Atlanta is spread out, so plan each day around one area. Downtown has the Children’s Museum and the Georgia Aquarium side by side, and Midtown has the Botanical Garden and the puppet theater.
The places we go back to all year. Where to eat with a toddler, where to burn off energy when it rains, where to splash, what’s worth the admission, and where to spend a night without going far.
Places where a dropped fork is no big deal and nobody minds a little noise.
A food hall in a big old brick building, so everyone can pick something different.
The classic Atlanta drive-in on North Avenue, with hot dogs and burgers.
A Southern restaurant that has served Atlanta families since 1945.
For rainy mornings, cold afternoons and anyone who needs to run in circles for an hour. For toddler classes and every indoor playground we’ve checked, with prices and sock rules, see indoor play in Atlanta.
A huge aquarium downtown. Ticket prices change by day and time, and dolphin and sea lion show reservations are free on the day you visit.
Indoor LEGO play and rides inside Phipps Plaza.
Fulton County Library’s main branch, with free toddler storytimes.
Pools, fountains, zoos and theme parks: the big all-day outings.
A zoo inside Grant Park. Ticket prices change by date, and kids under 3 are free.
Gardens next to Piedmont Park with a children’s garden and weekday programs for little kids.
Museums, animals and farm days that hold a little one’s attention.
Hands-on play spaces for kids up to about 8, next to Centennial Olympic Park and the Georgia Aquarium.
A natural history museum with big dinosaur skeletons and its own old-growth forest out back.
Puppet shows for young kids with the puppetry museum included in the ticket.
A night away without a long drive.
A 100,000-square-foot indoor water park kept at 84 degrees, included with your room.
A park on 12,000-acre Lake Allatoona with 93 campsites and four playgrounds.
These don’t change week to week. Last checked . Hours and prices change, so check the place’s own site before you go. Know a spot we missed? Tell us at hello@littlesweekly.com.
Where a family can go in Atlanta without paying for admission. For free days, free events and this week’s free outings, see every free thing to do in Atlanta. For regular free days, Museums on Us and EBT discounts in 2027, see free museum days in Atlanta.
Free or cheap for babies and toddlers, and easy with a stroller.
Downtown, 275 Centennial Olympic Park Dr. NWChildren’s Museum of AtlantaBabies 11 months and under free.Kids $19.95Adults $21.9511 months and underIndoor
Grant Park, 800 Cherokee Ave. SEZoo AtlantaUnder 3 free.Under 3
Midtown, 1345 Piedmont Ave. NEAtlanta Botanical GardenStroller paths.Downtown, 225 Baker St. NWGeorgia Aquarium2 and under free.2 and underIndoor
Downtown, One Margaret Mitchell SquareCentral LibraryFree toddler storytimes.FreeIndoorMidtown, 1404 Spring St. NWCenter for Puppetry ArtsUnder 1 is free on a lap at shows.Kids Shows from $25 ($15 members)Under 1 on a lap at shows; under 3 at the museumIndoorRecurring and free. Times change by branch, so check the calendar. For every weekly storytime by day and branch, see library storytimes in Atlanta.
Weekday morningsFree baby and toddler storytimes at branches from Roswell to East Point.
Schedule ↗Weekday morningsBaby & Me lap-sits and toddler times at branches in Duluth, Lilburn and around the county.
Schedule ↗Weekly, mostly morningsBaby and toddler storytimes east of the city, like Books and Babies at the Decatur Library on Wednesday mornings.
Schedule ↗Baby storytimes, places where babies get in free, and where to change and feed. For rainy days, see indoor play places; for zero-cost ideas, see free things to do.
Tuesdays at 12pm · Martin Luther King Jr. LibraryA half hour of music and books for kids up to 3.
Storytime calendar ↗Thursdays at 10:30am · Ponce De LeonSongs, rhymes and movement for babies up to 1.
Storytime calendar ↗Mondays at 10am · East Roswell LibraryA short storytime for babies and their grown-ups.
Storytime calendar ↗Tuesdays at 10:30am · Dogwood LibraryStories and songs for babies and toddlers.
Storytime calendar ↗
2 and under
Admission page ↗Under 3
Admission page ↗11 months and under
Admission page ↗Under 1 on a lap at shows; under 3 at the museum
Admission page ↗Santa visits and Christmas lights only run part of the year, so they have their own pages with this season’s dates and prices. For holiday and indoor rinks with season dates, prices and skate aids, see ice skating with kids in Atlanta.
The guide is the evergreen list. Here’s what’s happening in Atlanta right now.
Yes. It’s built for young kids, and babies 11 months and under get in free. It’s closed on Wednesdays outside summer.
Yes. Show tickets include the puppetry museum, and babies under 1 sit on a lap for free. Check each show’s age range first.
It suits kids about 3 and up. Younger toddlers who still mouth small bricks will have a harder time.
Yes. Central Library is free or have a free entry. See the free list.
Go indoors: Georgia Aquarium, LEGO Discovery Center Atlanta and Central Library. They’re all under one roof, and most work for a short visit around nap time.
Children’s Museum of Atlanta: Babies 11 months and under free. Zoo Atlanta: Under 3 free. Atlanta Botanical Garden, Georgia Aquarium and Central Library are also easy with a baby or toddler. Free for the littlest: Georgia Aquarium (2 and under) and Center for Puppetry Arts (Under 1 on a lap at shows; under 3 at the museum). See best for under 3s.
Fulton County Library System: Weekday mornings. Gwinnett County Public Library: Weekday mornings. DeKalb County Public Library: Weekly, mostly mornings. Library storytimes don’t need a ticket, but times change by branch, so check the calendar first. See library storytimes, and this week’s dated sessions are on the Atlanta weekly list.
Every one of the 13 places is somewhere we’d take a baby, toddler or preschooler, with a note on who it suits and when to skip it. Prices, hours and menus come from each place’s own site, and 5 of them have checked admission or menu prices. The guide was last checked Oct 26, 2026. How we choose and check.
Under 3. We checked this on its official site on Oct 26, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.
11 months and under; kids 1–18: $19.95; adults: $21.95. We checked this on its official site on Oct 26, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.
One short email every Thursday evening with the five things we’d leave the house for in Atlanta.
