The Best Date Night Things for Couples to Do in Atlanta

Let’s face it. Planning a date night or a day date can be a challenge even when you’re familiar with the city you live in. Sometimes, the familiarity you have with your hometown can make planning a date even harder. That’s particularly true if you and your partner have been together a while and you’ve already hit the city’s romantic hotspots.

Luckily, Atlanta is a large city that has many well- and lesser-known date night and day date options. If you live in the city, you may favor the fun things in the latter category so you and your significant other can try something new. People who are new to the ATL and those who are just visiting may find date ideas in either category exciting.

---

Build a Date Around Adventures From Scratch

You can plan a great date in Atlanta using Adventures From Scratch: Date Edition. Date night ideas are grouped into different categories so you can pick the type of experience you want to have before you scratch off your couple’s challenge.

Each challenge has an underlying description that includes an estimate of how much time will be required and a list of things you’ll need. By looking over the description before you scratch, you can ensure you and your partner will have an enjoyable time no matter what your challenge ends up being.

---

Atlanta Date Night Ideas

As you’ll see, date night ideas run the gamut in Atlanta. Some of the ideas you’ll come across are strictly nighttime activities while others are easily convertible into day date activities. Whether you plan a date for the evening or daylight hours, there’s always something for new and established couples to do in the Capital City of the South.

Book a Stay at the ATL Treehouse

Booking a stay in a treehouse is already a romantic idea but doing the same at the ATL Treehouse takes the romance up by more than a mere notch. The ATL Treehouse sits within the branches of an oak tree that’s estimated to be 400 years old. Beams that are 250 years old support the gorgeous treehouse, which seemingly floats 25 feet in the air.

The ATL Treehouse has breathtaking views of a koi pond and a garden area. The bedroom is on the top floor. After you wake up to great views, you can stroll downstairs to the lower level to get some fresh air on the veranda. When nightfall rolls around again, you and your partner can enjoy a dip in the shared hot tub that’s located in the garden area.

To make your stay at the ATL Treehouse extra special, consider booking a meal prepared by a private chef or scheduling an on-site mixology class. If more intimacy sounds delightful, make arrangements for you and your companion to share a couple’s massage while you’re at the treehouse. Once you two are kink-free, you can spend time nuzzling on the porch swing.

Would you prefer to show off your cooking skills? You can impress your partner by cooking a yummy meal in the treehouse’s outdoor kitchen. The two of you can then curl up under a blanket near the property’s conveniently located fire pit.

The ATL Treehouse is so ripe for romance that no kids are allowed at the property. As you’d imagine, the ATL Treehouse books up quickly given its reputation as a romantic getaway, so make plans to visit well in advance of your departure date.

Catch a Flick at the Starlight Drive-In Theater

Dates with a throwback theme can be a ton of fun and watching a movie at the Starlight Drive-In Theater certainly qualifies in both contexts. While some of the few remaining drive-in theaters stick to classic black and white films to replicate a viewing experience from years gone by, the Starlight Drive-In Theater shies away from that model.

Instead of showing classics, the Starlight Drive-In Theater plays all the latest new releases. Has your partner been dying to see an upcoming film? Wait for it to open and surprise your better half with a night of romance at the Starlight Drive-In Theater. Don’t forget to grab a blanket so the two of you can cuddle while you watch your chosen movie.

Go on a Bar Crawl

If you’ve never gone on a bar crawl in the Atlanta area, you’ve missed out. Fortunately, Let’s Roam has the remedy for that, and it’s our All About Atlanta Bar Crawl. This laughter-inducing activity mixes the best of traditional bar crawls and scavenger hunts, enabling you to compete against other teams for the top spot at the end of the night.

Of course, the quality time you and your partner will have during this little taste of nightlife is a cherished reward on its own. We said it ourselves, our “Atlanta Bar Crawl elevates an ordinary night out to an extraordinary night out” because that’s exactly what the activity does for couples over the age of 21.

Our bar crawl includes easy tasks along with some tough ones. If you’re really “in it to win it,” you may want to get the harder assignments done early on so you won’t have to worry about having another drink at the next stop.

Bar crawls are a great way to meet new people and make friends. Making new friends means more fun-filled group date nights and enjoyable events with people who share your interests. Don’t wait any longer! Sign up for our Atlanta Bar Crawl and let the excitement begin—as early as this evening.

