Best of Atlanta Family Fun
The votes are in and one thing’s for certain: Atlanta Parent has the best readers in Atlanta. Our families are passionate about spending time with their children and want other families to discover all the places they love. For family fun, you can’t go wrong with any of the top venues in each category – we want readers to try them all!
Best Local Attraction to Spend an Afternoon with the Kids
Atlanta BeltLine: Walk, bike or run the 22-mile trail that connects many Atlanta neighborhoods. Admire artwork, search for the Tiny Doors and stop for a treat at Krog Street Market or Ponce City Market along the way. beltline.org
Children’s Museum of Atlanta: Spend the day learning about science, food and technology, or enjoy daily storytelling, performances, science experiments or art projects. childrensmuseumatlanta.org
Fernbank Museum of Natural History: Families love the new addition to Fernbank, WildWoods, which features outdoor areas to explore, playgrounds and nature-viewing vistas. fernbankmuseum.org
Best Place to Wear out the Kids
Sky Zone: Play basketball, jump on trampolines or into the large foam pit. Five locations in metro Atlanta. skyzone.com
Catch Air: An indoor play and party space with slides and more. Six locations in metro Atlanta. catchairparty.com
HippoHopp: Eco-friendly indoor play areas, a reusable discount card and a large toddler area. Atlanta. hippohopp.com
Best Playground
PlayTown Suwanee: A magical bus, castle, log cabin, boat, elephant, slides and more located on Main Street in Suwanee.
Bessie Branham Park: Large wooden play structure with bridges, swings and slides located in Kirkwood.
Chastain Park Playground: Outdoor piano, treehouse, large slides and more in Chastain Park.
Best Nature Center
Chattahoochee Nature Center: Wildlife and nature, hands-on fun, camps and more await families in this Roswell treasure. chattnaturecenter.org
Dunwoody Nature Center: Butterflies, birds, classes, day camp and overnight stays – plenty to love. dunwoodynature.org
Blue Heron Nature Preserve: Spot beavers, monarch butterflies, birds and other wildlife in this nature area on Roswell Road. bhnp.org
Best Garden
Atlanta Botanical Garden: Visit the newly-remodeled children’s garden and attend special programming and exhibits in the heart of Atlanta. atlantabg.org
Gibbs Garden: More than 50 acres of daffodils bloom from March to mid-April – just one of many reasons to visit this 292-acre garden in Ball Ground. gibbsgardens.com
Woodlands Garden: The urban preserve in Decatur has birds, bugs and many native plants to see. The garden hosts Fairies in the Garden and other children’s events throughout the year. woodlandsgarden.org
Best Museum
Fernbank Museum of Natural History: Walk through Georgia’s history, see towering dinosaur skeletons, view a traveling exhibit, and participate in special children’s activities. fernbankmuseum.org
Children’s Museum of Atlanta: The museum has always offered interactive activities for the toddler set, but after the expansion and renovation, it now keeps older kids engaged, too. childrensmuseumatlanta.org
High Museum of Art: Helps children develop an appreciation for art at an early age with children’s programs, permanent and special exhibits. high.org
Best Specialty Museum
Tellus Science Museum: Dig for fossils and pan for gems, see dinosaur bones and science in motion. tellusmuseum.org
Center for Civil and Human Rights: Learn about Civil and Human Rights leaders through interactive technology. Kids get free admission on SPARK Saturdays. civilandhumanrights.org
College Football Hall of Fame: See memorabilia from football greats, try your hand in the Skill Zone and access your stats online after you leave. cfbhall.com
Best Kids Theater
Center for Puppetry Arts: The newly-expanded center offers a variety of classic story adaptations, new works and traveling shows. puppet.org
Theatre for the Very Young at Alliance Theatre: The grandparent of children’s theatre offers year-round shows for ages 0-5 and their parents. alliancetheatre.org
Aurora Children’s Playhouse: Adaptations of popular books and stories, and intended for kids to experience puppeteers, magicians, storytellers and musicians. auroratheatre.com
Best Animal Attraction
Zoo Atlanta: Visit the new twin panda cubs or stay overnight with the NightCrawlers program, and learn what it takes to be a zookeeper. zooatlanta.org
Georgia Aquarium: See a giant whale shark and learn about other creatures that live in and around the sea, or take part in Toddler Time, a program for toddlers with costumed characters, storytime and crafts. georgiaaquarium.org
Wild Animal Safari: Visit a safari right outside of metro Atlanta in Pine Mountain. The drive-through park has 65 species of animals from lions to giraffes to peacocks and lizards. animalsafari.com
Best Place for a Sweet Treat with the Kids
Morelli’s Ice Cream: Over 200 homemade flavors to make your favorite combination. Moreland Avenue; Chamblee-Dunwoody Road inside Farm Burger. morellisicecream.com
Jake’s Ice Cream: Old-school ice cream shop with weekly inventive flavors. Atlanta. jakesicecream.com
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams: Has national scoop shop locations and Atlanta is lucky enough to have three of them. Atlanta and Decatur. jenis.com
Best Family Restaurant
Flying Biscuit: With healthy and decadent options, there is a brunch item sure to please every family member. A fluffy, buttery biscuit is served with each meal. 14 locations in metro Atlanta. flyingbiscuit.com
Yeah Burger: Kid favorites: burgers, grilled cheese, chicken fingers and vegan and vegetarian burgers. Virginia Highland and West Midtown. yeahburger.com
