Big time adventure and sports

Go for the game, stay for the scenery

Spectators and outdoor enthusiasts find their favorites

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There is nothing minor about sports in Georgia.

Major sporting events draw fans into stadiums that are works of art, celebrating histories worth learning.

Major, high-speed fun

in the capital, find philips Arena in the heart of the Luckie Marietta District. Home to the NBA Atlanta Hawks and the WNBA Atlanta Dream, the NBA’s only LEEDcertified arena draws more than 1.6 million visitors annually.

The Georgia Dome, home of the Atlanta Falcons and Georgia State university Panthers, also offers stadium tours.

At Coolray Field, home of the Gwinnett Braves in Lawrenceville, enjoy an intimate baseball experience with the MLB Atlanta Braves’ AAA club.

The history of the Atlanta Braves and its previous incarnations is highlighted in the ivan Allen Jr. Braves Museum & Hall of Fame at turner Field. Guided tours of the ballpark and the museum and hall are offered year-round.

Armed with a Hall of Fame All-Access Pass, fans of collegiate sports spend hours at the College Football Hall of Fame, which is connected to the Georgia World Congress Center. The Helmet Wall features more than 700 college football teams; stories about the young men who wore their school’s colors resonate throughout the building.

Located in Hampton, Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS) offers a number of experiences. Watching an official NASCAR race is one. Getting behind the wheel for a turn on the track is another. Six different racing adventure schools offer driving experiences at AMS, during which visitors suit up and slip behind the wheel for a ride around the 1.54-mile quad oval.

Paddle and pan

The Chattahoochee River beckons outdoor types in Roswell. The Chattahoochee Nature Center is the oldest and largest private, non-profit natural science learning center in the Southeast. There are 27 species of native wildlife and 127 acres of native plants and gardens within.

Adventure seekers also find thrills in silent sports in the Northeast Georgia Mountains, where it is easy to tour the beauty created by Mother Nature. Panning for gold in Dahlonega or hiking in Amicalola Fall State Park takes a little more effort. Find toccoa Falls on the toccoa Falls College campus; the falls are 26 feet higher than Niagara Falls in New York.

Old-time pastime

in Savannah, the past meets the present at Historic Grayson Stadium, circa 1926, then home of the Savannah indians. The indians were the first team in the South Atlantic League to break the color barrier when Al “izzy” israel and Junior Reedy started on Opening Day in 1953. Today the Savannah Sand Gnats take the field in the historic stadium as the farm team for the MLB New York Mets.