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Baltimore Block—one of more than three dozen sites to see this weekend.
One Baltimore Place

Map: Tour dozens of amazing buildings for free as Open House makes Atlanta debut

Events on Saturday and Sunday offer a glimpse behind the scenes of Atlanta’s eclectic, architectural veneer

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Baltimore Block—one of more than three dozen sites to see this weekend.
| One Baltimore Place

This weekend, Open House Atlanta marks its inaugural year, as buildings and sites throughout downtown, Midtown, and Buckhead open their doors for curious visitors—for free.

The two-day event will be held Saturday and Sunday, and all visitors need to do is show up to explore some of Atlanta’s most unique and storied spaces.

To help urban explorers along their way, find two visitors centers—one at Colony Square and one at Woodruff Park—stocked with guidebooks that point the way to sites.

Added bonus: At each site, stickers will be given to visitors, which will entitle participants to discounts at restaurants and bars throughout Midtown.

The map below contains information and hours for participating sites, but with any festival of this size, details are subject to change.

Word to the wise: be sure to consult the tour website before heading out this weekend.

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100 Peachtree St NW

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Here’s a fitting place to begin: Constructed in 1968 as one of downtown’s most iconic buildings—and still known by many as the Equitable Building—100 Peachtree recently underwent a major renovation.

Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Sunday: 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Looking up the face of the modernist Equitable Building. Michael Kahn, Curbed Atlanta

AIDS Memorial Quilt Visitors Center

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In addition to Quilt exhibition and workshop areas, an exhibition by photographer Aubrey Graham titled “Mugunga III: The Visual Politics of Photographing Displacement in the Congo,” will be on display as part of Atlanta Celebrates Photography. 

Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday: 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

AMLI 3464

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One of Buckhead’s newest apartment towers, AMLI 3464 offers panoramic views of the Buckhead, Midtown, and downtown skylines.

Saturday: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Apex Museum

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The John Wesley Dobbs Building, located at 135 Auburn Ave., was built in 1910 as the Atlanta School Book Depository or Southern Schoolbook Depository Building. During the 1970s it served as a tire warehouse. In 1985, it was restored by the ER Mitchell Construction Company and now houses the APEX (African American Panoramic Experience) Museum, devoted to African-American history.

Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Atlantic House

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One of Midtown’s newest apartment towers, Atlantic House features 32 stories of luxury living, topped by two pools high in the sky.

Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Baltimore Block

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A slice of history in the heart of Midtown Atlanta’s burgeoning SoNo neighborhood, Baltimore Block offers a unique setting to its community of tenants.

The complex is centered on eight brick row houses inspired by the Colonial-era rows of Baltimore and New York, transformed and expanded into a modern office asset.

Per its developers, Baltimore Block combines Atlanta’s hallmark charm and sophistication with the contemporary edge and stellar service fit for the capital of the New South. Tours of the recently completed penthouse residences will also be available.

Saturday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Sunday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Michael Kahn, Curbed Atlanta

Big Bethel AME Church

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Known by Atlantans for its glowing “JESUS SAVES” sign, which looms over the Grady Curve, Big Bethel AME has been a fixture of the Auburn Avenue community for nearly 100 years and is the oldest African-American congregation in Sweet Auburn.

Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum

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The Breman is dedicated to making the lessons of the Holocaust and the history of the Southern Jewish experience available to the general public.

The museum is home to the permanent exhibition Absence of Humanity: The Holocaust Years, 1933-1945; the Blonder Family Gallery dedicated to Southern Jewish History; and the Schwartz Gallery, hosts a variety of traveling and rotating attractions, including the current exhibition, The Legacy of the Hebrew Orphans’ Home (Jewish Educational Loan Fund – JELF).

Sunday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

At 1 p.m., prominent architect Ben Hirsch will give a guided tour of the Holocaust Gallery, which he designed. Mention that you are with Open House Atlanta when you arrive.

