant manure and shredding bamboo waste to be burned as fuel by Georgia Power.

Zoo Atlanta also has 12 different recycling programs, constructs all new buildings to meet LEED certification standards, and has several water-saving and energy-reduction initiatives.

2. Georgia Aquarium

The Georgia Aquarium is one of the world’s largest aquariums. It’s home to thousands of animals living in more than 10 million gallons of water. This is the only aquarium outside of Asia home to whale sharks, so naturally, the whale shark exhibit is one of the aquarium’s major attractions.

The aquarium consists of seven exhibits, each focusing on a different aquatic environment: Tropical Diver, Ocean Voyager, Cold Water Quest, River Scout, Dolphin Coast, Pier 225, and Aquanaut Adventure: A Discovery Zone.

In addition to rescue research, veterinary research, and conservation efforts, the Georgia Aquarium has implemented many sustainable practices and programs throughout its facilities. The Seafood Savvy program encourages consumers and restaurants to make more sustainable seafood choices.

With so much water in its exhibits, the aquarium also focuses on water recycling. The Georgia Aquarium recycles about 99.5% of its exhibit water.

The aquarium also has 10 reusable bottle-filling stations installed throughout the building, encouraging guests to ditch single-use plastic bottles. The aquarium estimates that these practices have saved 85,736 plastic bottles from landfills.

It also stopped using plastic straws in 2005, and the facility recycles an estimated 21 tons of solid waste each year.

3. Atlanta History Center

In 1926, 14 Atlanta enthusiasts came together to preserve Atlanta’s history through the Atlanta Historical Society. In 1990, the Atlanta Historical Society officially became the Atlanta History Center. The Atlanta History Center’s mission is to connect people, history, and culture.

The Atlanta History Center has taken a number of steps to become more eco-friendly. It recycles bottles, cans, plastic cups, and office paper.

In addition, the center has a composting program that takes scraps from its campus eateries to be used across its 33-acre campus. Instead of overusing harsh chemicals, the center uses integrated pest management within the Goizueta Gardens and relies on physical controls whenever possible.

The Atlanta History Center’s buildings have been recognized for their water- and energy-conservation practices. The center also used energy-efficient equipment and sustainable materials in the construction of the new Cyclorama Building.

4. Atlanta Botanical Garden

The Atlanta Botanical Garden covers an impressive 30 acres of land with themed gardens and a variety of plants.

The different gardens include the Japanese Garden, a rose garden, the 5-acre Upper Woodland, the 10-acre Storza Woods, the Skyline Garden, the Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory, the Fuqua Orchid Center, and more.

The Garden has a number of sustainable features throughout its property. During its Green Expansion Plan, which doubled the size of the Garden, it recycled all trees that were removed and utilized energy-saving strategies.

In 2007, the Garden installed a 100,000-gallon underground cistern to aid in water conservation. The rainwater collected in this cistern waters about 40% of the gardens.

The Garden Visitor Center even has a green roof that is half-covered in plants, providing natural cooling, sound insulation, and additional garden space.

5. Fox Theatre

The Fox Theatre is a former movie palace that opened in 1929. Today, it is a performing arts venue unlike any other.

The theater was originally built as part of a temple for the Shriners organization, and it maintains Islamic architecture combined with Egyptian elements for a truly unforgettable experience.

Atlanta’s historic Fox Theatre is committed to strengthening its sustainability practices. In 2019, the Fox implemented Southface’s BIT Building program to identify and implement changes that would improve the historic building’s performance.

The program helps the Fox improve water and energy use, improve indoor air quality, and reduce waste. These changes include adjustments such as tweaking the automatic flushing systems in the bathrooms and ionizing the water.

The Fox Theatre has also worked with Southface in the past to address sustainability practices, including upgrading to LED bulbs in the theater’s iconic marquee.

6. Fernbank Museum of Natural History

The goal of Fernbank Museum of Natural History is to preserve and protect Fernbank Forest, the woodland area for which the museum is named, so it’s no surprise that the museum has adopted a number of sustainability practices.

The museum features exhibits on dinosaurs, culture, and hands-on science experiments suitable for both children and adults.

