With kids · Atlanta · United States
Atlanta with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
Atlanta is strong for families, with the aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, the College Football Hall of Fame and the Fountain of Rings all within a few minutes' walk downtown. Fernbank's dinosaurs, Zoo Atlanta and the Center for Puppetry Arts are short drives away. Top picks: Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola and Centennial Olympic Park. Families usually base themselves in Downtown.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 8
- Best area for families
- Downtown
- Rainy-day options
- 5
Best things to do with kids
Aquarium · Downtown
1.Georgia Aquarium
One of the largest aquariums in the world, built around the Ocean Voyager tank where whale sharks and manta rays glide over an underwater tunnel. Other galleries hold beluga whales, sea otters, African penguins and a dolphin presentation, all under one roof beside Centennial Olympic Park.
Go straight to Ocean Voyager at opening, then circle back through the smaller galleries as school groups arrive.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Timed tickets are cheaper and easier to secure online; weekends and school holidays sell out.
- Iconic
- Kids
- Rainy day
Museum · Downtown
2.World of Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola was invented in Atlanta in 1886, and the company's museum covers its history, advertising and the vault said to hold the secret formula. The highlight for most visitors is the tasting room, with dozens of Coca-Cola drinks sold around the world.
Save the tasting room for last and try the bitter Italian aperitif-style drink everyone talks about.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Food
Park · Downtown
3.Centennial Olympic Park
Built for the 1996 Summer Olympics, the park's lawns connect the aquarium, World of Coca-Cola and the civil rights centre. Its Fountain of Rings, shaped like the Olympic rings, is an interactive splash fountain where children cool off in summer, and it puts on short water-and-light shows.
Bring a change of clothes for young children on hot days; the fountain is hard to resist.
- Time needed
- 30–60 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
Museum · Druid Hills
4.Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Fernbank's atrium holds an Argentinosaurus, one of the largest dinosaurs ever found, among other giant skeletons. Behind the museum, WildWoods has elevated walkways and trails through Fernbank Forest, one of the largest old-growth urban forests in the region.
Combine the indoor dinosaurs with the outdoor WildWoods trails for children who need to run around.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Zoo · Grant Park
5.Zoo Atlanta
Set in historic Grant Park, Zoo Atlanta is known for its gorilla troops in the Ford African Rain Forest, along with orangutans, elephants, giraffes and a reptile house. It is compact enough for a half-day with young children.
Visit in the morning before summer heat sends the animals into the shade, and walk to Grant Park's cafés afterwards.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Museum · Midtown
6.Center for Puppetry Arts
A museum and theatre dedicated to puppetry, with a large Jim Henson collection including original Muppets and characters from Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock, plus puppets from many world traditions. Its family shows and workshops are aimed at young children.
Book a family show and workshop together; children make a puppet to take home.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Art
Museum · Downtown
7.College Football Hall of Fame
A hands-on museum of American college football, with a wall of helmets from hundreds of schools, interactive exhibits on the sport's traditions and an indoor field where visitors can try kicking field goals and running drills.
Register your favourite team at the entrance so the interactive screens personalise the visit.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Active
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Park · Midtown
8.Piedmont Park
Atlanta's central park covers about 80 hectares of lawns, trails, dog parks and ball fields, with the classic view of the Midtown skyline across Lake Clara Meer. It hosts many of the city's festivals, from the Dogwood Festival in spring to Atlanta Pride in autumn.
Enter from the BeltLine at the park's north-east corner and walk to the Lake Clara Meer dock for the skyline photo.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Views
Rainy-day ideas
- Georgia Aquarium — Go straight to Ocean Voyager at opening, then circle back through the smaller galleries as school groups arrive.
- World of Coca-Cola — Save the tasting room for last and try the bitter Italian aperitif-style drink everyone talks about.
- Fernbank Museum of Natural History — Combine the indoor dinosaurs with the outdoor WildWoods trails for children who need to run around.
- College Football Hall of Fame — Register your favourite team at the entrance so the interactive screens personalise the visit.
- Center for Puppetry Arts — Book a family show and workshop together; children make a puppet to take home.
Where families should stay
$$ · Best for first-timers, families and budget
Downtown
Downtown holds the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and the College Football Hall of Fame around Centennial Olympic Park, plus Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena. It has the largest supply of hotels and direct MARTA trains to the airport, but empties out on evenings without games or conventions.
- Good
- Walk to the main attractions; Direct MARTA link to the airport; Wide choice of hotels
- Watch out
- Quiet and less inviting at night; Convention and game days push up rates
- Nearby
- Centennial Olympic Park, Georgia Aquarium, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Five Points station
Family travel tips
- Schedule outdoor sights for the morning in summer and save the aquarium and museums for the hot afternoon.
- Stay downtown to walk between the main family attractions without a car.
- The Atlanta Botanical Garden's children's garden has water play areas, so pack swimwear in summer.
- Bring a stroller rather than a carrier in summer; most downtown attractions are step-free.
- Fernbank's outdoor WildWoods trails give children space to run between indoor exhibits.
Day trips for families
- Stone Mountain Park (About 30 minutes by car) — A huge granite dome rising about 250 metres above the surrounding forest, with a walk-up trail of about 1.6 km to the summit and a cable car for the less energetic.
- Helen (About 1 hour 45 minutes by car) — A small mountain town rebuilt in Bavarian Alpine style, with tubing on the Chattahoochee River in summer and a long-running Oktoberfest.
- Chattanooga (About 2 hours by car) — A river city in Tennessee with the Tennessee Aquarium, the Walnut Street pedestrian bridge and Lookout Mountain, home to Rock City and the underground Ruby Falls waterfall.
- Callaway Gardens (About 1 hour 30 minutes by car) — A large resort garden in Pine Mountain with azalea trails, a lake beach and a glass butterfly conservatory.
When to go with children
The best months overall are April–May and October–November. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Atlanta good for kids?
Atlanta is strong for families, with the aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, the College Football Hall of Fame and the Fountain of Rings all within a few minutes' walk downtown. Fernbank's dinosaurs, Zoo Atlanta and the Center for Puppetry Arts are short drives away.
+What can kids do in Atlanta?
Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, Centennial Olympic Park, Fernbank Museum of Natural History and Zoo Atlanta.
+Where should families stay in Atlanta?
Downtown: Centennial Olympic Park, the big attractions and convention hotels.