There are hundreds of lists of things to do in the USA or individual states like Georgia, but we’ve come up with one thing in every state plus D.C. in 21 different categories. Truly something for everyone, from historic places to foods you have to try, from the downright quirky to amazing museums, and from weird places to stay to fun things to do. Our primary criteria were we have or want to see them, and they are things you can physically visit or try.
A map showing the location of everything on our bucket list for the Peach State can be found at the end of the post.
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HISTORIC PLACE: ETOWAH INDIAN MOUNDS
Photo by Curtis Abert | CC BY 2.0
Read Reviews for Etowah Indian Mounds State Park | Point Peter, St Marys, GA 31558
FAMOUS PERSON: MARTIN LUTHER KING JR
If it weren’t for the signs outside, you could walk past this house without realising the importance of the man who was born there. Martin Luther King Jr was born and lived the first 12 years of his life in this house which is now preserved by the National Park Service. You can only visit on a ranger-led tour and tickets are only allocated on a first come first served basis, so arrive early to avoid disappointment.
Read Reviews of Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site | 450 Auburn Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30312
NATURAL WONDER: CUMBERLAND ISLAND
Photo by Natalie Maynor | CC BY 2.0
Read Reviews for Cumberland Island
FOOD & DRINK: PEACH PIE AND COCA-COLA
Peach Pie Photo by Chelsea Nesvig | CC BY 2.0
Georgia is as famous for Peaches as Florida is for Oranges, so what better than Peach Pie to celebrate this delicious fruit and the only thing to wash it down with, it has to be Coca-Cola, ice-cold of course. You can even visit the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta to learn about the history of the world’s favourite soft-drink.
Read Reviews of World of Coca-Cola | 121 Baker St NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30313
FACTORY TOUR: CNN STUDIO TOUR
Photo by Amy Meredith | CC BY-ND 2.0
Read Reviews for CNN Studio Tour | 190 Marietta St NW, Atlanta, GA 30303
MAN-MADE: GEORGIA GUIDESTONES
Read Reviews for Georgia Guidestones | 1031 Guide Stones Road, Elberton, GA 30635
RECORD-BREAKING: OKEFENOKEE SWAMP
The largest backwater swamp in North America, Okefenokee swamp is a shallow peat-filled wetland covering 438,000 acres. Populated by alligators, carnivorous plants and rare birds, the swamp has a feeling of land that time forgot about it.
Read Reviews of Okefenokee Swamp Park | Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia
READ MORE: See what we found in the rest of the USA
QUIRKY RECORD: WORLD’S LARGEST PEANUT
Photo reproduced by kind permission of Melodee
A monument dedicated to the humble peanut, Turner County’s most important agricultural product as well as to the memory of Nora Lawrence Smith for her work supporting the peanut industry.
Read Reviews of World’s Largest Peanut | I-75 Exit 82, Ashburn, GA 31714
ACTIVITY: RADIUM SPRINGS GARDEN
Photo by Bill Strickland | CC BY-ND 2.0
Named due to the trace amounts of radium found in the 70,000 gallons of water that pour from the spring every minute, Radium Springs Garden is an ideal place to spend time exploring. While you can no longer swim in the spring, the surrounding gardens are packed with history and natural beauty.
Read Reviews of Radium Springs Garden | 2501 Radium Springs Rd, Albany, GA 31705
ATLAS OBSCURA: CROWLEY MAUSOLEUM
What happens when your burial plot is sold to developers of a new shopping mall? Well for the Crowley family, the developers were true to their word and left the graves untouched. However due to the land being levelled, the graves ended up 12 feet in the air, and so this mausoleum was built to protect the burial site. 13 graves remain on the roof of the mausoleum which now lies incongruously surrounded by parking lots for nearby stores, a far cry from the hilltop burial site the deceased originally occupied.
