# Visiting Atlanta with toddlers and little kids: the plan > Downtown is the easy base with little kids. The Children’s Museum and the Georgia Aquarium sit next to Centennial Olympic Park, and Midtown’s Botanical Garden is a short drive north. Zoo Atlanta is in Grant Park, southeast of downtown. Here’s a plan with nap time built in. - Last checked: 2026-10-26 - One- and two-day plans with a nap in the middle - Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/atlanta/visiting/ - This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/atlanta/index.md - City guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/atlanta/guide/index.md - City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/atlanta/llms.txt ## Top 2 can’t-miss spots - **Children’s Museum of Atlanta** (Downtown, 275 Centennial Olympic Park Dr. NW): Closed Wednesdays outside summer. Cost: $19.95 kids, $21.95 adults. Site: https://childrensmuseumatlanta.org/plan-your-visit/ - **Georgia Aquarium** (Downtown, 225 Baker St. NW): Prices change by day and time. Site: https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/tickets/ ## If you have one day 1. **MORNING**: Children’s Museum of Atlanta (Open at 10am on weekdays · Downtown, 275 Centennial Olympic Park Dr. NW · $19.95 kids, $21.95 adults). https://childrensmuseumatlanta.org/plan-your-visit/ 2. **LUNCH**: Ponce City Market (A short drive east · Old Fourth Ward). https://www.poncecitymarket.com/ 3. **Nap**: Back to the hotel for nap. If your little one sleeps best in the car, take a loop. 4. **AFTER NAP**: Atlanta Botanical Garden (Open until 7pm through October · Midtown, 1345 Piedmont Ave. NE). https://atlantabg.org/plan-your-visit/ ## If you have two days Day 1 is the one-day plan above. Day 2: 1. **MORNING**: Zoo Atlanta (Go at opening · Grant Park, 800 Cherokee Ave. SE). https://zooatlanta.org/visit/ 2. **Nap**: Back to the hotel for nap. If your little one sleeps best in the car, take a loop. 3. **AFTER NAP**: Georgia Aquarium (Book the dolphin show when you arrive · Downtown, 225 Baker St. NW). https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/tickets/ ## Where to stay - **Centennial Olympic Park** (downtown): The Children’s Museum and the Georgia Aquarium are next to each other here. Near Children’s Museum of Atlanta and Georgia Aquarium. - **Piedmont Park** (midtown): Close to the Botanical Garden and the Center for Puppetry Arts. Near Atlanta Botanical Garden and Center for Puppetry Arts. - **Phipps Plaza** (buckhead): LEGO Discovery Center is inside Phipps Plaza, north of Midtown. Near LEGO Discovery Center Atlanta. ## Easy restaurants near the big stops - **Ponce City Market** (Food hall, Old Fourth Ward): A food hall on the BeltLine where everyone can choose their own lunch. https://www.poncecitymarket.com/ - **The Varsity** (Hot dogs and burgers, Midtown): Quick and cheap, open daily from 10:30am. https://thevarsity.com/pages/the-varsity-atlanta - **Mary Mac’s Tea Room** (Southern, Midtown): Open daily 11am to 9pm. Book ahead on weekends. https://www.marymacs.com/ ## Rainy-day backup plan - **Children’s Museum of Atlanta**: Indoors. - **Georgia Aquarium**: Indoors. - **Fernbank Museum**: Mostly indoors. - **LEGO Discovery Center Atlanta**: Indoors at Phipps Plaza. - **Central Library**: Indoors. - **Center for Puppetry Arts**: Indoors. ## Practical tips - Wednesdays: The Children’s Museum is closed Wednesdays from August through June. - Mondays: The Botanical Garden is closed Mondays. - LEGO last entry: LEGO Discovery Center’s last entry is 3:30pm. - Weekend dinner: Mary Mac’s weekend tables fill quickly, so book ahead. ## Free and cheap wins - **Central Library**: Free. All free things to do in Atlanta: https://littlesweekly.com/atlanta/guide/#free ## 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 Atlanta kid-friendly? For a family with kids under 6, yes. Our Atlanta guide lists 13 places we checked for little kids, plus 1 free place and 6 picks for babies and toddlers. This page adds 3 easy restaurants near the big stops and free storytimes at 3 library systems. This week’s list has 38 dated outings for ages 0–6. See [free things to do in Atlanta](https://littlesweekly.com/atlanta/guide/#free) and [this weekend’s list](https://littlesweekly.com/atlanta/). ### How many days do you need in Atlanta with a toddler? Two: one downtown at the Children’s Museum and the Aquarium, and one at the zoo or the Botanical Garden. ### Where should we stay in Atlanta with a toddler? Downtown by Centennial Olympic Park is easiest for the Aquarium and the Children’s Museum. Midtown is better for the Botanical Garden. ### Where can we eat near downtown? The Varsity on North Avenue is a quick, cheap lunch. It’s open until 8pm, and 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays.