Vice City Tours - Michael Thevis
Wanted poster for murderer and pornography tycoon Michael George Thevis, "The Scarface of Porn," after his escape from prison in 1978 and placement on the FBI's Top Ten Most Wanted List. AJC Collection @ GSU (AJCatGSU)
      Gate City Tours is pleased to invite the bold and unabashed to peel back the covers on Atlanta’s historic underbelly on our BRAND-NEW tour…

    Vice City: Sex, Sin, and Booze

      Decatur St. heading east from Five Points has assumed many monikers denoting its unsavory side—Slabtown, Murrell’s Row, and “home of humanity” being just a few. Vice City explores the hard-living, rabble-rousing entrepreneurs viewing Atlanta as frontier town-transformed-cosmopolitan-metropolis on the one side. And on the other, its image as a provincial Southern capital of a self-made aristocracy with a penchant for Victorian mores and values. These past and present frictions play out in Atlanta’s city streets and touch on:

    • The Gate City’s frontier origins;
    • Saloons, sex work, and brothels;
    • Atlanta’s insatiable thirst for booze, prohibition movements, and the birth of Coca-Cola;
    • North Georgia’s heritage of moonshining, daredevil day trippers, and the birth of NASCAR; and
    • The rags-to-riches story of a first-generation Greek newsstand operator who became Atlanta’s very own “porn king” and “sultan of smut.”
    This tour’s a little risqué, but don’t worry…we won’t tell your Bubbe! Unless she wants to join.

      View of historic Cabbagetown from the Oakland Cemetery.

      Factory Town

      Originally known as the Fulton Mill Village, Cabbagetown has a long and storied history in the annals of the Southern mill town. Intrepid guests will navigate this historic district’s past and present by: 

      • Walking along its narrow European-like streets and viewing unique forms of architecture that contribute so greatly to the neighborhood’s character;
      • Engaging with locally owned and family-run businesses along its 130-plus-year-old commercial center; and
      • Learning about the Fulton Cotton Mill and bearing witness to its place in Atlanta’s complex social, economic, and cultural web in the 19th and 20th Centuries
      View of Joseph Jacob’s pharmacy and Five Points, including Decatur Street and Edgewood Avenue from Marietta Street in 1890.

      Historic Five Points: Atlanta at the Crossroads

      Our Historic Five Points Tour transforms little- and well-known subjects and historical figures into compelling narratives through novel story-telling techniques. Five Points is both a space and a crucial turning point in time to navigate. On this tour, we’ll learn about:

      • The origins of Atlanta, its Jewish community and Coca Cola;
      • Analyze the notorious trial of Leo Frank;
        Explore Margaret Mitchell’s legacy and her enduring work Gone With The Wind;
      • Gaze at contemporary art works;
        and much, much more.
      1927 aerial photograph of Girls High by Francis E. Price and pilot Beeler Blevins.

      Exclusive! Roosevelt High School Tour

      Gate City Tours, LLC is the only tour provider in Atlanta with intimate behind-the-scenes access to Roosevelt High School. This tour delves into the:

      • History of Atlanta’s public school system;
      • Its expansion in the 20th Century;
      • and the unique heritage and architecture behind this neighborhood jewel located on the National Register of Historic Places.

      This tour is for private groups and by appointment only. Don’t miss your opportunity to explore one of Grant Park’s greatest treasures!

      Margaret Mitchell at the Gone with the Wind premier by photographer Kenneth Rogers.

      Custom and Private Group Tours

      Are you looking to get out of the classroom or boardroom? Want to shake things up a little bit? Gate City Tours, LLC invites you and your group to play make in Atlanta’s cityscape. We offer customized immersive experiences that can:

      • Invigorate your conference;
      • Foster group bonding and team-building;
      • Enhance celebrations.

      These tours are perfect for:

      • Corporate getaways;
      • Student field trips;
      • Youth, Church, or synagogue groups;
      • Adult groups;
      • and so much more.

      Join us for and collaborate on your very own unique Gate City adventure!