Travel

Where to Learn About Atlanta's Black History

From art museums to bike tours, these are the best ways to learn about Atlanta's African American history, for Black History Month and beyond.

National Center for Civil and Human Rights
National Center for Civil and Human Rights
National Center for Civil and Human Rights

From Valentine’s Day to the Super Bowl, February is packed with exciting holidays and pop culture events, but perhaps the most significant aspect of the second month of the year is its designation as Black History Month. So in honor of the month-long holiday, we have put together a guide to places where you can meaningfully celebrate the history, culture, and societal contributions of Black people in Atlanta. Before we dive into those, however, an age-old criticism about Black History Month is that the holiday is celebrated in the shortest calendar month of the year, and that’s why nearly every single place or experience featured in this guide was selected for its year-round availability.

Given that Atlanta’s population is 51% Black and that Atlanta is one of the largest Black communities in the US, its rich history is especially important to study and pay tribute to. With the following local attractions, you will be able to increase your understanding and appreciation of Atlanta’s Black history and culture during Black History Month and throughout the rest of the year as well. Here is everything you need to know about Atlanta’s Black historical landmarks and institutions. And when you’re done, be sure to check out Atlanta’s essential Black-owned restaurants.

Atlanta History Center

Buckhead
The Atlanta History Center is known for boasting 33 acres of historic houses and gardens, and in addition to its spectacular permanent exhibitions-like the Atlanta ‘96, Cyclorama, Atlanta in 50 Objects, and more-AHC currently has a few Black history-themed exhibitions on view. Those interested in a virtual learning experience can check out United States Colored Troop Collection Highlight for free on AHC’s website, and if you visit in-person, access to both the American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith and Explore Black Atlanta exhibitions is included in admission.
Cost: $​​9.80 – $23.41

Civil Bikes
Civil Bikes
Civil Bikes

Civil Bikes Tour

Sweet Auburn
Now that you’ve got the gears turning in your head about how you can learn more about Atlanta’s Black History, get some gears literally turning by embarking on a self-guided Civil Bikes Tour. The Atlanta-based historic biking and walking tour company gives participants an opportunity to get physical exercise while learning about all of the rich Black history in the Downtown, Five Points, and Sweet Auburn areas. You can book a private tour on Civil Bikes’ website, but if you and your family just want to dive in on your own, you can also opt to do its self-guided bike tour that takes you to The Zero Milepost, Hurt Park, the John Lewis mural, Atlanta Daily World, and more. To gain access to the self-guided tour, just subscribe to Civil Bikes’ email list, and from there, all you have to do is head to Five Points Marta Station and secure a HOPR bike or scooter to get started.
Cost: Free

APEX Museum
APEX Museum
APEX Museum

Apex Museum

Sweet Auburn
Like its namesake suggests, the Apex Museum is one of the top Black history museums in Atlanta, and for added cultural significance, it’s stationed right on Auburn Avenue, smack dab between two important Black literary resources-the Auburn Avenue Research Library and For Keeps Bookstore. The Apex Museum was first opened all the way back in 1978, making it the oldest Black history museum in Atlanta and significantly older than many of you reading this guide right now. And don’t let its exterior fool you. When walking by the Killer Mike-approved institution, you may wonder if such a small entrance can lead to a worthwhile museum, but upon entering, you’ll come face to face with a wealth of knowledge and insightful information about African-Americans and the Black diaspora. Stop by between 11 am to 3:30 pm from Tuesdays to Sundays for a renewed and deeper understanding and appreciation for the contributions of African-Americans to American and global society.
Cost: $5 – $7

The King Center & The Birth Home of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Old Fourth Ward
Although they are both currently not open to the public due to COVID-19, there is no way that anyone could put this guide together without mentioning The King Center and the birth home of Martin Luther King, Jr. Given the cultural significance of MLK and his lifelong ties to Atlanta, the immortalized Civil Rights Movement leader played an integral role in Atlanta’s Black History. In addition to featuring the Freedom Hall exhibition space, the King Center houses the beautiful marble crypt that serves as the final resting place for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King. Furthermore, MLK’s birth home is also within walking distance of the King Center, and when tours become available once again, you can schedule a tour in advance here.
Cost: Free

National Center for Civil and Human Rights
National Center for Civil and Human Rights
National Center for Civil and Human Rights

National Center for Civil and Human Rights

Downtown
One quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that we’re likely all familiar with is, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” That’s why the National Center for Civil and Human Rights is such an important Atlanta attraction. In addition to documenting the Civil Rights struggles of African-Americans with permanent exhibitions like Rolls Down Like Water: U.S. Civil Rights Movement, FRAGMENTS, and Voice To The Voiceless: Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection, the NCCHR also stresses the importance of fighting global injustices in Spark of Conviction: Global Human Rights Movement and temporary exhibitions like Entitlements. A truly well-rounded museum, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights is an important place to visit if you want to learn more about the Civil Rights era of Black History. Plus, the NCCHR has a litany of virtual Black History Month programming that students, youth, adults, and everyone in between can access for free all February long.
Cost: $15.99 – $19.99

Trap Music Museum

Westside
While it’s incredible that The Dungeon-aka the house where André 3000 and Big Boi created the classic debut OutKast album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik-is now an accessible and temporarily inhabitable Atlanta landmark, its hefty $300+ price tag isn’t the most suitable for a quick Black Atlanta History field trip. For a more cost-efficient tour of Atlanta’s hip-hop scene, head over to the Trap Music Museum on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. In addition to having fun activities like “Escape The Trap” and “Sip & Trap,” the Trap Music Museum preserves an incredible collection of Atlanta Hip-Hop memorabilia and illustrates the progression of the Atlanta-birthed subgenre of rap from its earliest stages with artists like T.I., Gucci Mane, and Jeezy to contemporary torchbearers like Future and Lil Baby. As evidenced by many of the aforementioned artists’ involvement in the 2020 protests, hip-hop history is intertwined with Black history, so make sure you make a visit to the Trap Music Museum sometime this Black History Month.
Cost: $20/person

Historic Oakland Cemetery
Historic Oakland Cemetery
Historic Oakland Cemetery

Oakland Cemetery

Grant Park
Many of the greatest Atlantans to have ever lived rest at Oakland Cemetery, and the same applies to famous and everyday Black people throughout the A’s history. In fact, there are over 12,000 African-Americans-including several former slaves in the notorious Slave Square, Selena Sloan Butler, former Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson, Morris Brown College founder Bishop Wesley John Gaines, and many others-buried at Oakland, and in honor of Black History Month, the cemetery is currently offering the free We Shall Overcome tour. The 75-minute tour is an eye-opening experience that highlights the deep cultural roots of Atlanta’s Black community, and the remaining dates for this month include Tuesday, February 15; Saturday, February 19; Sunday, February 20; and Saturday, February 26. Keep in mind, however, that like the majority of the other entries in this guide, you can go and visit the resting sites of Black historical figures resting at Oakland Cemetery year-round.
Cost: Free

South-View Cemetery

Lakewood Heights
In contrast to the Oakland Cemetery, South-View Cemetery was established solely for African-Americans who had suffered disrespect from predominantly white cemeteries in 1886, and today, it remains the oldest “non eleemosynary” African-American corporation in the country. Among the 80,000+ Black people resting at South-View are notable scholars, entrepreneurs, political leaders, entertainers, athletes, activists, and military heroes, and it’s also famous for being the cemetery where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was laid to rest. South-View is a historical landmark that makes Black History the primary historical context, and if you’re interested in visiting, you can use the cemetery’s website as a guide for an extremely informative self-guided historical tour.
Cost: Free

High Museum of Art, Atlanta
High Museum of Art, Atlanta
High Museum of Art, Atlanta

High Museum of Art

Midtown
Although many of us spend Black History Month reflecting on past decades and eras, it’s imperative that we all remember that Black History is made every single day. That’s why a visit to the High Museum of Art is absolutely mandatory this February. Currently on view is The Obama Portraits Tour special exhibition, which features Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald’s respective portraits of President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. The quaint exhibition details the thought-provoking artistic processes behind both beautiful portraits, and just in case you didn’t know, Amy Sherald is both a Columbus, Georgia native and a Clark-Atlanta alumna. That’s Black Atlanta History at its finest, so dedicate some time this month to go see Sherald and Wiley’s gorgeous works of art.
Cost: $16.50/personWant more Thrillist? Follow us on InstagramTwitterPinterestYouTubeTikTok, and Snapchat.

Joshua Robinson is an Atlanta-based contributor for Thrillist who happily and proudly celebrates Black History all year long.

Travel

Ditch your Phone for ‘Dome Life’ in this Pastoral Paradise Outside Port Macquarie 

A responsible, sustainable travel choice for escaping big city life for a few days.

nature domes port macquarie
Photo: Nature Domes

The urge to get as far away as possible from the incessant noise and pressures of ‘big city life’ has witnessed increasingly more of us turn to off-grid adventures for our holidays: Booking.com polled travellers at the start of 2023 and 55% of us wanted to spend our holidays ‘off-grid’.  Achieving total disconnection from the unyielding demands of our digitised lives via some kind of off-grid nature time—soft or adventurous—is positioned not only as a holiday but, indeed, a necessity for our mental health. 

Tom’s Creek Nature Domes, an accommodation collection of geodesic domes dotted across a lush rural property in Greater Port Macquarie (a few hours’ drive from Sydney, NSW), offers a travel experience that is truly ‘off-grid’. In the figurative ‘wellness travel’ sense of the word, and literally, they run on their own independent power supply—bolstered by solar—and rely not on the town grid. 

Ten minutes before you arrive at the gates for a stay at Tom’s Creek Nature Domes, your phone goes into ‘SOS ONLY’. Apple Maps gives up, and you’re pushed out of your comfort zone, driving down unsealed roads in the dark, dodging dozens of dozing cows. Then, you must ditch your car altogether and hoist yourself into an open-air, all-terrain 4WD with gargantuan wheels. It’s great fun being driven through muddy gullies in this buggy; you feel like Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park.  As your buggy pulls in front of your personal Nature Dome, it’s not far off that “Welcome…to Jurassic Park” jaw-dropping moment—your futuristic-looking home is completely engulfed by thriving native bushland; beyond the outdoor campfire lie expansive hills and valleys of green farmland, dotted with sheep and trees. You’re almost waiting to see a roaming brachiosaurus glide past, munching on a towering gum tree…instead, a few inquisitive llamas trot past your Dome to check out their new visitor. 

