Atlanta - Things to Do - Grant Park

Directly south of downtown, Grant Park is home to the Cyclorama , a huge circular painting (50ft by 900ft) depicting the Battle of Atlanta, executed by a group of German and Polish artists in 188586. Cycloramas used to travel around the country as entertainment in the days before movies; you sit inside the circle of the painting and the whole auditorium slowly rotates twice. During the second rotation, a guide provides interesting details about the painting; look out in particular for the hole in the wagon, originally used as a fire escape. In the accompanying museum, treating the war from the point of view of the average soldier, banks of distressing statistics are interspersed with photos and memorabilia (daily: summer 9.20am5.30pm; rest of year 9.20am4.30pm; $5). Adjacent, Zoo Atlanta ( www.zooatlanta.org ) features giant pandas from Chengdu and re-creations of African rainforests and other habitats (daily: summer 9am6.30pm; rest of year 9.30am5.30pm; $15). In summer, a special zoo shuttle runs from Five Points MARTA station to the park.