Free things to do in Atlanta: the MLK National Historical Park, Oakland Cemetery, Centennial Olympic Park's fountain, BeltLine art, trails, pools and festivals.

Last checked Oct. 6, 2026. Hours and details come from each site’s own page, linked below.

Some of Atlanta’s best-known places cost nothing to visit. Here are the free ones we could confirm from their own websites, with hours.

At a glance

  • History: Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, free, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
  • Outdoors: Oakland Cemetery grounds, dawn to dusk; Centennial Olympic Park, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
  • Art: Art on the Atlanta Beltline
  • Summer: City of Atlanta outdoor pools, no admission
  • Saturdays: Piedmont Park Green Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., spring to mid-December

History

Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park. No entrance pass is needed. The temporary visitor center in Historic Fire Station No. 6, Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church and Freedom Hall are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. Dr. King’s birth home is closed for renovations, but rangers give birth home presentations. Visitor parking at 423 John Wesley Dobbs Ave. NE is free. Sources: NPS hours and NPS fees.

Historic Oakland Cemetery. The grounds are open from dawn to dusk year-round, and the visitor center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (404-549-8932). The cemetery offers a free digital guide and scavenger hunts; guided tours are ticketed (Oakland Cemetery). Its Día de Muertos festival, held with the Consulate General of Mexico, is listed as free; in 2026 it is noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1 (event page).

Parks and fountains

Centennial Olympic Park is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Its Fountain of Rings is a zero-depth play area for children, with shows at noon, 2:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. (GWCCA). More in our Centennial Olympic Park guide.

Piedmont Park’s Green Market runs Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., from the last weekend in March through the second weekend in December, with local farmers, producers and artisans (Piedmont Park Conservancy).

Dog parks. The city runs eight free off-leash dog parks; see our dog-friendly Atlanta guide.

Art and trails

Art on the Atlanta Beltline calls itself the largest free public art exhibition in the Southeast, set along the trail corridor (Atlanta Beltline).

Trails. The BeltLine says it has nearly 17 miles of mainline trail, and the PATH Foundation’s greenways reach from Buckhead to southwest Atlanta. Distances and trailheads are in our walking and biking trails guide.

Summer: free pools

City of Atlanta outdoor pools charge no admission. In 2026 they opened from Memorial Day weekend and ran 12:30 to 7 p.m., each closed two weekdays a week (ATL311). The list is in our summer camps and pools guide.

Free festivals

  • Atlanta Jazz Festival, Piedmont Park, every Memorial Day weekend; the festival calls itself one of the largest free jazz festivals in the country (atljazzfest.com).
  • Juneteenth at Atlanta History Center offered free tickets in 2026 (2026 event page).
  • Free for fathers: in 2026, dads got free admission at the Margaret Mitchell House on Father’s Day (2026 event page).

Frequently asked questions

Is the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park free? Yes, with free parking at 423 John Wesley Dobbs Ave. NE.

When is Oakland Cemetery open? Grounds dawn to dusk; visitor center 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Is the Fountain of Rings free? Centennial Olympic Park is a public park; shows run four times a day.

Are Atlanta city pools free? Yes, in summer.

What free festivals does Atlanta have? The Atlanta Jazz Festival every Memorial Day weekend, and Oakland’s Día de Muertos on Nov. 1.

What this means for you

  • The MLK park, Oakland Cemetery and Centennial Olympic Park all open daily.
  • Saturday mornings at Piedmont Park’s Green Market end for the year on Dec. 12, 2026.

Related: kids’ activities, Halloween events and date night.