14 Unique First Date Ideas In Atlanta To Woo Your Potential Boo (2024)

You’ve met someone great, and now you’re anticipating your first date. So you need first date ideas in Atlanta to plan something special to really impress them. If you’re located in Atlanta, you’ve got a huge advantage in your quest to woo your potential boo, because there are so many amazing activities, destinations, expressions of creativity, and so on and so forth to appreciate throughout this city. It’s been known as the “Hollywood of the South,” the “New York of the South,” and the “Big Peach.” But whatever you call it, there’s no question that Atlanta is a destination worth exploring.

To help you successfully woo your first date, we’ve suggested a few Peerspace listings that might work for what you’re planning, such as a picnic or other fun activity with just the two of you, so you really have the chance to get to know each other. Peerspace has the distinction of being the largest online marketplace for venue rentals—there are tens of thousands of Peerspace listings located in hundreds of cities around the world, and hundreds of these can be found in Atlanta alone! If you’re eager to jump in and find a venue, take a look at the event venues in Atlanta listed on Peerspace!

Next up: 14 distinctive recommendations for first date ideas in Atlanta, to ensure you go on that coveted second date!

1. See a movie together at the Starlight Drive-In Theater

Really lean into that “Hollywood of the South” title with this first date idea in Atlanta, which is a classic activity that couples have been enjoying for more than half a century! There’s also an awesome flea market so the two of you can fit in an affordable shopping spree as well. 

2. Show off your picnic-packing skills at an outdoor Peerspace venue

On a day when the weather is balmy, take advantage of the fact that Atlanta is known for its abundance of trees. Its combination of magnolias, dogwoods, Southern pines, and oaks, and many other tree species has earned Atlanta another evocative nickname: “the city in a forest.” Simply pack a delicious combination of foods, snacks, and beverages (ask your date if they have any food allergies or intolerances to make sure they can enjoy everything you bring), grab a picnic blanket, and head out to one of Atlanta’s many picturesque parks. 

An alternative to a public park that provides more control over the space is renting an outdoor Peerspace venue, such as a garden or a rooftop, as the location for your picnic.

Here are some examples of Atlanta Peerspaces that we think would be a great fit for a first date picnic:

• This dream house with both outdoor and indoor event space has plenty of comfortable seating in its lush and spacious backyard.
• This huge private backyard in nearby East Point, Georgia where you and your date can watch chickens run around and sit next to the fire pit together as the sun goes down. 
• This fully shaded outdoor event space in the woods, where you can also access a patio space with extensive cooking options if you’d like to prepare the food once you get there.

There’s more to discover when it comes to Peerspaces in Atlanta—there are more than 600 outdoor event spaces in and around the city on Peerspace!

3. Venture into the world of ocean life at the Georgia Aquarium

The Georgia Aquarium has an impressive array of animals on display, from the enormous whale shark to the adorable penguins and sea lions. If you and your date are animal lovers, you’ll adore getting to know each other while gazing at these mysterious and beautiful creatures.

Celebrate your or your partner’s next birthday with suggestions from our awesome list of Atlanta birthday ideas!

4. Explore the 19,000 works of art at the High Museum of Art

As the largest museum of its kind in the southeast, the High Museum of Art is worth a visit for any occasion, including as a destination for a first date! Check out their current and upcoming exhibitions to see if there’s anything that might interest the two of you.

5. Get to know each other at the Atlanta Botanical Garden

It’s hard to imagine a better first date setting than the Atlanta Botanical Garden, which contains 30 acres of beautiful landscapes right in Midtown.

6. Go shopping and grab lunch at Ponce City Market

Why can’t your first date do double duty as an exciting shopping trip? If you’re not convinced yet, here’s a full list of all the shops, restaurants, and more that you’ll find at Ponce City Market!

7. Get competitive with a few rounds of bowling at the Painted Pin

Some people do better on a first date when they have an engaging activity for the two of them to focus on, and a little friendly competition can also help the two of you feel more comfortable with one another! That’s why a visit to the Painted Pin—an upscale bar, bowling, and entertainment venue situated in a renovated industrial warehouse—makes an awesome first date idea in Atlanta.

8. Or compete to win retro arcade games at Joystick Gamebar

Perhaps you like the idea of a little friendly competition on your date but are more into classic arcade games than bowling. If so, you can’t go wrong with a first date at Joystick Gamebar.

9. If you’re going to get coffee, get the best coffee in Atlanta

There’s nothing wrong with a simple coffee date for your first date. Just make sure you go to one of the city’s best coffee shops to take the experience up a notch and impress your date.

10. Go hiking at the Chattahoochee Nature Center

This is one of the best options for hiking near the city, with 127 acres of picturesque forest, wetland, and river habitat for you and your date to explore together!

Keep your eye on our collection of the most popular event spaces in Atlanta to book for all of your special moments!

11. Go for a bike ride on the Atlanta Beltline

The 22-mile Beltline offers picturesque bike tours, with views of both natural beauty and all kinds of impressive art installations. (You and your date can even rent bikes for the tour from Clutch Bike Shop if you don’t have bikes of your own!)

12. Go on an excursion to North Georgia wine country with Atlanta Sightseeing Bus Tours

North Georgia wine country is made up of stunning rolling hills and vineyards, and produces an assortment of delicious wines that are worth trying for any oenophile (or really anyone with an interest in wine)! Booking a bus tour with Atlanta Sightseeing makes it easy to learn more about Georgia’s premier wine region and develop a more refined palate for wine tasting.

13. Cook dinner for your date at a Peerspace with a kitchen

One of the most romantic first date ideas in Atlanta (or anywhere, TBH!) is cooking a delicious dinner for your potential boo. If you successfully prepare an amazing meal while cultivating the right ambiance, your skills are sure to impress them. And it’s an especially excellent twist on the classic first date activity of going out to a restaurant together. 

There are tons of Peerspaces with kitchens in Atlanta to choose from—more than 440 such spaces, in fact!

Here are some of our favorite examples to get you started in your search:

• This urban oasis of a home is billed as a perfect fit for “intimate dinners,” and we agree that its spacious and tastefully decorated interiors would make a beautiful setting for a thoughtfully prepared meal.
• This modern log cabin home in Southside Atlanta has a recently renovated first floor, with the kitchen receiving a new hardwood floor, solid quartz countertops and backsplash, brand new cabinets, and a smart fridge—all of which you can use as you prepare dinner for your date. Once the dinner is ready, the two of you can enjoy it in the dining room, which has a stunning accent wall that pulls the space together!
• This stunning, newly renovated space on a prime corner in Grant Park, which has a full gourmet kitchen as well as original artwork and tons of natural light.

14. Attend Fernbank After Dark on the second Friday of the month

Last but certainly not least among our favorite first date ideas in Atlanta is Fernbank After Dark, a  monthly event at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History that’s only for those ages 21 and up. Activities include museum exhibits, live music, science demonstrations, full bars, and tapas menus!

First date ideas in Atlanta: conclusion

Whether you go for one of the ideas on this list (or even a combination of several for an especially engaging and memorable date), or you figure out another idea entirely, the fact that you’re putting this much thought into the date you’re planning is already a great sign of how well it’s going to go. Remember that you always have the option to take your first date to the next level by planning to have it at a lovely Peerspace location—Atlanta has hundreds of listings to choose from!

Find unique date venues in Atlanta on Peerspace