Center For Puppetry Arts

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Built in 1918 as the Spring Street Elementary school, today the expanded facility houses the collections of master puppeteer Jim Henson.

Special rules: Discounted admission will be offered during open hours, and the Center will offer 20 people a free behind-the-scenes tour on Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. No reservations are needed, but the tours are first-come, first-served.

Individuals unable to make the tour will enjoy a 25 percent discount off entrance to the self-guided main gallery by mentioning Open House Atlanta at the box office.

Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Collins Cooper Carusi Architects

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Located in the base of the Westin Hotel, next to Lenox Square, Collins Cooper Carusi is an architecture firm specializing in academic facilities. The office features collaborative work zones and breakout spaces with flexible furnishings and state-of-the-art technology.

Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Colony Square

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Colony Square will offer attendees a sneak peek of the reimagined and redesigned development as work gets underway on the transformation of Midtown’s original mixed-use hub. 

Each guest will receive a FAQ sheet with historic, current, and future information about Colony Square.

Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

On Sunday, from 2 to 3 p.m., there will be a live virtual reality experience and tour of the helipad atop Building 400.

Cooper Carry Inc

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Founded in 1960, Cooper Carry is a national firm offering services in architecture; environmental graphic design; interior design; landscape architecture; and planning and sustainability consulting. 

The firm’s office covers two floors of the iconic 191 Peachtree building and features sustainable design.

Saturday: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

EYP/Stanley Beaman & Sears

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An architecture firm specializing in healthcare facilities and graphic design, EYP Stanley Beaman & Sears recently moved to the mezzanine and second floor of the iconic 100 Peachtree building.

The office features soaring windows with panoramic views of downtown’s streetscape.

Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday: 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Visit the training room for a video history of the firm, including their transition and buildout from old office space to their existing space.

Doughnuts and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided for attendees.

Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

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Constructed on Peachtree Street back in 2001, the Federal Reserve is a grandiose presence in the heart of Midtown.

The building’s boardroom preserves the floor-to-ceiling wood paneling, the chandelier, and the 7-by-9 foot color map of the Sixth Federal Reserve District from the bbank’s previous boardrooms. Self-guided tours of the Monetary Museum are available all weekend.

Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Special guided tours of the facility are available four times during the weekend.

Saturday: 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Sunday: 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Flatiron Building

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Atlanta’s oldest extant skyscraper, downtown’s Flatiron Building was completed in 1897—five years earlier than New York’s building by the same name. Today, the building houses a tech incubator and collaborative office spaces.

Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta

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In Midtown, just a 10-minute walk from Piedmont Park, Four Seasons Atlanta is a luxury hotel with dazzling amenities.

In addition to marble bathrooms with soaking tubs and down pillows, rooms are equipped with private terraces, separate living rooms, panoramic views and whirlpool tubs. The grand two-story lobby will be open all weekend.

Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Private tours are offered Saturday at 10 a.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., meeting at the concierge desk.

Gensler

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Overlooking Peachtree Street in Midtown, Gensler’s local office celebrates and elevates the visibility of the design process.

Per the company, clients are engaged through collaboration and inspirational spaces just inside the lobby. With just four enclosed offices in the workplace, work areas are organized into small neighborhoods separated by glass-fronted team rooms.

Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The Georgian Terrace

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Considered one of the Southeast’s first-class hotels, this building is possibly most known for hosting the gala reception for the premier of “Gone with the Wind” in December 1939.

This magnificent historical gem managed to escape the wrecking ball due to local preservationist protests. With a $10-million renovation project complete, the Georgia Terrace could be in a class of its own.

Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Guided tours will be offered at 9:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 3:15 p.m., and 4:30 p.m. Meet at the concierge desk.

Hanover East Paces

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Hanover East Paces is a new luxe apartment community in Buckhead, offering a walkable option in Buckhead Village. The property features a luxurious pool, fitness center, and private screening room.

Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Sunday: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Heery International Inc

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Heery International is a full-service architecture, interior design, engineering, program management and construction management firm founded in Atlanta in 1952.