Through the museum’s outdoor exhibits, you can explore WildWoods and Fernbank Forest, which together offer 2 miles of hiking paths through an old-growth forest.

As one of the oldest conservation nonprofit organizations in the United States, Fernbank Museum is committed to maintaining green practices. In addition to its conservation work in Fernbank Forest, the museum has implemented an on-site recycling program and water-conservation measures in its restrooms.

Fernbank Museum also educates visitors on ways to practice sustainability through special programs, exhibits, and IMAX features.

7. Atlanta BeltLine

The Atlanta BeltLine is a proposed 33-mile loop of paved, multi-use trails with the goal of making Atlanta a global beacon for inclusive and sustainable city life.

A third of the trails have already been developed. They connect parks and communities while providing inner-city green space and alternative ways to get around Atlanta.

Millions of people walk, bike, rollerblade, and ride scooters along the BeltLine each year.

Sustainability has always been a major feature of the Atlanta BeltLine project. While paving trails, workers remove and clean soil contaminated by decades of industrial use.

The project plans to create or improve 1,300 acres of parks and green space around the trail corridor. There are also plans for a streetcar network that would provide an alternative form of transportation for Atlanta residents and tourists alike.

8. Sweetwater Creek State Park

tlanta has plenty of great outdoor, environmentally friendly places to go hiking. But Sweetwater Creek State Park is particularly notable for its sustainable Visitor Center, one of the most environmentally responsible buildings in the United States.

Sweetwater Creek State Park consists of more than 2,500 acres of hardwood forest and 15 miles of hiking trails, including the easy Red and White Trails and the moderate Yellow and Orange Trails.

It’s a popular hiking destination that’s also known for being a filming location for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1. 

The Visitor Center’s green features include a 37% landscaped roof; rainwater harvested and stored in a 10,000-gallon cistern for non-potable uses; composting toilets and waterless urinals; recycling stations that are easily accessible to the public; and an optimal building shape and orientation designed to maximize solar exposure.

9. Atlanta City Tour by Electric Car

An electric car tour offers an eco-friendly way to see many of Atlanta’s top attractions Atlanta’s top attractions and get to know its different neighborhoods.

You’ll have a personal guide and driver to take you on a 90-minute tour of the city. During the tour, you can learn about Midtown, Inman Park, Old Fourth Ward, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, the World of Coca-Cola, Centennial Olympic Park, and more.

An Atlanta City Tour by Electric Car offers tourists an eco-friendly, low-emission way to see the city. Eco-conscious travelers can feel good knowing that this tour produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants than driving around the city in a non-electric car.

10. Segway Tour

A Segway tour of Atlanta is a unique way to get to know the city. A guided Segway tour gives you fascinating insight into Atlanta’s history.

It’s also a fun and eco-friendly way to see top Atlanta attractions like the Georgia State Capitol, the Sweet Auburn District, Georgia Aquarium, the CNN Center, and more.

Because a Segway is fully battery-powered, taking a Segway tour is an eco-friendly way to see Atlanta. Segways are easy to use, too, since they are designed to balance with little effort from the operator.

Sustainable Atlanta Attractions Map

If traveling sustainably is a priority for you, you can use the map below to find all these eco-friendly Atlanta stops.

I hope you enjoy discovering just how environmentally friendly Atlanta can be!

Travel Sustainably With These Eco-Friendly Posts

• Eco-Friendly Travel Products for the Sustainable Traveler
• Top 10 Eco-Friendly Hotels in Atlanta, Georgia
• The 10 Best Eco-Friendly Restaurants in Atlanta, Georgia
• Georgia Hikes: Zonolite Park Trails

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Ready to visit Atlanta, Georgia? Plan your trip with these tips.

• Book Your Flight: Find the cheapest flights using Skyscanner, my favorite flight search engine.
• Find Accommodation: You can find top hotels in Atlanta using Hotels.com.
• Save on Attractions: Save 40% on admission to Atlanta’s top attractions using the Atlanta CityPASS.

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Cheers!

Paige

What are your favorite eco-friendly attractions to visit in Atlanta, Georgia? Let me know in the comments!