3624 Memorial Dr, Decatur, GA 30032
MOST VISITED: STONE MOUNTAIN PARK
Read Reviews for Stone Mountain Park | 1000 Robert E Lee Blvd, Stone Mountain, GA 30083
STATE/NATIONAL PARK: PROVIDENCE CANYON STATE PARK
The location of Georgia’s “Little Grand Canyon”, Providence Canyon State Park demonstrates how mankind can impact the environment, the gullies are the result of bad farming practices in the 19th century, and yet also end up with unintentionally beautiful results as the canyon is now very photogenic.
Read Reviews for Providence Canyon State Park | 8930 Canyon Rd, Lumpkin, GA 31815
EVENT: GEORGIA PEACH FESTIVAL
201 Oakland Heights Pkwy, Fort Valley, GA 31030
DIFFERENT PLACE TO STAY: CONESTOGA CAMPING
Spend the night as the pioneers would have done, sit around a roaring campfire, maybe sing a few songs or tell tall tales and then sleep in a Conestoga wagon. The day before or after you can explore the many attractions that the ranch has to offer.
Read Reviews for The Rock Ranch | 5020 Barnesville Hwy, The Rock, GA 30285
READ MORE: See what we found in the rest of the USA
DIFFERENT PLACE TO EAT: FORREST GUMP BENCH
Photo by Ken Lund | CC BY-SA 2.0
What better place to have lunch than the square where Forrest Gump regaled his bench companions with his exploits? Sadly the bench itself was a movie prop and is now in the Savannah History Museum, but the spot where
Chippewa Square, Savannah, GA 31401
HAVE SOME FUN: GEORGIA AQUARIUM
With over one hundred thousand animals in 10 million gallons of fresh and saltwater, you’ll have plenty to keep you occupied as you enjoy the learning about our aquatic habit.
Read Reviews of Georgia Aquarium | 225 Baker St NW, Atlanta, GA 30313
FILM LOCATION: DELIVERANCE
Deliverance was filmed at locations across northeast Georgia, but Tallulah Falls used for a lot of filming and was where Jon Voight climbed the 200-foot cliffs without a stunt double. Today a suspension bridge and several overlooks allow you to admire the beauty of this filming location.
Read Reviews of Tallulah Gorge State Park | Tallulah Gorge, Tallulah Falls, GA 30523
FUN FACT
Photo by GPA Photo Archive | CC BY 2.0
The theme park Six Flags over Georgia was named for the six flags that have flown over the state during its history. The flags of England, Spain, Liberty, Georgia, Confederate States of America, and the United States have all flown over the state at some point.
Read Reviews for Six Flags Over Georgia | 275 Riverside Parkway Southwest, Austell, GA 30168
SOMETHING DIFFERENT: TINY DOORS
692 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306
MUSEUM: DAVID J. SENCER CDC MUSEUM
David J. Sencer CDC Museum showcases public health and how CDC scientists work to discover vaccines, control outbreaks and ensure pandemics are mitigated as much as possible.
Read Reviews for David J. Sencer CDC Museum | 1600 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA 30329
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SCENIC DRIVE: RUSSELL-BRASSTOWN SCENIC BYWAY
Russell-Brasstown Scenic Byway winds 40 miles through valleys and through mountain gaps within the Appalachians all the while surrounded by the beautiful Chattahoochee Forest.
Don’t miss the spur to Brasstown Bald, the tallest peak in Georgia offering unparalleled views.
Read Reviews of Russell-Brasstown National Scenic Byway
If you have a photo of this that you would be happy for us to use; we would be very grateful and credit the image to you. Please contact us here.
READ MORE: See what we found in the rest of the USA
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RESOURCES | PLAN YOUR TRIP TO GEORGIA
To book flights, rental cars, accommodations, and activities for your trip, please check out our recommended travel providers, favourite apps and websites.
These are a few tours we would recommend for your trip to Georgia, USA.
Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission but this does not affect the price to you. Please read our full disclosure policy here.
