How to Spend a Family-Friendly Day in Atlanta

The newly renovated historic Sears, Roebuck & Co. building in Atlanta is now the famous Ponce City Market. The market features various shops, an enormous food hall with great restaurants, and office space. But the market also features an amazing rooftop experience named Skyline Park that the entire family can enjoy. Accessed from a freight elevator, families will experience panoramic views of the city, an 18-hole mini-golf course, boardwalk-style games, craft cocktails for the adults, a beer garden restaurant, music everyone can enjoy and a large amusement slide that even the adults love to try.

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Home to many of Atlanta’s largest annual events, Piedmont Park is Atlanta’s premiere greenspace. The breathtaking park boasts walking paths, picnic facilities, playgrounds, tennis courts, a public swimming pool, two ponds, large space for baseball games and a dog park. There are a number of family-friendly festivals that take place at the park, including Atlanta Jazz Festival, Atlanta Dogwood Festival, the Gay Pride Festival and Screen on the Green. Next to the park sits Atlanta Botanical Gardens, a 30-acre botanical conservation park that also is fun for the family to explore.

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Atlanta, Georgia is the birth home of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting the historic site to learn about his life and contributions to the movement is a great family bonding experience. Over 30 acres of land, The Martin Luther King National Historic Site comprises the King Center, iconic landmarks including Ebenezer Baptist Church where Dr. King served as co-pastor with his father and where his funeral was held. The historic site also includes the birth home of Dr. King, now a museum and the site of the tombs of Dr. and Mrs. King.

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Housing more than 100,000 animals and sea creatures, the Georgia Aquarium is an adventure for the entire family. From its opening in 2005, it was the largest aquarium in the world but was surpassed in 2012. Visitors of the aquarium get to see whale sharks, beluga whales, California sea lions, bottlenose dolphins, manta rays, turtles, stingrays and so much more. There are special exhibits and even interactive shows with their aquatic animals.

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Atlanta is home to a number of amazing museums and art institutions. If you have very small children, the Children’s Museum of Atlanta is the only museum in the city designed specifically for young kids. For a family into science, visit Fernbank. It’s a museum filled with dinosaurs exhibits, live animals, cultural artifacts and hands-on science explorations. Fernbank features a planetarium, an observatory area and outdoor gardens. The High Museum, Atlanta’s premier art museum, also features many rotating exhibits and interactive shows for everyone in the family.

Open only on the weekends until May, Six Flags Over Georgia is an amusement park, but it’s not just for the kids. Located west of Atlanta, the 290-acre park features dozens of themed rides, several thriller roller coasters, attractions for all ages, games, food, interactive shows, water rides in the summer and carousels.

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A former railway corridor renovated as a multi-use trail, the Atlanta Beltline offers a fun experience for everyone in the family. The 22-mile urban redevelopment connects 45 in-town neighborhoods. It features captivating street art and installations along the trail, dozens of family-friendly restaurants with patios, stores, ice cream shops and even a skateboarding pike. Families take the opportunity to jog, walk their dogs, bike ride and just stroll while taking in the sights. There are many family-friendly festivals and events like the Lantern Festival that take place on the Atlanta Beltline so check event schedules online.

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Bowling is a fun way for your family to not only bond but enjoy a little family competition. Many facilities have arcade games, state-of-the-art lanes, great food options, adult beverages and fun beverage options for the kids. The Painted Pin has 20 lanes and even plush couches for lounging. People have been knocking down pins at Midtown Bowl since 1960. They have affordable food and beverages for the entire family.

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