To fully capture the awe of inhabiting a geodesic dome for a few days, a little history of these futuristic-looking spherical structures helps. Consisting of interlocking triangular skeletal struts supported by (often transparent) light walls, geodesic domes were developed in the 20th century by American engineer and architect R. Buckminster Fuller, and were used for arenas. Smaller incarnations have evolved into a ‘future-proof’ form of modern housing: domes are able to withstand harsh elements due to the stability provided by the durable materials of their construction and their large surface area to volume ratio (which helps minimize wind impact and prevents the structure from collapsing). As housing, they’re also hugely energy efficient – their curved shape helps to conserve heat and reduce energy costs, making them less susceptible to temperature changes outside. The ample light let in by their panels further reduces the need for artificial power. 

Due to their low environmental impact, they’re an ideal sustainable travel choice. Of course, Tom’s Creek Nature Domes’ owner-operators, Cardia and Lee Forsyth, know all this, which is why they have set up their one-of-a-kind Nature Domes experience for the modern traveller. It’s also no surprise to learn that owner Lee is an electrical engineer—experienced in renewable energy—and that he designed the whole set-up. As well as the off-grid power supply, rainwater tanks are used, and the outdoor hot tub is heated by a wood fire—your campfire heats up your tub water via a large metal coil. Like most places in regional Australia, the nights get cold – but rather than blast a heater, the Domes provide you with hot water bottles, warm blankets, lush robes and heavy curtains to ward off the chill.

nature domes port macquarie
Photo: Nature Domes

You’ll need to be self-sufficient during your stay at the Domes, bringing your own food. Support local businesses and stock up in the town of Wauchope on your drive-in (and grab some pastries and coffee at Baked Culture while you’re at it). There’s a stovetop, fridge (stocked as per a mini bar), BBQs, lanterns and mozzie coils, and you can even order DIY S’More packs for fireside fun. The interiors of the Domes have a cosy, stylish fit-out, with a modern bathroom (and a proper flushing toilet—none of that drop bush toilet stuff). As there’s no mobile reception, pack a good book or make the most of treasures that lie waiting to be discovered at every turn: a bed chest full of board games, a cupboard crammed with retro DVDs, a stargazing telescope (the skies are ablaze come night time). Many of these activities are ideal for couples, but there’s plenty on offer for solo travellers, such as yoga mats, locally-made face masks and bath bombs for hot tub soaks. 

It’s these thoughtful human touches that reinforce the benefit of making a responsible travel choice by booking local and giving your money to a tourism operator in the Greater Port Macquarie Region, such as Tom’s Creek Nature Domes. The owners are still working on the property following the setbacks of COVID-19, and flooding in the region —a new series of Domes designed with families and groups in mind is under construction, along with an open-air, barn-style dining hall and garden stage. Once ready, the venue will be ideal for wedding celebrations, with wedding parties able to book out the property. They’ve already got one couple—who honeymooned at the Domes—ready and waiting. Just need to train up the llamas for ring-bearer duties! 

An abundance of favourite moments come to mind from my two-night stay at Tom’s Creek: sipping champagne and gourmet picnicking at the top of a hill on a giant swing under a tree, with a bird’s eye view of the entire property (the ‘Mountain Top picnic’ is a must-do activity add on during your stay), lying on a deckchair at night wrapped in a blanket gazing up at starry constellations and eating hot melted marshmallows, to revelling in the joys of travellers before me, scrawled on notes in a jar of wishes left by the telescope (you’re encouraged to write your own to add to the jar). But I’ll leave you with a gratitude journal entry I made while staying there. I will preface this by saying that I don’t actually keep a gratitude journal, but Tom’s Creek Nature Domes is just the kind of place that makes you want to start one. And so, waking up on my second morning at Tom’s —lacking any 4G bars to facilitate my bad habit of a morning Instagram scroll—I finally opened up a notebook and made my first journal entry:

‘I am grateful to wake up after a deep sleep and breathe in the biggest breaths of this clean air, purified by nature and scented with eucalyptus and rain. I am grateful for this steaming hot coffee brewed on a fire. I feel accomplished at having made myself. I am grateful for the skittish sheep that made me laugh as I enjoyed a long nature walk at dawn and the animated billy goats and friendly llamas overlooking my shoulder as I write this: agreeable company for any solo traveller. I’m grateful for total peace, absolute stillness.” 

Off-grid holiday status: unlocked.

Where: Tom’s Creek Nature Domes, Port Macquarie, 2001 Toms Creek Rd
Price: $450 per night, book at the Natura Domes website.

Get the latest from Thrillist Australia delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe here.

Related

Our Best Stories, Delivered Daily
The best decision you'll make all day.