The firm specializes in corporate, cultural, healthcare, justice, sports, K-12 education, higher education, aviation, and government facilities.

Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday: 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

HKS Inc

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HKS Inc is a global architecture firm with a rapidly growing reputation for sustainable design, per the company.

Their Atlanta office, located in 191 Peachtree Tower, have been awarded LEED Gold for Commercial Interiors. The interior design team placed a strong focus on water reduction, energy efficiency, sustainable materials, maximizing furniture and equipment reuse, and recycling construction waste.

Saturday: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

HOK Atlanta Office is the designer of award-winning Porsche Cars North America Experience Center and Headquarters in Atlanta and Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

HOK Atlanta is also the leading joint venture for design of passenger terminal modernization at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and designer of new Interdisciplinary Academic Building at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro.

Saturday: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Houser Walker Architecture

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Houser Walker Architecture is a boutique architecture studio dedicated to creating extraordinary value by advocating for their clients’ missions through a rigorous design process, per the company.

HWA seeks to “foster community and accomplish more with less by embracing an integrated, holistic and ecological approach to the planning and design of university environments, arts and cultural spaces, work environments, libraries, educational spaces, places of worship, and other spaces that engage the public realm.”

Saturday: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Sunday: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

The Hurt Building

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The Hurt Building is an 18-story structure, built between 1913 and 1926 by Joel Hurt, an Atlanta developer, to a design by the New York architectural firm of J.E.R. Carpenter.

With restrained ornamentation, it occupies a middle ground between Beaux Arts classicism and the emerging modernist aesthetic.

Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday: 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

lilli Midtown

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lilli Midtown is a 24-story tower containing 147 luxury apartments and 4,000 square feet of ground-level retail space, expected to be completed next year. 

JPX Works will unveil their model apartment unit, located on the second floor of the tower, allowing visitors a chance to be among the first to step into the space. Tours will occur throughout the weekend.

Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday: 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

JPX Works

Loews Atlanta Hotel

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Loews Atlanta is situated near Piedmont Park in the heart of Midtown, with accommodations including 414 guest rooms and 44 suites.

The luxurious quarters are adorned with a modern mix of neutrals, accentuated by bold, cardinal red cushions and plush lounge chairs. Boasting floor-to-ceiling windows, the 26-story development offers breathtaking views of the city.

Reservations for hourly tours can be made online.

Sunday: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Margaret Mitchell House

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Constructed as a single-family residence for Cornelius J. Sheehan in 1899, the house was subdivided into apartments in the 1920s.

It is here that the notorious Peggy Marsh wrote Gone With the Wind. The house fell into disrepair, suffered two fires, and was moved on the site, but was restored for visitors to enjoy today.

Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday: 12 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

The Odd Fellows Building

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Constructed in 1913 as the headquarters of the District Grand Lodge No. 18, Jurisdiction of Georgia, of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows in America, the Odd Fellows Building and Auditorium played a central role in the civic and cultural lives of the Sweet Auburn district.

The Annex was used for many years as a movie house and was the only major venue in Atlanta where blacks could be seated on the main floor, officials say.

Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday: 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Peachtree Center

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A city-within-a-city, comprising 2.3 million square feet of office space in six buildings, Peachtree Center features more than “50 vibrant restaurants and retail shops, plus three world-class hotels with over 4,000 rooms.”

An information booth will be set up to share the history of the property and information about work which will soon begin on a revitalization of the more than five-decade-old John Portman-designed complex.

Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday: 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Peachtree Loft Condominiums

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Originally built as federal government office building following WWII, Peachtree Lofts was one of Midtown’s first loft conversions and is often cited as Atlanta’s last remaining Bauhaus-style building.

At one time, it was the largest structure in Midtown and home to multiple government agencies, including the Department of Agriculture and the CDC, among others. The entry features a gallery wall with historic images of the surrounding Midtown neighborhood.

Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

via OHATL

Piedmont Park Visitor Center

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The historic Visitor Center is the oldest permanent building in Piedmont Park, constructed by the city as a “public comfort station” between 1910 and 1911.

Today, the historic Visitor Center is a popular Atlanta event venue whose proceeds benefit Piedmont Park Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring and enhancing Piedmont Park.

Saturday: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

The Green Market is open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and a free Piedmont Park History Tour will depart the Center at 11:00 a.m.

The Ponce Condominium

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The Ponce, Atlanta’s original luxury high rise, and originally known as the Ponce de Leon Apartments, opened in 1913, and was designed by architect William Stoddart, who also designed the neighboring Georgian Terrace hotel.

The building converted to a condominium in 1982, when its Beaux Arts & Italianate finishes were thoroughly restored. It currently includes 61 exclusive residences.

Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Praxis3

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Praxis3 is an architecture and multidisciplinary design firm founded in 1997 broadly specializing in retail, automotive, financial, civic, cultural, institutional, higher education, hospitality, and mixed-use/housing design.

Some of Praxis3’s work includes the GSU 25 Park Place Annex and unsolicited, UGA Ramsay Hall, the George apartments, plus “pro bono work on the Atlanta-Fulton Central Library to show that this great Marcel Breuer work can be saved,” per the company.

Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Sunday: 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Rose + RYE at The Castle

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Designed and built by original owner Ferdinand McMillan, The Castle is easily one of Atlanta’s most architecturally unique buildings.

Since McMillian’s death in 1920, The Castle gained cultural significance to Atlanta’s arts community by providing housing for artists. The City of Atlanta designated the building a landmark in 1989, but it remained vacant.

Purchased in 2010, The Castle has finally found new life as home to the new restaurant concept Rose + RYE.

While tickets for the guided tour on Saturday went in minutes, Open House Atlanta diners will be able to enjoy the ambiance, and $5 cocktails, Saturday and Sunday.

Rosser International, Inc.

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Founded in Atlanta, Rosser International, Inc. is celebrating 70 years of providing architectural, engineering, and program management services.

From its roots as a small engineering firm, today Rosser is known for having designed some of Atlanta’s most recognizable venues, including the Infinite Energy Arena, the World of Coca-Cola, the Georgia Dome, and Turner Field. They’re currently completing the new Sandy Springs City Center.

Saturday: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Saint Mark United Methodist Church

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Saint Mark United Methodist Church has stood at the corner of Peachtree and Fifth streets since 1902.

Highlights include 12 beautiful pictorial stained glass windows in the sanctuary, designed and executed by Franz Mayer and Co. of Munich, Germany and installed between 1909-1959; the Aeolian Skinner organ originally installed in 1969; and the American Opalescent stained glass Rose windows installed in the 1920’s.

Saturday: 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Sunday: 12:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Stevens & Wilkinson

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Stevens & Wilkinson, founded in Atlanta, has been providing a full range of design services including architecture, planning, and engineering, along with complete interior design since 1919.

As a combined firm of more than 100 professionals, with offices in Atlanta and Columbia, S.C., the firm offers “a range of integrated and well-coordinated design services that include imaginative design, technical precision and timely delivery.”

Saturday: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Following a brunch theme, Stevens & Wilkinson will offer fresh pastries from Highland Bakery and a Bloody Mary bar.

The Temple

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Established in 1860 as the Hebrew Benevolent Congregation, The Temple moved into its present neoclassical structure--designed by noted classicist Philip Trammell Shutze—which borrows from the ecclesiastic architectural style of Venetian churches, in 1931.

Sunday: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

W Atlanta - Buckhead

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In the heart of Buckhead, the W Atlanta Buckhead features “interiors designed by celebrity designer Thom Filicia, high-tech art conceived by visionaries, luxurious accents detailed by sophistication, and alternative materials utilized by innovation.”

