Last time we were up in Atlanta was just before Doodle’s 1st birthday and we left the girls at home. We had a great time and vowed to be go back with the girls. Well, 2 years later and we finally made it back, with the whole family this time and our trip to Atlanta with kids was every bit as fun as we expected it to be!
We ended up in Atlanta because a good friend was getting married in North Carolina and while hubby and I both wanted to go, it just wasn’t logistically possible with the kids so instead we all drove to Georgia and the kids and I stayed behind while hubby rented a car and went on to the wedding. People thought I was crazy for wanting to spend 2 days out of town by myself but I was either going to be home alone with kids or in Atlanta with kids so why not see something new?
The drive took us a solid 12 hours from South Florida with stops for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner but the kids did awesome in the car! (See all my tips for road trips with kids.) We arrived late to our hotel in Buckhead which is where we stayed last time as well. Buckhead is a nice area with tons of restaurants and shopping and very central to everything we wanted to do in Atlanta with kids.
We spent 4 days in Atlanta, seeing and doing tons of different things that the kids loved and catching up with lots of friends who live there (one of the main reasons I was willing to go to Atlanta with kids by myself!) We had so much fun and everything we did was entertaining for all our kids as well as ourselves.
What to do in Atlanta with Kids
Day 1: Zoo Atlanta
We started our first day dropping daddy at the rental car place and then heading to Zoo Atlanta. The kids have really gotten interested in different animals (Sugarplum loves elephants and Honeybun has been reading a lot about lions) so the zoo seemed like a good option. It’s also something I’m used to doing on my own at home (we lover our own Palm Beach Zoo) so I knew I could easily manage all 4 kids by myself.
The highlights for us at Zoo Atlanta were the panda bears which aren’t found at many zoos as well as the zoo favorites elephants, giraffes and zebras. Zoo Atlanta offers a lot more than just animal viewing, though. They also have a petting zoo, splash pad, carousel, playgrounds, feeding encounters and education stations where zoo keepers talk about animals and conservation with the kids. We didn’t do all the extras but did see all the animals (though it was a cooler, cloudy day so a lot of the animals weren’t very active). It’s a beautiful zoo, laid out well and kept us entertained until almost dinner time.
Day 2: Children’s Museum of Atlanta
The Children’s Museum of Atlanta wasn’t originally on my list of must sees even though we were in Atlanta with kids but it was what the kids wanted to do our second day without daddy so I decided to give it a go. I have to admit, I was very impressed! The museum recently went through a renovation and the facility is absolutely amazing!
There is so much to keep the kids entertained from the giant ball maze when you first walk in with pulleys, wheels and other contraptions to move balls around elevated tracks to the dairy, cafe and grocery store which keep little hands busy for hours. The museum also offers hands-on sand, science and art activities, live performances and a world of train tracks (one of Doodle’s favorite things, each table designed as a different continent, so cool!) There is also a dedicated toddler zone (which my girls were too big for so we didn’t do) and rotating special exhibits which was a wonderful exploration of love and kindness when we were visiting.
We spent the entire morning a the Children’s Museum of Atlanta, even skipping lunch because we were all so entertained! The museum is located across the street from Centennial Park and near many other Atlanta attractions so before heading back to our hotel to meet daddy for a late lunch and dinner with friends, we played at two of the wonderful Centennial Park playgrounds.
Morning 3: World of Coca-Cola
The World of Coca-Cola was on of the things we did on our first visit to Atlanta with Doodle two years ago and knew we had to bring the girls back because even though we don’t ever give them soda, it’s a really cool experience we knew they’d love. The interactive exhibits include a 4-D movie, history of Coca-Cola and advertising over the years. There is also an opportunity to meet the Coca-Cola polar bear and taste over 100 soda flavors from all over the world, which was the highlight for all of us! Plus you get a small classic glass bottle of Coca-Cola to take home.
Afternoon 3: Georgia Aquarium
It took a lot of convincing to get hubby to agree to go to the aquarium but it was hard to say no when it’s right next to the World of Coca-Cola and voted best in the country (plus I arranged to meet friends there so he couldn’t say no!) and we definitely weren’t disappointed. The aquarium is huge and laid out into different exhibits based on world ecosystems and also has dolphin and sea lion shows as well as a 4-D Happy Feet movie.
The Georgia Aquarium is definitely created with kids in mind because all the exhibits are easily accessible and easy to see for little ones. We especially loved the huge walk-through tank and Pipsqueak loved the penguins that swim right up to the floor-level window. We spent over 3 hours there and didn’t get to see everything!
After the Aquarium we headed back up near Buckhead to meet friends at the playground at Chastain Park which is a HUGE park area with tennis, swimming, walking, golfing, horse riding, ball fields as well as a large amphitheater and arts center. The playground is huge with traditional playground equipment as well as hillside slides and tree houses (on the hills, not up in the trees!) and the girls played nicely for hours while we visited with our friends.
Night 3: The Varsity
No trip to Atlanta with kids (or without!) would be complete without a stop at The Varsity. Last visit we only stopped for a classic Frosted Orange to go but this time we stopped to have a real meal with the kids. Unfortunately they weren’t as excited by it as I was but I’m still glad we took the time to go!
Day 4: Stone Mountain
Stone Mountain is just outside Atlanta to the East and we decided to stop here on the way to Jacksonville on our last day (we decided to break up the drive home with an overnight in Jacksonville and spending more time with friends there.) The natural stone mountain is quite a sight to see and there is so much to do there. We could have easily spent a whole day there with all the attractions and things to do and there is even a laser light show in the evenings projected onto the side of the huge rock mountain.
We started our visit with a trip up to the top via the gondola (you can also hike up, but we weren’t prepared for carrying both boys). The views from the top of the rock overlooking Atlanta and Georgia are breathtaking, even coming from Denver where I grew up admiring the Rockies. We wandered around the top a little and then rode the gondola down and spent some time in the museum which covers the history of Stone Mountain and the ways people have used the mountain in the past.
We also rode the train around the base of the mountain and spent some time in the Great Barn before we had to get on the road. If we had had more time, we would have checked out the Yogi Bear 4-D movie (sadly my girls did not know who Yogi bear is), played some mini golf and also let the kids check out the Geyser Towers, Skyhike and other attractions.
Overall, we loved our visit because going to Atlanta with kids is so fun and easy and I can’t wait to get back again to see more, do more and visit friends more.
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