Attend a Fernbank After Hours Event

When you’re trying to think of romantic things to do with your partner, it’s unlikely that “nerdy” things will creep into your mind. While that might have been the case up until now, the after-hours events at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History indicate it’s time to broaden your horizons.

On the second Friday of each month, the Fernbank Museum of Natural History hosts after-hours events that can be as romantic as anything else offered in the ATL. Fernbank After Dark events typically include:

• WildWoods explorations
• Live music
• Museum exhibits
• Science demonstrations
• Tapas menus
• Full bars

Fernbank After Dark functions are exclusively for people who are at least 21 years old. Every unique experience highlights a different scientific theme and immersive programming. These events are a great way for couples to enjoy shared experiences and create lasting, loving memories while they meet new people. On a side note, these functions are a wonderful way to learn a few new things and develop new interests, too.

If you plan to attend a Fernbank After Dark function with your significant other, it’s advisable to purchase your tickets in advance. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the museum has reduced its event capacity so tickets aren’t as readily available as they’ve been in years past. Regardless of whether you’re vaccinated against COVID or not, the museum requires all attendees to wear face coverings and adhere to CDC guidelines during its events.

Watch a Live Comedy Show

There’s nothing quite like sharing a belly laugh with someone you love or care for. If you want to laugh the night away with your partner, you may want to make plans to watch a live comedy show. Atlanta has a bevy of comedy clubs to choose from, including:

• Ponce City Market Amphitheater
• The Basement Theatre
• The Punchline
• Laughing Skull Lounge
• Dad’s Garage Theatre
• The Village Theatre
• Whole World Improv Theatre

Cheer On Your Favorite Sports Team

Cheering something on in unison with someone else can tighten the bonds between the two of you, even if you start off as strangers. With that in mind, you might want to make arrangements for you and your significant other to attend a sporting event where you can both cheer on the same contestant or team.

Atlanta is home to several professional sports teams, including the Atlanta Braves, the Atlanta Falcons, the Atlanta Hawks, the Atlanta Dream, the Atlanta United, and the Tormenta FC. The state capital is also the host site for multiple sporting events each year, which include the Master’s Tournament, the BB&T Atlanta Open, and NASCAR races. College sports are well represented in Atlanta as well, with local schools competing in the SEC, ACC, and NCAA.

Depending on the type of match you attend, you may find that cheering on your favorite team or contestant ends up being an all-day affair. If you attend a Falcons game, for example, you might end up tailgating before and/or after the game. Thousands of people usually tailgate before a professional football game, and it’s a great way to interact with others who share your enthusiasm.

Take a Cooking Class Together

If you and your partner have been on too many dinner dates to count, it’s time to switch things up a bit. You can do just that by taking a cooking class together at Bellina Alimentari in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward.

Every month, Bellina Alimentari offers a variety of cooking classes, chef’s and beverage tastings, and workshops. Every teaching experience is meant to create a community of food lovers who spread the values and traditions of traditional Italian food.

During your class, you’ll be able to try various bites of food and different beverages that are served at Bellina Alimentari. In addition, you’ll be allowed to eat what you learn to make in your class or workshop.

Classes hosted by Bellina Alimentari sell out fast. To avoid missing out, it’s wise to register for an upcoming class, workshop, or tasting as early as possible.

Visit The Roof at Ponce City Market

Weather permitting, you may want to take your significant other on an open-air date. If that’s the case, why not head over to The Roof at Ponce City Market? As its name implies, The Roof offers a grandiose rooftop view of downtown Atlanta, Buckhead, midtown, and Skyline Park.

Of course, The Roof has more than just great views of the state capital and nearby areas. The venue also has bars, eateries, the Skyline Slide, and games galore. Depending on the season, you can even enjoy some rooftop ice skating at the venue.

While you and your partner can certainly have a blast at The Roof on your own, the venue is ripe for group date experiences. With so much to do and enjoy, The Roof has something that will appeal to everyone, even your group’s most discerning members.

Schedule a Session with The Paint Factory

For a more intimate experience than you can have at The Roof, you should schedule a private, in-home session with The Paint Factory. This organization is a mobile paint-and-sip company that enables couples to get creative together in the comfort of their own home.

The Paint Factory supplies everything necessary for you and your partner to give your artistic muscles a workout, including canvases, easels, paint, aprons, and paintbrushes. Live instructions are provided for you and your significant other to create masterpieces.

When you book a session with The Paint Factory online, you’ll be able to choose the size of the sketched canvases you and your partner will work with. Each private paint-and-sip session lasts about two hours or so, making a session a perfectly timed way to pass an evening together.

Reserve a Tasting at Lazy Betty

If you want to dazzle your date with a different kind of dining experience, you should make a reservation at Lazy Betty. One of Atlanta’s many eateries, Lazy Betty does things differently. Rather than serve full, plated meals, the restaurant offers nightly tastings.

Once you take a seat in the dining room or on the patio, you’ll be able to choose between a six-course tasting menu and an eight-course tasting menu. Regardless of the menu you ultimately select, you can enhance your dining experience by requesting a wine pairing with each course.

Take Some Sips Under the Sea at the Georgia Aquarium

It’s true that love is in the air when it comes to romantic dates in the ATL, but the Georgia Aquarium is proving love is in the water, too. Every month, the Georgia Aquarium hosts Sips Under the Sea, which is an event reserved for people who are at least 21 years old.

Buying tickets to a Sips Under the Sea event will give you and your partner after-hours access to the aquarium. Tickets also include a live DJ, limited complimentary adult beverages, and several dining options.

A typical Sips Under the Sea function runs from 7 pm until 10 pm. Throughout the event, you and your SO can wander through the aquarium and view all the marine contained within the main galleries.

Tickets to Sips Under the Sea are not available at the door on the day of the event. Attendees must purchase tickets in advance by visiting the aquarium’s website or by contacting the aquarium’s call center.

Day-Date Ideas for Couples in Atlanta

Just like there’s nearly an endless number of date night ideas you can make a reality in Atlanta, the capital city has plenty of viable opportunities for successful day dates. The following day-date possibilities offer proof that a romantic date is just as possible during the day as it is when the sun goes down.

Enjoy the High Museum of Art

Located on Peachtree Street NE in midtown, the High Museum of Art is a fantastic day-date destination. The museum has a permanent collection of more than 18,000 works of art sourced from different genres and regions.

When you visit the High Museum of Art, you and your partner can experience art together. The museum displays works representing 19^th and 20^th-century American art, European paintings, African American art, Southern U.S. art, African art, modern and contemporary art, folk art, photography, and self-taught artwork.

As you walk through the museum and gaze at its displays, you’ll find that some of the institution’s works are quite provocative and thought-provoking. The very nature of the art you’ll view is sure to spark conversation between you and your partner, bringing you both closer together.

Here are the exhibitions that are currently on display at the High Museum of Art:

• Calder-Picasso
• Electrifying Design: A Century of Lighting
• Outside the Lines
• Pioneers, Influencers, and Rising Voices: Women in the Collection
• Shaheen Collection of French Works

If you’re on a budget but still want to share the experience that is viewing art with your partner, consider visiting the High Museum of Art on the second Sunday of a given month. There is no admission to visit the High Museum of Art on the second Sunday of every month, but the timed tickets for those free days go fast. To avoid missing out, reserve your free passes online as early as possible.

Grab a Coffee at Victory Coffee and Calamity

Grabbing a cup of joe with your partner is a wonderful way to start any day. While getting coffee may seem a little mundane for a day date, it’s anything but if you get your beverages from Victory Coffee and Calamity. Located at 900 Dekalb Avenue NE, Victory Coffee and Calamity sits next to a MARTA track, which means it’s perfectly positioned to do some people and train watching any time of day.

Depending on when you visit Victory Coffee and Calamity, you may want to bypass the coffee in favor of something stronger, like a spiked soda or a specialty cocktail. The place does have the word “calamity” in its name, after all, so you might as well play along and have some adult fun with your significant other if you visit later in the day or during the evening.

Explore Centennial Olympic Park

Centennial Olympic Park is a super place to get reacquainted with your SO. Originally built for the 1996 Olympic Games, the park is now surrounded by a host of amenities that include eateries, amusement parks, and plenty of shops. In addition to being a sprawling natural urban space in its own right, Centennial Olympic Park is also a convenient segue to other attractions, such as the SkyView Atlanta Ferris Wheel and the Georgia Aquarium.

At the center of the park, you’ll find the Fountain of Rings. This fountain is interactive, and it puts on daily shows. Shows involve jets shooting coordinated sprays of water in carefully orchestrated displays that are impossible to turn away from.

Centennial Olympic Park is home to an active amphitheater. At any given moment, the amphitheater might be used for an outdoor rally, a concert, or another kind of open-air event. You don’t need to wait for a scheduled event to visit Centennial Olympic Park as the park has a considerable amount of grassy space that’s just waiting for you to enjoy a picnic with your partner.