The hotel is surrounded by an abundance of specialty shopping, cultural beats, and exciting dining with a chic rooftop sky bar to cap it off.

Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Woodruff Arts Center

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The Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta is one of the largest arts centers in the world, home to the Tony Award-winning Alliance Theatre, the Grammy Award-winning Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO), and High Museum of Art, the leading art museum in the Southeast.

One of the only arts venues in the United States to offer both visual and performing arts in a single location, The Woodruff produces outstanding theater, music and exhibitions for nearly 1 million patrons each year. 

Sunday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Self-guided tours of interior and exterior sculptures are available, and family activities will be offered from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Memorial Arts Building (Symphony Hall).

Note: High Museum will be open, but no special Open House Atlanta programming or discounts available.

Woodruff Park

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The stories of Robert W. Woodruff Park and its surroundings touch on some of the most influential people and events of Atlanta’s modern history.

From the Civil Rights movement to the birth and growth of the Coca-Cola Company, you’ll hear about the buildings that once stood in and around the central downtown park, about those who bought and sold the property that is now part of the park, and major historical events that happened nearby.

Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m

Sunday: 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Get to the park early on Saturday (9 a.m., that is) and enjoy free yoga. Throughout the weekend you can take a self-guided tour of the park. Pick up a printed guide from the Woodruff Park Game Cart located at the gazebo at the south end of the park.

Michael Kahn, Curbed Atlanta

YOO on the Park

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YOO on the Park sets a new standard for luxury design and lifestyle experiences in vibrant Midtown Atlanta, per its developers.

They add: “Brilliantly planned amenities, signature programming, and responsive concierge services are designed to make every day satisfying and rewarding for residents of this innovative rental community.”

Saturday: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Sunday: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.

The living wall at YOO on the Park in Midtown Atlanta. Jonathan Phillips, Curbed Atlanta

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100 Peachtree St NW

Here’s a fitting place to begin: Constructed in 1968 as one of downtown’s most iconic buildings—and still known by many as the Equitable Building—100 Peachtree recently underwent a major renovation.

Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Sunday: 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Looking up the face of the modernist Equitable Building. Michael Kahn, Curbed Atlanta

AIDS Memorial Quilt Visitors Center

In addition to Quilt exhibition and workshop areas, an exhibition by photographer Aubrey Graham titled “Mugunga III: The Visual Politics of Photographing Displacement in the Congo,” will be on display as part of Atlanta Celebrates Photography. 

Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday: 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

AMLI 3464

One of Buckhead’s newest apartment towers, AMLI 3464 offers panoramic views of the Buckhead, Midtown, and downtown skylines.

Saturday: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Apex Museum

The John Wesley Dobbs Building, located at 135 Auburn Ave., was built in 1910 as the Atlanta School Book Depository or Southern Schoolbook Depository Building. During the 1970s it served as a tire warehouse. In 1985, it was restored by the ER Mitchell Construction Company and now houses the APEX (African American Panoramic Experience) Museum, devoted to African-American history.

Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Atlantic House

One of Midtown’s newest apartment towers, Atlantic House features 32 stories of luxury living, topped by two pools high in the sky.

Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Baltimore Block

A slice of history in the heart of Midtown Atlanta’s burgeoning SoNo neighborhood, Baltimore Block offers a unique setting to its community of tenants.

The complex is centered on eight brick row houses inspired by the Colonial-era rows of Baltimore and New York, transformed and expanded into a modern office asset.

Per its developers, Baltimore Block combines Atlanta’s hallmark charm and sophistication with the contemporary edge and stellar service fit for the capital of the New South. Tours of the recently completed penthouse residences will also be available.

Saturday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Sunday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Michael Kahn, Curbed Atlanta

Big Bethel AME Church

Known by Atlantans for its glowing “JESUS SAVES” sign, which looms over the Grady Curve, Big Bethel AME has been a fixture of the Auburn Avenue community for nearly 100 years and is the oldest African-American congregation in Sweet Auburn.

Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.