Seeing Atlanta with children is truly a wonderful experience. The city has so much to offer young and old alike, and this day features the beauty of both flora and fauna as you see animals galore at one of the nation’s top aquariums, as well as a relaxing visit to a beautiful botanic garden.
Please note that this is not an itinerary submitted by an actual family. This day was planned by one of our travel experts as a recommendation for a family of children with ages 4 through late teens, based on knowledge of the city. Factors such as time, cost and distance have been considered to make this a great day to get a sense of the city and keep the children and teens interested and engaged.
Address: 225 Baker St. NW Atlanta, GA 30313
Phone: 404-581-4000
Hours: Sunday – Friday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Saturday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Website: http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/
Admission: Adults – $36, Children – $30
With over 100,000 animals living in 10 million gallons of marine and fresh water, the Georgia Aquarium was the world’s largest aquarium when it opened in 2005. Georgia Aquarium is the only institution outside of Asia that houses whale sharks. The aquarium was designed around the whale shark exhibit, which is a giant tank housing over 6 million gallons of water. Along with whale sharks, the Ocean Voyager exhibit houses manta rays and thousands of fish from over 50 species, making it the largest indoor aquatic habitat in the world. The Georgia-Pacific Cold Water Quest features animals from polar and temperate regions of the world, including beluga whales, sea otters, African penguins and more. The SunTrust Georgia Explorer exhibit is an interactive gallery with touch pools featuring horseshoe crabs, sea stars, stingrays and sharks as well as a gallery with sea turtles and local fish. River Scout features an overhead river where visitors can see albino alligators, otters and North American fish from beneath. This aquarium is one you won’t want to miss when visiting Atlanta.
Address: 1345 Piedmont Avenue NE Atlanta, Georgia 30309
Phone: 404-876-5859
Hours: Tuesday – Sunday April – October 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
November – March 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Thursdays May – October 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Website: http://atlantabotanicalgarden.org/
Admission: Adults – $19, Children – $13
Enjoy 30 acres of beautiful gardens filled with a variety of native and exotic plants. Stroll along the 600-foot long Kendeda Canopy Walk, a skywalk that allows visitors to see one of the city’s last remaining urban forests from 40 feet in the air. There are a number of indoor and outdoor plant collections at the facility. The Desert House contains dry plants native to Madagascar and Southern Africa. View a hybrid of Asian styles at the Japanese Garden, which also has a sheltered teahouse, a flowing waterfall and a small pond. Along with the plant collections, visitors will also see a variety of animals throughout the garden. Keep an eye out for dart frogs, geckos, yellow saffron finches, tropical wood turtles, tortoises and alligator snapping turtles.