# Things to do with toddlers and little kids in Atlanta: the parent guide

> 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.

- Last checked: 2026-10-26
- 13 places for ages 0–6, with admission and menu prices from each place’s own site
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/atlanta/guide/
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/atlanta/index.md
- Visiting guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/atlanta/visiting/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/atlanta/llms.txt

## Kid-friendly restaurants

### Ponce City Market (Old Fourth Ward, on the BeltLine Eastside Trail)

- A food hall in a big old brick building, so everyone can pick something different.
- Price level: $$
- Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–10pm; Sun 11am–10pm
- Good for: Lunch after the Botanical Garden or a BeltLine walk.
- Skip if: you want a quiet sit-down meal.
- Website: https://www.poncecitymarket.com/

### The Varsity (Midtown, 61 North Ave.)

- The classic Atlanta drive-in on North Avenue, with hot dogs and burgers.
- Price level: $
- Hours: Sun–Thu 10:30am–8pm; Fri–Sat 10:30am–9pm
- Good for: A quick, cheap lunch near downtown.
- Skip if: it’s Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas; it’s closed.
- Website: https://thevarsity.com/pages/the-varsity-atlanta

### Mary Mac’s Tea Room (Midtown, 224 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE)

- A Southern restaurant that has served Atlanta families since 1945.
- Price level: $$
- Hours: Daily 11am–9pm
- Good for: A sit-down Southern supper.
- Skip if: you want a weekend table without a reservation; they fill quickly.
- Website: https://www.marymacs.com/

## Indoor play and rainy days

### Georgia Aquarium (Downtown, 225 Baker St. NW)

- 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.
- Price level: $$$
- Tickets: 2 and under
- Good for: A rainy day with any age.
- Skip if: you want a quiet visit on a weekend.
- Price source: https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/tickets/ (checked 2026-10-26)
- Website: https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/tickets/

### LEGO Discovery Center Atlanta (Buckhead, Phipps Plaza)

- Indoor LEGO play and rides inside Phipps Plaza.
- Price level: $$
- Tickets: kids Tickets from $24.99
- Hours: 10am–5pm (last entry 3:30pm)
- Good for: A rainy afternoon with kids 3 and up.
- Skip if: your kids are still putting bricks in their mouths.
- Price source: https://www.legodiscoverycenter.com/atlanta/ (checked 2026-10-26)
- Website: https://www.legodiscoverycenter.com/atlanta/

### Central Library (Downtown, One Margaret Mitchell Square)

- Fulton County Library’s main branch, with free toddler storytimes.
- Price level: Free
- Good for: A free storytime downtown.
- Skip if: you need it on a holiday.
- Website: https://fulcolibrary.bibliocommons.com/v2/events

## Parks and outdoor play

### Zoo Atlanta (Grant Park, 800 Cherokee Ave. SE)

- A zoo inside Grant Park. Ticket prices change by date, and kids under 3 are free.
- Price level: $$
- Tickets: Under 3
- Hours: Weekdays 9am–5pm (last entry 3:30pm); weekends 9am–6pm (last entry 4:30pm)
- Good for: A morning walk with a stroller.
- Skip if: it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas Day; it’s closed.
- Price source: https://zooatlanta.org/visit/ (checked 2026-10-26)
- Website: https://zooatlanta.org/visit/

### Atlanta Botanical Garden (Midtown, 1345 Piedmont Ave. NE)

- Gardens next to Piedmont Park with a children’s garden and weekday programs for little kids.
- Price level: $$
- Hours: Tue–Sun 9am–7pm through Oct 31; closed Mondays
- Good for: A stroller morning and a toddler program.
- Skip if: it’s a Monday; the Garden is closed Mondays.
- Website: https://atlantabg.org/plan-your-visit/