During the summer, Centennial Olympic Park is the host site for various festivals and fireworks displays. When the holiday season rolls around, the park should be your destination if you and your SO enjoy decorative lights.

Atlanta Botanical Garden

If you want to take your date somewhere that’s as beautiful as your SO is, you should head over to the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Bursting with life and color, the Atlanta Botanical Garden is one of the most, if not the most breathtaking places in the ATL.

The garden’s collection of flowers is stunning. If you enjoy being in the wild, you should take your SO to one of the garden’s rainforest areas. When you do, be sure you keep an eye out for birds and tree frogs. If you want a more serene experience, visit the oriental gardens to check out the koi ponds.

While you may not think of a botanical garden when you’re in the mood for some heart-pounding excitement, the Atlanta Botanical Garden proves you should. That’s because the garden has a canopy walk that will take you just over the tops of mature hickory and oak trees. The canopy walk is 600 feet long and walking the full length of it with your partner is an ATL experience you simply can’t enjoy anywhere else.

Are you going to bring the kids along on your next day date? Then the Atlanta Botanical Garden is a smart pick because kids are allowed to climb on the sculptures located in the children’s area.

Spend the Day at the Atlanta History Center

The Atlanta History Center occupies 33 acres in Buckhead. Founded in 1926, the Atlanta History Center will easily keep you and your significant other on the go for a full day. When you visit, you’ll enjoy gardens, walking trails, woodland areas, historic houses, the Atlanta History Museum, a museum gift shop, and the Coca-Cola Café. You’ll also have the opportunity to visit Cyclorama: The Big Picture, which is one of just two cycloramas located in the U.S.

Various programs and events take place at the Atlanta History Center throughout the year. From summer camps to historical reenactments, lectures by notable authors, festivals, and more, there’s always something going on at the center that you and your partner can enjoy.

Visiting the Atlanta History Center is convenient because it’s open seven days per week. The center opens daily at 9 am and it closes at 4 pm. To get the most out of your visit, make sure you wear clothing that’s appropriate considering the weather.

It’s worth noting that admission to the Atlanta History Center includes admission to the center’s Midtown Campus. You just have to visit the Midtown Campus within nine days of paying for admission to the Atlanta History Center. The Midtown Campus is definitely worth visiting on a day date because that’s where you can check out the Margaret Mitchell House.

Let the Center for Puppetry Arts Educate, Enlighten, and Entertain You

The Center for Puppetry Arts is one of the few museums in the world that’s dedicated to all things related to puppetry. Founded in 1978, the Center for Puppetry Arts has welcomed millions of visitors over the years. With a long-standing mission to introduce visitors to the wonders of puppetry, the center offers live performances, workshops, virtual and outreach learning opportunities, and a hands-on experience in its museum.

If you can’t make it to the Center for Puppetry Arts, you can still benefit from its resources. The center offers various study guides on its website that you and your partner can use to learn about some shared interests, such as butterflies and dinosaurs. Some of the guides are intended to introduce young children to puppetry. If an upcoming day date involves your children, consider using one of the kid-oriented guides so your whole family can learn about puppetry together.

You don’t even need to visit the center to attend an enchanting puppet show with your SO and your kids. You can buy tickets to a digital puppet show and enjoy the performance from home. Here are some of the titles that are currently available to view online:

• Camp Whachyawannado
• The Little Red Hen & the Grain of Wheat
• Díia de Los Muertos
• Captain Healthy and Safety Dog
• The Velveteen Rabbit
• Aesop’s Fantastical Fables

Whether you want to learn how to become a puppeteer or you want to make a puppet, you and your SO can attend a workshop to learn how to do so. The center offers workshops in-person and online, so the tools to master the art of puppetry are available to you from any location that has an internet connection.

Spend Time at Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park

Martin Luther King Jr. was so critical to the civil rights movement, a grateful nation set designated a national holiday in his honor. To fully understand King’s role in transforming the minds of so many in the United States, you and your partner should enjoy a day date at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park.

A visit to this park will provide insights into King’s childhood and his innate ability to move the hearts and minds of so many people regardless of their skin color. You’ll also learn about how King served the nation as an instrument of change who hailed from humble roots when segregation was shamefully alive and well across America.

The centerpiece of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park is the tomb where Dr. King and his wife are resting in eternal slumber. As you’ll see, the tomb sits in the middle of a reflecting pool, and there’s an eternal flame appropriately located nearby.

---

Frequently Asked Questions