Best Places To Go With Your Family For The Weekend In Atlanta
If your kids like to sleep all weekend or sit around playing on their phones, it's time to change up your routine. There are a lot of fun family adventures to be had right here in Atlanta. Most of them aren't terribly expensive, either. We've selected five of our favorites – you could have a new adventure every weekend for a month!
Center for Puppetry Arts
1404 Spring St. N.W.
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404) 873-3391
www.puppet.org
The Center for Puppetry Arts is one of Atlanta's best-kept secrets. You may live here for years without realizing that this interesting experience is right in town. There are constant classes where adults and kids of all ages can make their own creations, and there are regularly scheduled family-friendly shows. There's also a fantastic museum containing an impressive variety of puppets, including creatures from Jim Henson's "Labyrinth" that may prompt you to have your own puppet film festival during your weekend staycation.
World of Coca-Cola
121 Baker St. N.W.
Atlanta, GA 30313
(404) 676-8395
www.worldofcoca-cola.com
It's one of Atlanta's premiere tourist attractions, but there's a reason that the World of Coca-Cola is so enduringly popular. This colorful celebration of the world's most popular brand contains something interesting for each member of the family. The kids will love the giant polar bear and the chance to taste sodas from around the world. Adults will enjoy learning about the history of Atlanta's dominant corporate entity. It's conveniently located near Centennial Olympic Park, so you can take a ride on the giant ferris wheel or visit the Georgia Aquarium in the same trip.
Centennial Olympic Park
265 Park Ave. N.W.
Atlanta, GA 30313
(404) 223-4412
www.centennialpark.com
Speaking of Centennial Olympic Park, the park can be a great family destination in and of itself. There are frequent family-friendly events in the park throughout the year, including a recent pop-up town square sponsored by Oprah Winfrey and all-ages charity runs and walks. All kids love running through the sporadic Olympic Rings fountain during the summer months. Googie Burger is located in the park to give you some munchies, and the SkyView Atlanta ferris wheel is right there for those who want a bird's eye view of the city.
Trapped in a Room with a Zombie
1751 Montreal Circle, Suite D
Tucker, GA 30084
www.roomescapeadventures.com
If your kids are tweens or teenagers, consider taking your family to the Trapped in a Room with a Zombie adventure. With the "Walking Dead" series filming all over Atlanta, zombies have never been more popular, and this is a fun way to work together as a team. In groups of 12, you will find clues hidden in a room and figure out how to escape in under an hour. The catch is that there is a zombie in the room, and his chain gets longer every five minutes, making him more difficult to avoid! It's an exciting challenge that your family will not forget (not appropriate for younger children).
"Dirty Dancing" — The Classic Story On Stage
The Fox Theatre
660 Peachtree St. N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30308
(855) 285-8499
www.foxtheatre.org/dirtydancing
Admit it: you loved the movie "Dirty Dancing" when you were a kid. Well, now it's time for your kids to learn that nobody puts Baby in a corner. You can see the live stage musical November 25-30 at the Fox Theatre. There are few more special experiences than getting dressed up and sitting in a theater with your family, seeing your kids discover one of your own favorite stories. Check out http://www.goldstar.com for discounts close to the event.
Keely Herrick is a freelance writer. Her work can be found on