The Most Fun Things To Do In Atlanta with Kids

I love traveling to visit friends and family because they know where to find hidden gems in their city.

An old friend of mine currently lives in Georgia and I've wanted her to meet my family and vice versa for quite some time. So last spring, we took our two little kids to Atlanta.

We had some ideas of what we wanted to on our trip, and my friend had some even better recommendations.

Here are eight ideas to consider for a vacation to Atlanta, with or without kids, including some well known attractions and a few local finds.

Number four is about one of our all time favorite dining experiences!


1. SEE WHALE SHARKS AT GEORGIA AQUARIUM

This is the largest aquarium in the United States and the only one that is home to manta rays and whale sharks. Aside from visiting my old friend, this was our reason for coming to Atlanta. My husband loves aquariums and he was not disappointed. 

We enjoyed watching the beluga whales play, the dolphins race, and the tiger shark and hammerhead sharks prowl in their dim and creepy tank. 

And of course, there are tons of smaller exhibits of the unique aquatic animals such albino alligators and fire eels.

The best, though, were the whale sharks and Georgia Aquarium is the only one in the US where you can see them.

They are housed in an 11 million gallon aquarium with a huge tunnel for viewing. Watching the largest fish in the world up close was breath taking. I especially loved seeing the manta rays glide so effortlessly through the water. 

The whole experience was relaxing like sitting around a campfire and watching the flames dance, only this was much better. I found myself wishing I could lay on a king size bed, preferably a waterbed, in that aquarium tunnel and watch these amazing animals for hours.

2. VISIT THE BIRTH HOME OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

My only disappointment on this vacation was that we didn't make it to this historic site.

The whole street is now a historical park so there is a lot to see there. You'll need to plan carefully if you want a guided tour of Dr King's childhood home because groups are kept small and you can't make a reservation. 

Go to the National Parks Service website for more information. And if you go here, tell me all about it! 


3. GO TO A GAME AT TRUIST PARK

Personally, I'm not a big fan of baseball, but my husband likes it and he wanted to take our son to an MLB game. The Braves were his favorite team when he was a little boy and was thrilled to see them play in person.

I recommend you have lunch at Terrapin Taproom where they serve some delicious barbecue. We are there before the game all the food was great; even our kids enjoyed it.

It was extra fun going to a game with our little boy. His favorite part was when the Braves scored a homerun and the whole crowd cheered to the sound of fireworks. 

He also got to run the bases when the game was over. I didn't know this before, but apparently kids ages 4-14 can run the bases after Sunday afternoon games.

He was so cute out there! And even if he doesn't remember it, I will always cherish the image of his arms and legs flailing as he ran without a care in the world. 

4. EAT AT HENRY'S LOUISIANA GRILL

This place is phenomenal and has become one of our favorite dining experiences ever. We just kept ordering food because everything was so delicious. 

(See the menu here.)

To start, we got the Cajun Sampler with a cup of shrimp Creole, ètouffèe, and gumbo. My husband liked the gumbo best and for me, it was a close call, but the ètouffèe came in first. 

We got popcorn crawfish for our kids and ate our fair share of that too. Next came Hot Chili Gator with remoulade. It was tender, crisp, and had the perfect level of spice. 

For our entrée, we shared the Atchafalaya Catfish and were practically singing with every bite. 

My friend let me have a few bites of her Chicken Ooh La La and, oh my goodness. I'm not partial to pasta dishes in general so you know it must be true when I say it was amazing. 

My husband really wanted to try the fried frog legs so he and I each ate one. Well, I ate some of mine. It was the only thing we got that I didn't love though it was well prepared and the flavor was delightful. The texture of the meat was the only downside, and while I liked it, I didn't love it. Worth trying, though. 

My only real regret with this dinner is that I was physically incapable of eating everything I wanted to order. I have no doubt that other dishes like the boudin, red beans and rice, and po'boys would have been wonderful as well. 

If I lived in Acworth, I would 100% have a party and order the 9 foot long po'boy with everything on it! 

Henry's is located 31 miles (forty-five minutes) north of downtown Atlanta, and it's worth the drive.


5. WALK THROUGH A HISTORIC CIVIL WAR BATTLEFIELD

As much as we enjoy exploring new cities, we like to be in nature even more. Combine a walk in nature with history and we're golden.

We do our best to get our kids outdoors as much as possible. So we took a break from downtown Atlanta and had ourselves a picnic and a long walk at the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.

Kennesaw Mountain was a minor Civil War battle which is why it was shocking for me to learn that 4,000 soldiers were killed there over the course of two weeks. 3,000 of the casulaities were Union soldiers. You can learn more about the battle at the visitor's center and throughout your hike, but we were mostly there to be outdoors with our kids.

We walked one of the loop trails which was about 1.5 miles and very little elevation gain so even our four year old could walk the whole thing.  

6. RELAX AT LAKE ACWORTH

Acworth Lake is so pretty and not at all busy in the spring. It's located hour drive north of downtown Atlanta where there is a lovely beach, a big playground, and several docks and bridges you can walk along and take in the views of the pristine lake. It was nice being there with our kids because they helped me be present in contrast to a vacation spent rushing around to see as much as possible. 

7. EAT AT A TRUETT'S CHICK-FIL-A

Don't bother with the original Chick-fil-A. Instead, go to one of four Truett Chick-fil-A locations.

These are sit-down restaurants with everything on the regular menu plus more.

They serve breakfast all day and we especially liked the southwest omelet. 


8. TOUR THE WORLD OF COCA-COLA

Did you know Coca-Cola was invented in Atlanta in 1886? And yes, the original recipe contained cocaine.

The history of the world's most popular soda is showcased in a museum right next door to Georgia Aquarium.

While there, you can sample dozens of sodas, some of which never made it to the public market.

More than one person told me this place is fun to see, but I am a Dr Pepper girl and simply had no interest. It sounds like it would be fun for kids but the aquarium was enough for us.

ONE FINAL SUGGESTION

If you're hoping to travel to Georgia, consider the time of year you go. The weather gets hot and humid in the summer, so we planned our trip in the spring.

The temperatures were perfect in late April and we had no problem hiking in the middle of the day.

I believe this made the trip much more enjoyable for our young kids and, in turn, easier on ourselves.

So, plan your stay in the spring or fall, and find yourself an inexpensive Airbnb somewhere just outside of the city.

 

What is one thing you would like to do in Atlanta?

Hi! My name is Kait. Follow this link to learn more about me and my blog.