Things to Do Alone in Atlanta (MARTA Stops and Trails)

Atlanta is a spread-out city, so the easy way to do it alone is to pick a MARTA station, get off there and walk. Midtown gives you a museum, a park and a market within a short stroll; the east side gives you a trail, a food hall and a free cemetery.

Last checked 2026-11-01.

Pay once, then keep getting off early

MARTA, the regional rail and bus operator, accepts a contactless credit or debit card, a Breeze card, or a virtual Breeze card in a phone wallet. Each rider needs their own card, and MARTA asks you to tap out with the same card you tapped in with, so that transfers work and you pay only once per ride. Cash works at ticket vending machines and on buses, where exact change is required (MARTA: Breeze Mobile and ways to pay, MARTA: fare programs).

MARTA also publishes its own short lists of what is near which station. Its "Outdoor Escapes" page puts the BeltLine Eastside Trail near King Memorial Station and Piedmont Park near Midtown, and its "Sights Worth Seeing" page puts the Atlanta Botanical Garden near Midtown and Centennial Olympic Park near Peachtree Center and SEC District (MARTA: outdoor escapes, MARTA: sights). A gentle first move is to get off one stop earlier than planned and walk the last stretch. Weekday bus service runs 5 AM to 1 AM, weekends 5 AM to 12:30 AM, per the MARTA site.

Midtown: museum, garden, Saturday market

High Museum of Art. It is open Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m.; closed Monday, with the last ticket sold an hour before closing (High Museum: hours). The evenings are the solo-friendly part. "Art" runs on the second Friday of the month from 6 to 9 p.m., and the High's own wording is "come solo and leave with new ones", with a drink, live music, art-making and a conversation about works in the collection. "Friday Jazz" is on the third Friday of the month, with live jazz, light bites and a docent-led tour (High Museum: Friday Nights).

Center for Puppetry Arts. More than a theatre: the museum side lists the Jim Henson Collection, a global collection of puppets and an exhibition on stop-motion animation. Opening hours change day by day, so read them on the site first (Center for Puppetry Arts). A seat at a show or a quiet museum hour are both easy on your own.

Piedmont Park Green Market. On Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through December 12, 2026, except November 28. The market's FAQ says it excludes large park festivals, so check the park's calendar for a given Saturday. If it rains, it moves into the adjacent Community Center building. The park lists the Midtown and Arts Center stations as the nearby MARTA stops, and the Eastside BeltLine as a walking route in (Piedmont Park: Green Market). Browsing a market with no list is a very low-pressure way to be around people.

Atlanta Botanical Garden. MARTA lists it next to Piedmont Park, a short walk from Midtown Station. Opening hours change with the season, so look them up before you go (Atlanta Botanical Garden).

Along the Eastside Trail

The Atlanta BeltLine describes itself as more than 16 miles of urban trails linking neighbourhoods, shops, parks and public art. The Eastside Trail was the first finished section, running from the tip of Piedmont Park to Reynoldstown (Atlanta BeltLine, Eastside Trail). Walking it alone works because you set the pace and everyone else is moving too.

Ponce City Market. At 675 Ponce de Leon Avenue NE in Old Fourth Ward, a short way off the trail. The Food Hall is open Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; retail runs Monday to Saturday 10 to 9 and Sunday 11 to 6, and individual shops vary (Ponce City Market). Food halls suit one person: choose a counter, eat, move on.

Krog Street Market. At 99 Krog Street NE in the Krog District. Its site lists the address and parking; for what is open, check its directory (Krog District).

East of downtown: history at your own speed

Oakland Cemetery. A free visit: the cemetery says it is free, the grounds are open from dawn to dusk, and the Visitor Center and Oakland Store are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, closed on a handful of holidays including Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. It offers a free digital guide, and guided tours (ticketed) and self-guided options are listed on its site. Wear comfortable shoes, as the site says there are miles of roads and paths (Oakland Cemetery: plan your visit).

Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park. The temporary visitor center (the Historic Fire Station No. 6), Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church and Freedom Hall are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, closed Thanksgiving, December 25 and January 1. Dr. King's Birth Home is closed for renovations, and ranger-led Birth Home presentations are given daily, free of charge, limited to 15 people, first come first served. Ebenezer "Church Talks" are also offered daily (NPS: hours, NPS: plan your visit). Both are sites where silence and a notebook look perfectly normal.

Atlanta History Center. Its Buckhead campus and the Margaret Mitchell House are listed as open Tuesday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Atlanta History Center). Buckhead is a separate trip from the east side, so keep it for another day.

First solo outings

Easy: Saturday market and a loop. Take MARTA to Midtown Station, stroll through the Green Market in Piedmont Park, then walk a little of the Eastside Trail.
Middle: a Friday evening at the High. Go on a second Friday for "Art", or a third Friday for jazz. Have one drink, walk the galleries, leave when you like.
Bold: a history day. Visit Oakland Cemetery in the morning with the free digital guide, then join a ranger presentation at the King park, and finish at a counter in the Ponce City Market Food Hall.

New to eating alone? The how to eat alone in public guide has an order of play, and the museum page covers galleries.

Solo Era for iPhone

Get off one stop early

Solo Era has a movement mission at level 1: "Get off one stop early and walk the rest of the way." A MARTA ride to Midtown and a walk to Piedmont Park is one way to try it. Free to download. A subscription is required to start missions. Prices and any free trial are shown in the app and depend on the offer and eligibility.

More solo ideas in the South

If you are planning a longer trip, see the cities hub, the guides to Nashville, Charleston and New Orleans, and the solo travel guide.

FAQ

Do I need a car for these places?

You do not need one for the stops here. MARTA's own pages list Midtown Station for Piedmont Park and the botanical garden and King Memorial Station for the BeltLine Eastside, and you can pay with a contactless bank card.

Is the Green Market open on Saturday, November 28?

No. The park lists that date as a closure, and the market's last Saturday of the season is December 12, 2026.

Does Oakland Cemetery cost anything?

Visiting is free. Guided tours are ticketed, and the cemetery has a free digital guide.

Can I see the King Birth Home?

The Birth Home is closed for renovations. The National Park Service offers free ranger-led presentations about it daily, with 15 people at a time on a first-come basis.

Is the High Museum's Friday evening for people on their own?

The museum's own text for the second-Friday "Art" night is "come solo and leave with new ones". It runs 6 to 9 p.m. on the second Friday of the month.

Sources (checked 2026-11-01)

Details change; check the venue before you go.