Visit Stone Mountain, Georgia

If you are looking for a fun, family day out while visiting the Atlanta area, you could do much worse than planning a day of family fun at Stone Mountain Park. The park is home to the largest piece of exposed granite in the World which has a massive carving of Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and Jefferson Davis etched into it's face. The park is spread over 5 square miles and hosts a number of attractions,most of which are included in the entry fee, which will appeal to the entire family. Here is an overview of the more popular attractions.

Skyride - A scenic 5 minute cable car ride that takes you to the top of the granite "mountain". The views from up top are incredible and there are a number of gift shops, restaurants and other amenities that allow you to spend a good deal of time admiring the view.

Lasershow - This attraction is arguably the crowning jewel of the parks entertainment. Once darkness falls, visitors are treated to a spectacular show of light, music and sound, played out in front of the rock face. There is a large grass seating area in front where you can set up, have a picnic and watch the show. The attractions has been newly updated this year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the park.

Ride The Ducks - This attraction is not included in the entry price, but is well worth paying the extra money for. It consists of a guided tour around the park in a small bus-like vehicle which converts into a boat. The most fun part of the trip is when the bus hurtles down the path at high speed before hitting the lake for the boat part of the journey. The look on the kids faces as it hits the water is priceless.

Those are the 3 most popular attractions within the park, but I would also recommend that you take a trip on the paddlewheel riverboat, a very leisurely sail around the lake, take a ride on the steam train, and take the kids to the Great barn, an interactive play area with a host of fun games which will keep the little ones occupied as you rest your weary legs. A new attraction for this year is The Sky Hike, a family adventure course that looks like a lot of fun. It wasn't quite ready during my last visit a couple of weeks ago, but is now open to the public.

Like most theme parks, be prepared to pay way above the odds for food and refreshments within the park, but the relatively low entry fee of $25 for adults and $20 for children is actually a very good value considering the number of attractions that cost encompasses. It really is very easy to spend a full day there and still miss out on a few of the available activities. It would be a good idea to visit their website beforehand and plan out your day. I have attached a link to the site as well as the link for park hours etc. as these change on a seasonal basis. Hope y'all have some good old-fashioned Southern fun during your visit.