atlanta things to do tagged interest

Published July 12, 2024

Kids need something to do this summer? You don’t want to spend a fortune? We understand. Fortunately, Atlanta is full of free things to do with your kids. This city is home to several free museums. Two popular summer festivals offer free admittance. There seems to be a park near just about every Atlanta neighborhood. The city of Atlanta operates several free swimming pools. Read on to find one or two or three things your kids might enjoy.

Festivals

Atlanta Ice Cream Festival

Admission to the Atlanta Ice Cream Festival is free though you will need to take some money to spend at the festival. It’s set for July 27 at Piedmont Park. There will be fitness and wellness events, a marching band, food demonstrations and, of course, an ice cream-eating contest. 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Where: 1320 Monroe Drive

Grant Park Summer Shade Festival

The Grant Park Summer Shade Festival is happening Aug. 24 and 25 in Grant Park, of course. There will be regional and local artists, food vendors and music.

Where: 840 Cherokee Ave. SE

Museums

David J. Senser CDC Museum

The David J. Senser CDC Museum is the only part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention open to the public. Admission and parking are free for all visitors. Various tours and self-guided visits are offered depending on group size. Tours cover current exhibitions. Reservations are not required for individuals or self-guided groups of fewer than 10. Groups of 10 or more must make reservations for guided tours or self-guided visits.

Where: 1600 Clifton Road NE

Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Monetary Museum

Visit the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Monetary Museum to see a display on the history of money; interactive, multimedia exhibits explaining the Federal Reserve’s role in the economy; and a view of the bank’s automated vault and cash-processing areas. You can look inside the cash-processing operations, where millions of dollars are counted, sorted or shredded daily. You can glimpse into the bank’s automated vault and see the robotic transports that do the heavy lifting.

Where: 1000 Peachtree St. NE

Fernbank Science Center

General admission to Fernbank Science Center is free; so is parking. However there is a charge for shows at the planetarium. The exhibit hall spans 9,000 square feet and circles the planetarium theater. Displays cover an array of scientific concepts. The theme for the entire exhibit area reflects the slogan of the Science Center: “Where Science Becomes an Adventure.” The upper level of the exhibit hall features a live animal exhibit and a live honey bee hive. The lower exhibit hall features space exhibits including the actual Apollo 6 space capsule and a meteorite collection. The lower level also houses most of the center’s extensive taxidermy collection.

Where: 156 Heaton Park Drive

Georgia Capitol Museum

The Georgia Capitol Museum is where you’ll learn the history of the Georgia Capitol. The museum collects, maintains and exhibits significant artifacts, including historic flags and works of art within the state capitol. Admission is free. Most of the exhibits are located on the fourth floor, but exhibits, memorials and artwork also can be found throughout the building. The Fun with Miss Freedom activity provides a focused tour of the museum’s exhibits.

Where: 206 Washington St. SW

High Museum of Art

The High Museum of Art offers free admission on the second Sunday of each month. UPS Second Sunday, as that day is known, includes art-making activities, performances and the access to the High’s collection and special exhibitions. Check the museum’s website for Access for All days when admission is free for everyone.

Where: 1280 Peachtree St. NE

Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park

The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park is run by the National Park Service and therefore is free all the time. Visit the places where Dr. King was born, lived, worked, worshipped and is buried.

Where: 450 Auburn Ave. NE

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Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking

Admission is free at the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking on the Georgia Tech campus, but you must make a reservation and you will need to pay for parking. The museum is an internationally renowned resource on the history of paper and paper technology. In addition to more than 2,000 books, the museum features a collection of more than 10,000 watermarks, papers, tools, machines and manuscripts.

Where: 500 Tenth St. NW

Parks

Centennial Olympic Park

Centennial Olympic Park was the gathering place during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. People with tickets to nearby events would meet at the park. Even people who didn’t have tickets would go there just to be a part of the excitement. Today, Centennial Olympic Park is a 22-acre green space for everybody to enjoy. Kids especially love getting wet in the Fountain of Rings, and The Spectacular sculpture is a favorite backdrop for photos. Several of Atlanta’s most popular attractions are located around the park.

Where: 285 Andrew Young International Blvd. NW

City of Atlanta Parks

The city of Atlanta maintains parks throughout the city. Some are home to ball fields, some have basketball courts and trails. Visit the city website to find a park in your neighborhood.

Historic Fourth Ward Park

There’s a splash pad at Historic Fourth Ward Park that is open May 1 through Oct 1. A relay bike share station is home to rental bikes that you can ride around the park and onto the nearby Eastside Trail of the Atlanta BeltLine. There are benches, public restrooms and nighttime lighting. There also is the Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark.

Where: Historic Fourth Ward Park, 680 Dallas St. NE; Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark, 680 Willoughby Way NE

Piedmont Park

Piedmont Park in Midtown is a popular park for walking, skating, picnicking, exploring the Naguchi Playscape, swimming and even crossing the finish line of the Peachtree Road Race. The Atlanta Ice Cream Festival, mentioned above, is held here along with other popular festivals and events.

Where: 1322 Monroe Drive

Rodney Cook Sr. Park

Located in historic Vine City, the Rodney Cook Sr. Park has a large playground, splash pad, workout equipment and green space. There is a basketball court, a multi-purpose court with lines for badminton, pickleball and hard court soccer, and a paved multi-level pathway.

Where: 161 Joseph E. Boone Blvd.

Swimming Pools and Splash Pads

City of Atlanta

Admission to outdoor pools operated by the city of Atlanta offer free admission. Check with the city website to find a pool near you. The city also operates free splash pads: Center Hill at 2305 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway NW; Cook Park at 616 Joseph E. Boone Blvd. NW; D.H. Stanton at Boyton Avenue and Martin Street SE; Historic Fourth Ward at Rankin Street and Garden Park Drive; Perkerson Park at 77 Deckner Ave. SW; and Ref. James Orange at 1305 Oakland Drive SW.

Piedmont Park Aquatic Center

The pool at the Piedmont Park Aquatic Center has four lap lanes, a current channel for floating, concessions, locker rooms and showers and a landscaped deck. It is ADA accessible. There is a 15-minute adult swim starting at 15 minutes before every hour. Swim for free Monday through Friday from 3 until 5 p.m.

Where: 1322 Monroe Drive

Your Public Library

Library cards are free. If you don’t yet have one, go to your nearest library to get yours. With your card, you check out books for free. And you can use your library card to check out passes for free entry to Zoo Atlanta, Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites, and the Center for Puppetry Arts.