Over the years we’ve had lot of visiting fans wanting to ask questions and in general get our tips on visiting Atlanta, going to the game, and things to do outside of that. I’ve compiled a guide here for your reading pleasure. We will be either deleting or directing future threads about visiting a game in Atlanta to this one here. Please comment below if you would like anything added to the guide. I will credit you if I add it.

Saints fan’s guide to Atlanta

If you’re a Saints fan, we understand your needs are specific and demanding so use this portion of the guide. If you’re a fan from any other team, please proceed past this guide.

Where to stay:

The best place to stay for a Saints fan is somewhere in Bankhead, underneath the Freedom Parkway exit ramp, or Dekalb County Landfill.

How to get to the game:

If you land at the airport, go ahead and wait at the next flight to New Orleans and fly standby. If you drive here, hopefully you get a flat tire and are stranded somewhere away from Atlanta. If you’re somehow in the city, look out for a garbage truck to jump into the back of. They take Saints fans wherever they want to go.

Food to eat:

Would prefer you don’t dine in any of our great restaurants or bars, so please just head on over to a McDonalds or something.

Attractions:

Honestly the landfill is a great place for a Saints fan to visit.

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An Outside Fan’s Guide to Atlanta (Non-Saints)

Getting to Atlanta

  1. Fly: Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport is the busiest airport in the world. As such, it’s quite large and takes a while to get through. Be sure to account for 30 minutes or so after landing to get out (including deplaning and traveling through airport). On your way back through, security also can take a while, but can be much quicker with precheck. The airport moves a lot of people so it runs like a well-oiled machine, so as long as you give yourself about 30 minutes to get through security, you should be fine. In all cases, North and South terminals only indicate where the check-in counters and baggage claims are. Otherwise, they connect to the same area of the airport where there is a long passage way connecting multiple “concourses.”
  2. Driving: Doesn’t need much explanation, but Atlanta is connected through I-75, I-85, and I-20 so there’s a lot of ways to get here. Atlanta is a driving city, so you should be able to find parking everywhere, but there are also lots of cars and thus a TON of traffic. Just be prepared for extended drive times through Atlanta.

Note: An airport “hack” for your return trip is to check into the international terminal (Concourse F) and ride the plane train to your concourse. This is ONLY if you don’t have to check any bags. If you need to check baggage, domestic terminal is your only shot.

Where to stay:

This is obviously entirely up to you and what kind of experience you’re looking to have. Probably the most happening areas are Midtown, Old Fourth Ward, Inman Park, West Midtown, and Buckhead.

  • Midtown: Lots of skyscrapers, clubs/bars/restaurants available in walking distance. Best for walkability to MARTA.
  • Old Fourth Ward and Inman Park: Tons of bars/restaurants/breweries and all connected through Beltline, which is a (still under construction) paved pathway that will encircle the city. Lots of greenspace alongside make it really cool to see.
  • West Midtown: Most popular in recent times. Some of the nicest restaurants/bars/activities are here.
  • Buckhead: Upper scale vibes with lots of great choice on upscale restaurants and bars.
  • Downtown: You could always stay around the area of the stadium. There are lots of touristy things to do such as the Coca-Cola Museum, the Georgia Aquarium, and the Center for Civil and Human Rights. Go to centennial olympic park and walk around. Ride the ferris wheel.

Getting to the game:

MARTA:

  • The MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) train is the heavy rail system. It looks like a giant plus sign, so its uses can be limited depending on where you want to go. For Falcons games, the stadium sits a little in between Vine City and GWCC/CNN Center Station. These are 1 and 2 stops west of Five Points station which is where all the lines intersect. The bottom-most station is Airport station. As you can infer, it’s very easy to get to and from the game on MARTA.
  • The cost per way is $2.50, no matter the distance. To save time, we’d recommend buying two trips at the Airport station so you can easily hop on when you return from the game. There is an app called “Breeze Mobile 2” which is the MARTA app. You can actually purchase your trips on the app and use it to access the train platforms.
  • You can also use MARTA if you’re staying in the city and want an easy way to get to the game. Almost every MARTA station has free daily parking (meaning you can park up to 24 hours for free), making it convenient getting to the game.
  • On the way back after the game, the crowds are kind of insane, so expect to take a while to get back onto the train and to your destination.
  • Visit the MARTA website (https://www.itsmarta.com/train-stations-and-schedules.aspx/marta-in-your-community.aspx) to view the map and train/bus schedules.

PARKING

  • If you choose to park, buy a parking pass well in advance or else you’ll need to pay big fees. Prices usually range from $20 up to $80 or so depending on how close you are. There are also a lot of open lots in the surrounding area that people charge $20 or so for. It’s up to your discretion where you feel secure parking.
  • Find and purchase parking here: https://parking.mercedesbenzstadium.com/

RIDESHARE

  • Getting to the stadium might be a little tough due to traffic and getting a ride back will be even harder. Would recommend you lyft/uber to a marta station if that’s the route you want to go.

MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM

  • You most likely have seen it on TV so you know it’s a really impressive-looking stadium that is mostly indoor but has a retractable roof if there’s good weather. It’s extremely fan-centric, meaning there is so much to do and see that you may not even be in your seat the whole time. This is one reason why the seats look empty on game day.
  • Important: bringing in bags and purses that are NOT clear and see-through is not allowed! Be sure that you have a small clear bag with you. See the rule here: https://mercedesbenzstadium.com/clear-bag-policy/
  • Important note that sometimes gets overlooked. If the game is at 1pm and the roof is open, you will have a solar death ray that moves along the 100 and 200 level sections. It starts on 126 section and goes to the end zone. This death ray instantly makes the surrounding temps around 10 degrees hotter and can cause sunburn. To tolerate this, it’s highly advised to bring a small umbrella as weird as that sounds. Needless to say, I don’t like the roof open.

Food/Beverage:

  • The food and beverage situation at MBS is probably the best of any NFL stadium. Common stadium food items like pizza, chicken tenders, cheeseburgers, and hot dogs are between $2-$5. But there are a lot of choices for food items including barbecue, Tex-Mex, and specialty items (see below for some suggestions).
  • Domestic beers can start around $5-$8, but there are a ton of bar counters for mixed drinks as well. They also have plenty of fountain drinks available and the prices for those are minimal with unlimited refills until a certain point late in the fourth quarter.
  • Availability of food and drinks is plentiful. The lines might look long, but they typically move relatively quickly. Everything in the stadium is cashless, so Apple Pay and Google Pay work really well. The mobile drink sellers will require a physical card, so it’s good to carry those in.

Favorite food items:

  • Burnt Ends Nachos from Smoke and Pour Cart, Sections 117, 209, 316
  • Brisket Grilled Cheese
  • Smoked Wings at Williamson BBQ (RIP Fox Bros in this spot)
  • Miss D’s Gourmet Popcorn
  • Farm Burger
  • Chick-Fil-A: Sike, there is a CFA storefront but it’s closed on Sundays!

Local beer recommendations:

  • Creature Comforts Tropicalia IPA
  • Sweetwater 420 Pale Ale
  • Terrapin Hopsecutioner IPA
  • Terrapin Rise Up Pale Ale
  • Terrapin Los Bravos Lager

Activities:

  • The stadium is truly built to encourage just walking around and checking out different parts of it. There are tons of TV screens and large scale LED screens so you almost always have a way to watch the in-game action.
  • The AT&T Perch is a fun place to hang out, there are Mercedes-branded marketing experiences throughout the stadium, and there are lots of bars to hang out at.
  • There’s a giant Falcon statue outside that’s pretty impressive to behold as well.

Seating:

  • So you may notice on TV that the home side of the field is actually on the other side of the Falcon logo. In other words, if you want to sit on the home side, the Falcon logo will appear upside down when you watch the game. Originally, I think the Falcon was supposed to be the other way around, but the way they have the TV cameras set up, it had to be done the other way. So if you want to sit on the visitor side, you want to be on the NORTH end of the stadium.
  • All the seating around the 50 yard line is actually club seating. So another reason the stadium looks empty on TV is because there are people in the clubs (and on the field) instead of in their seats.
  • They check your tickets when going into 100 level sections, but as far as I know you can move around otherwise. So if you’re in the tippy top of the nosebleeds, and the team is doing horribly and we’re playing a horrible team, feel free to move around. Just be ready to move or get up if someone has the seats you moved into.

Tailgating:

  • Tailgating is plentiful before the game. All of the surrounding parking lots will have setups. The Home Depot Backyard is an “official tailgating” area. You can buy a ticket to park there and tailgate yourself if you want.
  • There’s a lot of sponsored events around as well.
  • The Georgia International Plaza is another spot where they do a “pregame party.” Face painting, football throwing, food and drinks can all be enjoyed there. There’s so much to do before the game, that it might make sense to make it there rather early. The doors open at 11am on 1pm gamedays, so you can enter the stadium and check it out before the game if you like. You can also watch players warming up and sometimes interact with them as well.
  • There are some truly epic setups for tailgates and some people don’t even go into the stadium. They just set up an epic tailgate and watch the game that way.

Edge cases:

BRINGING KIDS

  • Babies: Keep gear light (small clear diaper bag), look up lactation rooms, BRING EAR PROTECTION FOR BABY, and be ready to leave at halftime if you need to. Generally, the game starts around a baby’s nap time, so it’s highly advised to enter into the stadium after nap time so you can enjoy the full game potentially. Babies are free.
  • Toddlers: This would be harder in general. You’ll need lots of breaks, go walking around, go to the bathroom. You’re likely not to be able to enjoy yourself. It’s ok if the experience is all for the kid! Just keep that in mind. Toddlers are free under 33 inches, but I can tell you they won’t bust out a measuring stick to verify. If they don’t have their own seat, then be prepared for them to sit in your lap the whole time.
  • Little kids: Going to the game can be a great experience. My personal philosophy is to hook them up with delicious treats, explain the game, get them a piece of gear, etc. so they look back with fond memories. I usually keep a tablet with me just in case it gets to that point, but usually by that point it’s time to leave anyway. Be prepared to leave early. Little kids need their own full-priced tickets.

AUTOGRAPHS:

  • It’s not super clear how you can surefire get an autograph. Get there when doors open and when the players are warming up on the field, you might be able to get their attention and get them to sign something. It obviously helps to have access to the club seats because then you can access the field itself (behind a barricade).

And there’s your guide. I hope it is helpful for visitors. Again, if you have ANYTHING you want to add to the guide, please just leave a suggestion in the comments and I’ll look to add it and credit you. Some areas I don’t have an enormous amount of experience in (such as tailgating), so feel free to add content there. Thank you!