## Museums, zoos and big outings

### Children’s Museum of Atlanta (Downtown, 275 Centennial Olympic Park Dr. NW)

- Hands-on play spaces for kids up to about 8, next to Centennial Olympic Park and the Georgia Aquarium.
- Price level: $$
- Tickets: kids 1–18 $19.95; adults $21.95; 11 months and under
- Hours: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 10am–3:30pm; Sat–Sun 9:30am–4:30pm; closed Wednesdays August–June
- Good for: A morning with a toddler or preschooler.
- Skip if: it’s a Wednesday outside summer; it’s closed Wednesdays from August through June.
- Price source: https://childrensmuseumatlanta.org/plan-your-visit/ (checked 2026-10-26)
- Website: https://childrensmuseumatlanta.org/plan-your-visit/

### Fernbank Museum (Druid Hills)

- A natural history museum with big dinosaur skeletons and its own old-growth forest out back.
- Price level: $$
- Hours: Daily 10am–5pm
- Good for: Kids who love dinosaurs.
- Skip if: you want something for a baby who won’t look up.
- Website: https://www.fernbankmuseum.org/

### Center for Puppetry Arts (Midtown, 1404 Spring St. NW)

- Puppet shows for young kids with the puppetry museum included in the ticket.
- Price level: $$
- Tickets: kids Shows from $25 ($15 members); Under 1 on a lap at shows; under 3 at the museum
- Good for: A first theater outing with a preschooler.
- Skip if: your child is under 4 and the show is marked 4 and up.
- Price source: https://puppet.org/shows-events/spookhouse-annie/ (checked 2026-10-26)
- Website: https://puppet.org/

## Staycation spots

### Great Wolf Lodge LaGrange (LaGrange)

- A 100,000-square-foot indoor water park kept at 84 degrees, included with your room.
- Price level: $$$
- Good for: A water park weekend southwest of the city.
- Skip if: you want to be back in town quickly; LaGrange is a real drive.
- Website: https://www.greatwolf.com/georgia

### Red Top Mountain State Park (Cartersville, 50 Lodge Rd. SE)

- A park on 12,000-acre Lake Allatoona with 93 campsites and four playgrounds.
- Price level: $
- Good for: Camping with playgrounds nearby.
- Skip if: you didn’t budget for parking; the daily ParkPass fee is separate from the campsite.
- Website: https://gastateparks.org/RedTopMountain

## Free things to do

- Central Library

## Best for under 3s

- **Children’s Museum of Atlanta**: Babies 11 months and under free.
- **Zoo Atlanta**: Under 3 free.
- **Atlanta Botanical Garden**: Stroller paths.
- **Georgia Aquarium**: 2 and under free.
- **Central Library**: Free toddler storytimes.
- **Center for Puppetry Arts**: Under 1 is free on a lap at shows.

## Things to do with a baby or a 1-year-old

### Baby and lap-sit storytimes

- **Busy Bees Baby Storytime** (Fulton County Library System): Tuesdays at 12pm · Martin Luther King Jr. Library. A half hour of music and books for kids up to 3. https://fulcolibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/69e91fe824bd39b0b5e831ce
- **Baby Storytime** (Fulton County Library System): Thursdays at 10:30am · Ponce De Leon. Songs, rhymes and movement for babies up to 1. https://fulcolibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6a219d55703c3363002c3a65
- **Baby Storytime** (Fulton County Library System): Mondays at 10am · East Roswell Library. A short storytime for babies and their grown-ups. https://fulcolibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6a7500bbe30fe4845967864c
- **Storytime for Babies and Tots** (Fulton County Library System): Tuesdays at 10:30am · Dogwood Library. Stories and songs for babies and toddlers. https://fulcolibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6ad7ceaaebad22004546b397

### Babies get in free

- **Georgia Aquarium**: 2 and under. https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/tickets/
- **Zoo Atlanta**: Under 3. https://zooatlanta.org/visit/
- **Children’s Museum of Atlanta**: 11 months and under. https://childrensmuseumatlanta.org/plan-your-visit/
- **Center for Puppetry Arts**: Under 1 on a lap at shows; under 3 at the museum. https://puppet.org/shows-events/spookhouse-annie/

