Marietta (population 48,263) is in northwestern Georgia, not far beyond Atlanta. The centerpiece is Marietta Square in the downtown area. With a turn-of-the-century appearance it offers the visitor specialty boutiques, antique shops, restaurants, and coffee shops, all set around a lushly landscaped park. The Historic Marietta Walking-Driving Tour is a self-guided tour of five registered historic districts full of Victorian and Greek Revival architecture. Information is available from the welcome center. Marietta has several museums, covering fire, history, and art. It is home to two substantial Civil War cemeteries: the Marietta Confederate Cemetery, with graves of 3,000 Confederates, and the Marietta National Cemetery, where 10,000 Union soldiers lie.

Nearby Atlanta has an international airport, trains, and buses.