After the holidays, your pockets are a little emptier, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a quality date with your significant other. We’ve rounded up six date ideas around town that won’t break the bank.
Geek out at Fernbank Science Center and Planetarium. You can enjoy a night of stargazing inside the 70-foot-diameter planetarium as the celestial theater's digital projection system guides you through the wonders of the universe. Planetarium admission tickets are just $7 for adults ages 19-61. Students ages 3-18 and seniors 62 years and older can get in for $5. On Thursday and Friday nights, Fernbank Science Center also offers free admission for anyone interested in checking out its telescope. 156 Heaton Park Drive N.E., Atlanta. 678-874-7102, fernbank.edu.
Catch one of Atlanta's free or cheap seasonal festivals. Tickets to the Callanwolde Arts Festival (Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, 980 Briarcliff Road N.E., Atlanta) on Jan. 23-24 are only $5 (callanwolde.org). Tickets to Atlanta's first-ever brunch fest on March 5 at Historic Fourth Ward Park (665 North Ave. N.E., Atlanta) are $15 in advance if you buy them by Feb. 25. That includes one food ticket and one drink ticket. http://atlantabrunchfestival.com/. More winter festivals here.
Dinner and a movie, with a twist. Take your date to Starlight Drive-In Theatre as you enjoy access to two flicks on the same screen in the comfort and privacy of your own car. Parking spaces are first come first serve, so be sure to come early to grab your tickets from the box office and secure a quality parking space. The audio is broadcast through your car's FM radio, and you can either bring snacks from home or indulge in items from Starlight's snack bar. Admission for attendees ages 10 and up is only $9. 2000 Moreland Ave. S.E., Atlanta. info@starlightdrivein.com, starlightdrivein.com.
Wine tasting in the Sharp Mountain Vineyards. Road trip, anyone? At 1,500 feet, Sharp Mountain Vineyards spans 5 acres of rocky soil with some killer views. Head over and bring your own picnic as you sip some wine and overlook beautiful North Georgia on the pavilion. For just $5 each, you and your date can enjoy a wine tasting with four fine wines. The price increases with more sips. 110 Rathgeb Trail, Jasper. 770-735-1210, sharpmountainvineyards.com.
De-stress in a sauna. Cold weather bogging you down? You and your date should try out Jeju Sauna in Duluth, a 3,500-square-foot traditional Korean public bathhouse with hot tubs, showers, kiln saunas, wide-screen TVs, exercise rooms, heated mineral rooms and more. Jeju Sauna offers both gender-segregated spaces as well as unisex areas where you and your date can relax. Tickets are $25 each — not the cheapest on the list — but can you really put a price on peace of mind? 3555 Gwinnett Place Drive, Duluth. 678-336-7414, jejusauna.com.
Visit the Oakland Cemetery. There's something eerily romantic about walking through this hidden treasure located less than a mile from downtown Atlanta. If you and your date are a couple of history buffs or if you're both just up for something unique, catch a tour of the final resting place of many Georgian citizens including Margaret Mitchell, Bobby Jones and Maynard Jackson. Tours are $12 for adults and $6 for students and seniors ages 65 and up. 248 Oakland Ave. S.E., Atlanta. 404-688-2107, oaklandcemetery.com.
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