## Library storytimes

- **Fulton County Library System**: Weekday mornings. Free baby and toddler storytimes at branches from Roswell to East Point. https://fulcolibrary.bibliocommons.com/v2/events
- **Gwinnett County Public Library**: Weekday mornings. Baby & Me lap-sits and toddler times at branches in Duluth, Lilburn and around the county. https://gwinnettpl.libnet.info/events
- **DeKalb County Public Library**: Weekly, mostly mornings. Baby and toddler storytimes east of the city, like Books and Babies at the Decatur Library on Wednesday mornings. https://events.dekalblibrary.org/


## Happening this week

- **Boo at the Zoo** (Sat 9am–4pm) at Zoo Atlanta. Free with general admission (prices vary by date); under 3 free. https://littlesweekly.com/atlanta/#e-boo_at_the_zoo_atlanta
- **Spookhouse Annie at the Center for Puppetry Arts** (10am and 11:30am) at Center for Puppetry Arts. From $25 ($15 members); under 1 free on a lap. https://littlesweekly.com/atlanta/#e-spookhouse_annie
- **Pumpkin Festival at Stone Mountain Park** (Fri–Sun, hours vary) at Stone Mountain Park. Included with a Daily Attraction Ticket or Mountain Membership. https://littlesweekly.com/atlanta/#e-stone_mountain_pumpkin_festival
- **Fall Family Fun at the Atlanta Botanical Garden** (10am–noon) at Atlanta Botanical Garden. Free with Garden admission. https://littlesweekly.com/atlanta/#e-abg_fall_family_fun
- **Día de los Muertos at the Children’s Museum of Atlanta** (Thu–Sun, hours vary) at Children’s Museum of Atlanta. $19.95 ages 1–18; $21.95 adults; 11 months and under free. https://littlesweekly.com/atlanta/#e-cma_dia_de_los_muertos

Full list with every outing: https://littlesweekly.com/atlanta/index.md

## Holiday pages

- [Santa in Atlanta: breakfast with Santa, photos and Santa trains (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/atlanta/santa/index.md)
- [Christmas lights in Atlanta for little kids (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/atlanta/christmas-lights/index.md)

## About this list
- Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city.
- How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com).
- Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list.
- How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote.

## FAQ

### Is the Children’s Museum of Atlanta good for toddlers?
Yes. It’s built for young kids, and babies 11 months and under get in free. It’s closed on Wednesdays outside summer.

### Is the Center for Puppetry Arts good for preschoolers?
Yes. Show tickets include the puppetry museum, and babies under 1 sit on a lap for free. Check each show’s age range first.

### Is LEGO Discovery Center good for toddlers?
It suits kids about 3 and up. Younger toddlers who still mouth small bricks will have a harder time.

### Are there free things to do with little kids in Atlanta?
Yes. Central Library is free or have a free entry. See [the free list](https://littlesweekly.com/atlanta/guide/#free).

### What can we do in Atlanta on a rainy or cold day with a toddler?
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.

### What can we do with a baby, 1-year-old or 2-year-old in Atlanta?
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](https://littlesweekly.com/atlanta/guide/#under3).

### Where are the free storytimes in Atlanta?
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](https://littlesweekly.com/atlanta/guide/#storytimes), and this week’s dated sessions are on the [Atlanta weekly list](https://littlesweekly.com/atlanta/).

### How do you choose the places in the Atlanta guide?
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](https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/).

### How much is the Zoo Atlanta for a toddler, and who gets in free?
Under 3. We checked this on [its official site](https://zooatlanta.org/visit/) on Oct 26, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.

### How much is Children’s Museum of Atlanta for a toddler, and who gets in free?
11 months and under; kids 1–18: $19.95; adults: $21.95. We checked this on [its official site](https://childrensmuseumatlanta.org/plan-your-visit/) on Oct 26, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.