Spring is a time of new beginnings, and if you’ve found your entertainment options lacking, get ready to get out and give your social life a reboot.
While entertainment doesn't always come cheap, there are some ways to take in popular events or attractions and save money. Here are a few new ways to save on some of the top things to do in Atlanta this spring (and check out our Spring Arts Guide on myajc.com for more things to do in the coming months):
Go outside the metro area: Locals love the Atlanta Botanical Garden, and on May 2, the institution opens a satellite in Gainesville. Take an hour drive to visit the 168-acre site, including five acres of display gardens, and you'll find admission fees much lower than intown. Pay $5 admission for children 3-12 and $8 for adults. Hours beginning May 5 are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays. Atlanta Botanical Garden Gainesville, 1911 Sweetbay Drive, Gainesville. www.atlantabg.org.
Or get an Atlanta CityPASS: If you're more interested in seeing a range of intown attractions, including Zoo Atlanta's new reptile house opening April 2, consider the new version of CityPASS, which changed its lineup of institutions on March 1. The ticket booklet saves you 43 percent off ticket prices of five popular attractions, which now include the almost 1-year-old Center for Civil and Human Rights and the College Football Hall of Fame. Visits to the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola and Inside CNN Studio Tour are included, and you can choose between the Center for Civil and Human Rights or Zoo Atlanta and the Fernbank Museum of Natural History or the College Football Hall of Fame. CityPASS booklets cost $73.25 for ages 13 and up and $59.35 for ages 3-12. It is valid for nine consecutive days after the first use. You can purchase a CityPASS online at www.citypass.com/atlanta.
Head to the library: When you check out certain materials at your local library, you can get free or discounted passes to attractions including the Center for Puppetry Arts Museum, Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites, Go Fish Education Center and Zoo Atlanta. Children who participate in special library reading programs have the chance to earn game tickets to see the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Hawks. Check with your local library for additional information on these programs.
See free movies: Atlanta hosts a number of film festivals with affordable tickets, but you can also see a range of films for free. Weekly screenings of Emory University's The Cinematheque Film Series take place at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays in White Hall 208 at Emory University. This year, the focus is on films made in Georgia. All screenings are free and open to the public. For information, visit arts.emory.edu. In addition, the Atlanta Cyclorama Film Series features documentaries and discussions at free public screenings. The next film at 7 p.m. April 23 is "A. Philip Randolph: For Jobs and Freedom,"about the famous black labor leader. The Cyclorama is located at 800 Cherokee Ave. S.E., Atlanta. For information, visit www.atlantacyclorama.org.
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