Fresh to Order: Eight locations in metro Atlanta with kid’s menu items including: seared salmon, grilled chicken, Caesar salad and more. freshtoorder.com
Bantam + Biddy: Southern favorites on the kids’ menu including: fried chicken or vegetable plate. Full breakfast menu also available. Three locations in metro Atlanta. bantamandbiddy.com
Best Local Kids Toy Store
Rhen’s Nest Toy Shop: Wide variety of educational and unique toys. Atlanta. rhensnesttoyshop.com
Learning Express: Five metro Atlanta stores make it convenient to find educational and fun toys, and play with them before you buy. learningexpress.com
Richard’s Variety Store: Toys, games, random finds, arts and crafts and more. Atlanta and Buckhead. richardsvarietystore.com
Treehouse Kid & Craft: Toys, décor, crafts, clothing and more at two locations in Decatur and Athens. treehousekidandcraft.com
Best Place to Buy Books for Kids
Little Shop of Stories: Carefully selected books with an especially good section for pre-teen and teen readers, storytime, and special author events. littleshopofstories.com
Half Price Books: Discounted selection of books including best-sellers. hpb.com
Barnes & Noble: Storytime, activities and plenty of books make this a favorite. barnesandnoble.com
Best Birthday Place
Main Event Entertainment: Laser tag, gravity ropes, bowling and more. They handle invitations, set up and clean up. mainevent.com
Stars & Strikes: Bowl, ride in bumper cars, or play laser tag. The party team takes care of set up and guides the kids to each area of play. starsandstrikes.com
Little Shop of Stories: Themed storytime of your child’s choosing. Invitations and paper goods provided. littleshopofstories.com
Tiny Towne: Kids love to learn to drive in this miniature city park in Norcross. Activities, food and a party coordinator make party planning easy. tinytowne.com
Best Place for Music Fun
The Music Class: 14 locations in metro Atlanta. themusicclass.com
Gymboree Play & Music: Four locations in metro Atlanta. gymboreeclasses.com
Community Music Centers of Atlanta: Three locations in metro Atlanta. cmcatlanta.com
Best Place for a Kids Haircut
Pigtails and Crewcuts: Five locations in metro Atlanta. pigtailsandcrewcuts.com
Salon Red Kids: Three locations in metro Atlanta. salonred.com
Relish Kids: Atlanta. relishsalon.net
Best Kids Place for Crafting
Little House of Art: Chamblee; Atlanta.littlehouseofart.com
Art Attack: East Atlanta. facebook.com/pg/ArtAttackKids
2 Crafty Chicks: Decatur. twocraftychicks.com
Best Kids Consignment/Resale Store
Once Upon a Child: Ten metro stores. onceuponachild.com
Kid to Kid: Nine metro stores. kidtokid.com
Sweet Repeats: Buckhead. sweetrepeatsatlanta.com
Best Kids Clothing & Specialty Retail
Happy Mango: Atlanta. shophappymango.com
Mint Julep: Atlanta. mintjulepga.com
The Seed Factory: Atlanta. seedfactoryatlanta.com
Best Place to Have a Baby
Northside Hospital Atlanta: northside.com
Piedmont Atlanta Hospital: piedmont.org
DeKalb Medical: dekalbmedical.org
Best ER Facility
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta: choa.org
Northside Hospital Atlanta: northside.com
Grady Hospital: gradyhealth.org
Best Restaurant for a Special Date Night
Canoe: Set on the Chattahoochee River in Vinings, Canoe offers a warm atmosphere with an exposed kitchen and flavorful dishes. canoeatl.com
Murphy’s: Upscale comfort food focusing on local ingredients, located in Virginia Highland. murphys-atlanta-restaurant.com
Best Night out for Moms and Dads
Skyline Park at Ponce City Market: Feel like a kid again while playing mini-golf and carnival games, but also gaze at the awesome skyline views. skylineparkatlanta.com
Starlight Drive-In: The largest of Georgia’s dwindling selection of drive-in theaters. starlightdrivein.com
Catching a show at Alliance Theatre: Enjoy a wide variety of theatrical productions throughout the year. alliancetheatre.org
Best Day Trip with Kids
Chattanooga
Serenbe in Chattahoochee Hills
Dahlonega
Best Overnight Trip with Kids
Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain: callawaygardens.com
U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala.: rocketcenter.com
Adventure Science Center in Nashville, Tenn.: adventuresci.org
Best Family Vehicle
Honda Odyssey
Toyota Sienna
Ford Explorer
Best Kept Secrets in Atlanta
Our readers had many great suggestions for best kept secrets. Here are our favorites:
Cascade Springs Nature Preserve: Hike to the waterfall and Civil War battle site through mossy trails and forests. 2852 Cascade Rd. SW, Atlanta.
EAA Young Eagles Aviation Program: Gives ages 8-17 their first free ride in an airplane. eaa.org
Hudgens Center for the Arts Toddler Fridays: The last Friday of each month the center hosts hands-on activities and storytime for ages 1-4. thehudgens.org
IKEA Småland: A fun, supervised play area in the entrance lobby for children while you shop. ikea.com/us/en/store/atlanta/service
Lake Claire Community Land Trust: Gardens, community event areas, paths and even an Emu. 270 Arizona Ave. NE Atlanta. lcclt.org
Rent a Boat on Lake Lanier: Rent a pontoon boat with life jackets and water tubes included and enjoy a day on the water. lanierrental.com
Movie Tavern: Breakfast and a flick on Saturdays and Sundays. movietavern.com
Atlanta Streetcar: Take a ride on the loop and visit the playground at Woodruff Park, and then have a snack at Sweet Auburn Curb Market. streetcar.atlantaga.gov
Your DeKalb Farmer’s Market: Quickly become transported around the world with flavors and produce galore. Don’t miss the tanks full of live fish and the café serving dishes from many different countries. dekalbfarmersmarket.com
