Walking Tours in Atlanta

Walking Tours in Atlanta, BHC 2025

Tickets available in 2025 BHC Registration Link

The History of Coca-Cola Tour

In 1886, a pharmacist named John Pemberton created a formula for a drink he called Coca-Cola, which he first sold at a pharmacy just a few blocks from our hotel. Join historian Bart Elmore on the trail as we talk about the history of this company, whose headquarters is within eyeshot of our conference.

The 2-mile (one-way) walking tour will end at the World of Coca-Cola, a museum and “happiness factory” that includes historical artifacts from Coke’s past. The cost of this tour covers tickets for entrance into the World of Coca-Cola, which will be our final destination. Participants are invited to walk back with Bart to the hotel after touring the museum or stay in Centennial Park to enjoy other attractions there.

  • Meeting Point: Crowne Plaza hotel lobby
  • Time: 1 PM
  • Additional Notes: Wear comfortable shoes! After the tour, participants can either walk back with Bart or arrange transportation back at their convenience.

Mid-Century Women in Midtown

In the mid-20th century, Midtown Atlanta was home to commercial offices, hotels, apartments, and upscale homes. This tour explores women’s working lives in the neighborhood, from the Black domestic workers who cared for elite families to white middle-class women performing pink-collar work and elite white women pursuing lives beyond their homes. Midtown also became the site of women’s political activism around labor and working conditions. As we explore Midtown, we will share stories of women’s working lives and the impact their work and politics have on our world today. Tour by History Afoot.

  • Meeting Point: Corner of Peachtree Street and Ponce de Leon Avenue
  • Time: 1 PM
  • Additional Notes: The tour is about 1.5 miles at a slow walking pace. The tour will walk north on Peachtree Street, ending near a Marta station where participants can take a train back to the North Avenue station near the hotel.

The Old Fourth Ward: Work, Home, and Civil Rights Roots

Walk Auburn Avenue to explore the long history of Black Atlantans seeking jobs, new lives, and civil rights. The tour begins at Ebenezer Baptist Church and passes through the residential area of this historic neighborhood, sharing stories of those who lived and worked here. The tour ends at the Beltline, one of Atlanta’s most popular destinations. Tour by History Afoot.

  • Meeting Point: Corner of Auburn Avenue and Jackson Street
  • Time: 2:30 PM
  • Optional Pre-Tour Activity: Explore the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park or visit the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church.
  • Options for group travel from the hotel:
    • Meet at the hotel at 2 PM and travel together to the meeting point.
    • Meet at the hotel at 1 PM, explore the King Center neighborhood at your own pace, and join the tour at 2:30 PM.

 

History Afoot: Founded by graduates of Georgia State University’s Master of Heritage Preservation (M.H.P.) program Lisa Flaherty and Amy Durrell, History Afoot Atlanta offers engaging and accurate walking tours that expand the narrative of Atlanta’s stories. In our small groups, we engage in conversation about the people who lived in and shaped Atlanta. Our tours focus on social history, exploring the lives and experiences of a wide range of individuals.