Atlanta history and landmarks

Last checked Oct. 6, 2026. Dates come from the City of Atlanta’s history page, the National Park Service’s National Register data (file dated May 22, 2026), the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, the Atlanta History Center and the Historic Oakland Foundation.

Atlanta was founded in 1837 as the end of the Western & Atlantic railroad line, the City of Atlanta’s history page says. The settlement was nicknamed Terminus for its place at the end of the rails and first named Marthasville, for the then-governor’s daughter, before it became Atlanta, the feminine of Atlantic, as in the railroad. The city gives its incorporation date as 1847. It remains a transportation hub, the city says, home to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and its history page links the city’s growth to the civil rights movement and the 1996 Olympic Games.

Visit

• Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park: visitor center at Historic Fire Station No. 6, 39 Boulevard NE; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; closed Jan. 1, Thanksgiving and Dec. 25; free parking at 423 John Wesley Dobbs Ave. NE
• Atlanta History Center: 130 West Paces Ferry Road NW; Margaret Mitchell House, 979 Crescent Ave. NE; both 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday
• Historic Oakland Cemetery: 374 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE; grounds dawn to dusk; visitor center 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily

Museums and historic places you can visit

Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park. The National Park Service’s hours page lists the temporary visitor center at Historic Fire Station No. 6, 39 Boulevard NE, Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church and Freedom Hall as open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, except Jan. 1, Thanksgiving Day and Dec. 25. The park is open on the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday and during the April 4-9 anniversary of his assassination. MARTA’s Route 3 bus serves the park; there is no direct train.

Atlanta History Center. The Buckhead campus at 130 West Paces Ferry Road NW has exhibitions, historic homes and farms, a 19th-century cyclorama and 33 acres of gardens, woodlands and trails, the center says. Its Midtown site, the Margaret Mitchell House at 979 Crescent Ave. NE, is where the author wrote Gone With the Wind. Both are open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday.

Historic Oakland Cemetery, 374 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE, covers 48 acres east of downtown and calls itself Atlanta’s oldest public burial ground. The grounds are open dawn to dusk all year, and the visitor center 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, the Historic Oakland Foundation says.

National Historic Landmarks

Nine of Atlanta’s National Register listings are also National Historic Landmarks. With the year each was designated:

Listings by decade

Every National Register listing in Atlanta

The National Park Service’s data lists 226 properties and districts with an Atlanta location in Fulton County. Names are given as the Park Service lists them, with surnames first for houses; the year is the year of listing. Listings with an Atlanta mailing address can sit just outside city limits.

What this means for you

• Start with the free King park on Auburn Avenue, open every day but three holidays.
• The Atlanta History Center and the Margaret Mitchell House are closed Mondays.
• Own a building in a historic district? City rules may apply; see building permits and zoning.

Related: Atlanta neighborhoods, population and growth and things to do this month.

Frequently asked questions

When was Atlanta founded?

In 1837, as the end of the Western & Atlantic railroad line, the City of Atlanta says. The settlement was nicknamed Terminus and first named Marthasville before taking the name Atlanta, and the city was incorporated in 1847.

Why is Atlanta called Atlanta?

The name is the feminine of Atlantic, as in the Western & Atlantic railroad, according to the city’s history page.

How many National Register of Historic Places listings does Atlanta have?

The National Park Service lists 226 properties and districts with an Atlanta location in Fulton County, nine of them also National Historic Landmarks, including the Georgia State Capitol, the Fox Theatre and the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic District.

What are the hours of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park?

The visitor center at Historic Fire Station No. 6, Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church and Freedom Hall are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except Jan. 1, Thanksgiving and Dec. 25, the National Park Service says. Parking at 423 John Wesley Dobbs Ave. NE is free.

Where can I learn about Atlanta history?

The Atlanta History Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Road NW in Buckhead, and its Margaret Mitchell House, 979 Crescent Ave. NE, are open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday.