Marietta

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“Never pass up new experiences [Scarlett], They enrich the mind.” – Rhett Butler”- Gone with the Wind

Downtown Marietta, GA

Moving from South Carolina to Marietta wasn’t always my goal until I started visiting family and doing research about the area. Everyone talks about the major cities in Georgia yet tend to show lack of appreciation to the underdog towns that demonstrate its historical character and southern charm. I discovered there was more than meets the eye when it comes to Marietta. The rich history and constant growth of diverse business is helping to make the area even more popular than it already is.

You first see the old train depot, that now serves as the welcome center, to help you find great ways to explore Downtown Marietta.

The Marietta Square is the center of the historical Marietta District where you can literally find anything to do. From restaurants, to treat shops, bars/nightclubs, health & wellness, antique shopping, and more.

Glover Park is located in the center of the square where you have a wide range of options to indulge in from picnics, family/wedding photos, playtime and space for you and the family; stage here performances can take place at any time also. The land for the park was donated Mayor John Glover with the stipulation the land must always be used as a park or it will go back to his heirs. I went during the early morning and found the park to be extremely peaceful. The water fountain added a beauty to the park where you can sit while listening to the water and nature singing. Traffic was surprisingly quiet, while people walk around enjoying their day.

Not only is The Marietta Square aesthetically pleasing, it’s also full of rich history like The Great Locomotive Chase of the American Civil War and park serving for training and military hospitalization during the Civil War. If history is your thing like me, you definitely want to checkout the Marietta Museum of History. There’s a rumor that the building is haunted due to it serving as a morgue during the Civil War, so if ghost tours are your thing, take a walk on the supernatural side.

The tour I’m most excited to explore is Marietta’s Black Heritage Walking Tour. On this tour, you’ll visits sits of historic significance within the black community of Marietta. Each site plays an important role of support for the struggle for freedom that spans through the Civil War up to the Civil Rights Movement.

History not your thing? No problem. Food is a great universal language, and there are various options for cuisines from various cultures. There are over 30 eating options surrounding the square ranging from traditional American cuisine, Thai, Vietnamese, Greek, French, Italian, Mediterranean and more. Along with good eats, you have to have a great sweet treat and if you’re over 21, great places to wine down or taste good spirits. Not enough options? You can also visit the Marietta Square Market that houses even more food options that are AMAZING.

I underestimated how fun The Square was until I went to explore more. I’m a huge lover of the arts and there is a major art scene in this area. There is always a street art event happening, especially around certain holidays, so be sure to look out on the calendars or billboards in the area. Marietta calendar of events

There’s also The Strand Theatre where you can see various performances throughout the year and the Glover Park Concert Series that happens the last Friday evenings of each month.

Every Saturday morning the Marietta Square Farmers Market is held from 9 a.m.-noon year round, rain or shine.

Parking isn’t hard to find, look for the ares marking with P, and the walking distance to everything isn’t tedious at all. There is paid parking or free parking on the side streets or free parking lots, but I recommend parking in the 2 hour parking spots around town if all else fails unless you are planning to spend the entire day.

I really enjoyed myself on my solo adventure and I’m obviously going to keep spending my time down there to explore. When visiting the Welcome Center, be sure to stop by and speak with Brittney Gray, Executive Director, and say hello! She helped me map out my day, provided me various quick historical facts/tips about the area, and encouraged me to continue exploring not only my area, but the various rich parts of Georgia.