(Photo) Fox Theater Stage View.

Piece 1: Fox Theater. Located in Midtown Atlanta GA, the Fox Theater was established in the late 1920’s as one of the elaborately decorated “movie palaces” common across the United States in the early to mid part of the 20th Century.

Saved from demolition in the early 1970’s and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, the restored structure retained much of its original architecture and distinctive features, such as the Islamic design of the exterior including a beautiful “qubba dome” on the roof.

The auditorium, which seats just over 4,600 patrons, has a decor that resembles an Arabian courtyard under a “starry night sky” ceiling that has projected clouds slowly drifting by.

We had tickets to a performance of the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic “Jesus Christ Superstar” and the acoustics were wonderful.

We stayed at a hotel within walking distance of the theater, and enjoyed a tasty pre-show meal at the Publik Draft House (on the same block along Peachtree as the Fox).

The Fox is an extraordinary place to experience a show; definitely a priority “to do” in Atlanta!

Marquee of Tabernacle Concert Hall

Piece 2: The Tabernacle. Located in the Centennial Olympic Park District of Atlanta, the Tabernacle (152 Luckie Street NW) is well over a century old and served as a Baptist church until it was abandoned by its dwindling congregation in the early 1990’s.

Repurposed as a blues club during the 1996 Olympic Games, the venue evolved into a concert hall in 1998.

The building facade is red brick with granite trim, and the facility accommodates around 2,600 patrons.

It’s a very intimate place with great sound. We attended a classic rock concert there and when the crowd was jumping to the music the whole building seemed to shake; a little frightening, but sort of exhilarating too.

Whale Shark at Georgia Aquarium

Piece 3: Georgia Aquarium/Centennial Olympic Park. Located in northwest Atlanta GA adjacent to Centennial Olympic Park is the Georgia Aquarium (225 Baker Street).

Opened in 2005, the facility was the vision of Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus, who made a philanthropic investment of $250 million toward getting it planned and constructed.

The Aquarium building is another wonderful example of public art; the blue metal-and-glass exterior resembles a large sea-faring vessel crashing through an ocean wave.

Facility designers wanted to create an immersive experience for visitors, and they certainly accomplished that. I got the sensation of being underwater from the time I entered the place.

The Aquarium complex covers over 600,000 square feet, and its many marine life galleries and exhibits strive to display thousands of creatures (representing hundreds of species) in their natural environment.

The most popular gallery in the Aquarium is probably “Ocean Voyager”, which includes the facility’s signature whale shark exhibit and a 100-foot underwater acrylic observation tunnel. Seeing the whale shark was likely the highlight of the visit for us, and we also really enjoyed the “Dolphin Coast” gallery and its spectacular dolphin show.

The Georgia Aquarium is a destination point; something to build a trip around.

We concluded this adventure with a walk around a focal point of Atlanta’s downtown entertainment district; Centennial Olympic Park.

The 22-acre green space features many monuments and artistic installations to commemorate the 1996 Olympic Games.

Our favorite element of the park is the Fountain of Rings, a splash pad that has over 250 computer-controlled water jets that create sort of an “aquatic sculpture” over an embedded Olympic logo.

NOW…READY TO START PLANNING YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE?

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