Atlanta Children Activites

Everyone knows Atlanta has a lot of activities for adults- from fine dining, to shopping, to nightlife. Many people may not realize that Atlanta has just as many options for giving children a wonderful vacation. Here are some of my favorites.

Georgia Aquarium

The Georgia Aquarium which opened on Nov. 23, 2005 is the largest aquarium in the world. The Cold Water Quest has Beluga whales, California sea lions, sea otters, African black-footed penguins, and many more cold water animals. The Georgia Explorer gallery is a "petting zoo" with touch pools full of horseshoe crabs, sea stars, stingrays and shrimp. The Ocean Voyager will make you feel like you are scuba diving in the Meso American Barrier Reef of Central America (MAR). You will see schools of trevally jacks, stingrays, grouper and hammerhead sharks . The River Scout shows fish that are native to rivers across the globe. Finally the tropical diver gives you a view of a tropical coral rarely seen before.

Admission prices are adults $24.00, senior (age 55 and up) $20.00, and child (ages 3-12): $18.00 Regular Hours: Monday through Thursday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Friday through Sunday: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Summer Hours (May 25-Aug. 11) Monday through Thursday: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. And Friday through Sunday: 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. Extended & Holiday Hours: May 28-31, 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. open until 10 p.m. every Friday in May for Jazz Journeys . June 17, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. , and June 23-24, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Member's Only Hours: May 5, 8 A.M. , May 8, 9 A.M. , May 13, 8 A.M. , and May 24, 9 A.M.

Imagine It! The Children's Museum of Atlanta

Imagine It! The Children's Museum of Atlanta is the premier children's museum of Georgia. It is designed especially for children under the age of eight. They have an area that lets children be as creative as they want. They can color on the wall, build sandcastles, and even have dress up. They have a crawl space exhibit just especially for toddlers. This area lets toddlers play in a supper padded area designed with blocks and tunnels. Then there is waterplay with a twist. Enjoy splashing in the water without actually getting wet. They have special exhibits that run just to grab children's interest. From March 31, 2007 - September 9, 2007, the special exhibit it Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street? Alice's Wonderland runs from September 29, 2007 - January 13, 2008 and then Wild About Plants runs from January 26, 2008 - April 20, 2008. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday: 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m ,and Saturday & Sunday: 10:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. Admission prices are $11 for persons aged 2 and above. Children under the age of 2 are free.

Atlanta Zoo

The Atlanta Zoo is one of the nicest in the country and now covers over 40 acres. You can find animals from all over the globe here. Don't forget to ride the train for a great view of the zoo. Hours are weekdays9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., ticket booths close at 4:30 p.m and weekends: 9:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., ticket booths close at 5:30 p.m. Admission Rates are adult (12+) $17.99, child (3-11) $12.99, senior citizen (55+) $13.99, military rate $13.99, college student rate $13.99, and child 2 and under free.