Top 20 Places to Take Kids in and around Atlanta - 2021

Smith-Gilbert Gardens is the City of Kennesaw’s botanical garden. Recognized by Cobb Travel & Tourism as one of the Top 10 places to visit in Cobb County, the 17-acre property is rich with botanical, artistic and historic treasures. Fifteen themed garden spaces, anchored by the reconstruction era Hiram Butler House, contain more than 4,000 different plants, several rare in American gardens. The award winning “Garden with Wings” butterfly house (open every July) promotes conservation of beneficial Georgia native pollinators.

An accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Zoo Atlanta saves wildlife and their habitats through conservation, research, education and engaging experiences. The Zoo Atlanta experience connects people to animals and inspires conservation action.

Because science matters, we engage, educate, and inspire visitors to make scientific connections through dynamic exhibits and enriching experiences.

The mission of the Atlanta Botanical Garden is to develop and maintain plant collections for display, education, research, conservation and enjoyment.

Georgia Aquarium contains more than 10 million gallons of water with over 500 different species. Georgia Aquarium is a nonprofit committed to inspiring awareness and preservation of our ocean and aquatic animals worldwide. 

Atlanta United joined Major League Soccer in 2017 and won the 2018 MLS Cup in just its second season, the earliest an expansion team has won the title since 1998. The club has set multiple league records including season tickets sales (36,000-plus), single-game attendance (72,548), single-season average (53,002) and total home attendance (901,033). Owned by Arthur M. Blank, and led by club President Darren Eales, Atlanta United plays its home matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Grammy® Award-winning Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is one of the Southeast’s premiere ensembles. The ASO presents a variety of concerts each year, with programming that ranges from classical masterworks to movie soundtracks to contemporary compositions. Family-friendly offerings, including the Family Concert Series and Music for the Very Young, designed for children five and under, allow kids of all ages to experience the thrill of live music.

The Chattahoochee Nature Center's (CNC) mission is to connect people with nature. Being outdoors is more important than ever to our communities' health and well-being. At CNC, visitors of all ages have 127 acres to safely explore and endless opportunities to connect with nature while learning about Georgia's ecosystem. CNC features three ponds, six woodland and wetland trails, including a newly renovated 2,000-foot river boardwalk. We offer a space for quiet, reflective moments, or more active options such as hiking, ziplining, or canoeing. CNC also offers programs involving rehabilitated native wildlife, horticulture, photography, art, and more. Our goal is to encourage life-long learning and demonstrate the important role nature plays in our daily lives.  Visit our website at www.chattnaturecenter.org.

The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League as a member club of the league's National Football Conference South division.

The Atlanta Gladiators are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Duluth, Georgia. The Gladiators have played in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. 

Founded in 1973 as Nexus, a grassroots artists’ cooperative, Atlanta Contemporary has since become one of the southeast’s leading contemporary art centers. We play a vital role in Atlanta’s cultural landscape by presenting over 200 consequential artists and creatives from the local, national, and international art scenes through our various exhibition, project spaces, and programs each year.

We commission new works, paying particular attention to artists who have not had a significant exhibition in the Southeast. We organize over 125 programs annually including Contemporary Kids, Contemporary Cocktails, Contemporary Talks, and more! Atlanta Contemporary provides 13 on-site subsidized studio space to working artists through the Studio Artist Program.

The Atlanta School of Gymnastics was started by Tom Cook in 1976 and has been a member of the community for over 40 years. We have been competing in the USAG program for over 30 years and are grateful to have found some of the best coaches in our state to coach within our program. All of our coaches are professional members of USAG, background checked and safety certified through USAG.