Fun Things To Do In Georgia With Kids

Georgia is not just peaches and Peach State pride. It is aquariums the size of spaceships, a fake Bavarian town, and a swamp that practically burps. Grab the kids. Let's go.

Atlanta: Big Fish, Big Flavors, Big Weird Chicken

Start at the Georgia Aquarium. It is one of the largest on the planet, and the whale sharks alone justify the trip. Kids press their noses to the glass while a twenty-foot fish glides past like a slow bus.

A few blocks away sits the World of Coca-Cola. You taste sodas from around the globe, and yes, Beverly is as awful as everyone claims. Watch your kid's face. That's the whole show.

Hungry? Hit The Varsity. It's the world's largest drive-in, and the servers yell "What'll ya have?" like they mean it. Order a Frosted Orange and a chili dog. Nap later.

Then drive to Marietta and find the Big Chicken. It's a giant steel bird with rolling eyes, and it's a genuine landmark. Local pilots used it to navigate. No joke.

Zoo Atlanta traded its pandas back to China, but the gorillas and orangutans stayed put. The carousel still spins. The flamingos still judge you.

Need coasters? Six Flags Over Georgia has the thrills, the churros, and the inevitable meltdown at 4 p.m. Plan accordingly.

Mountains, Canyons, and a Tubing River

Stone Mountain is a granite dome so enormous it looks fake. Ride the cable car up, then stay for the laser show at night. Blankets, popcorn, goosebumps.

Head north to Helen, a former logging town that decided to become Bavaria. Now it has gingerbread houses, steins, and a river full of people in inner tubes. Floating downhill counts as a sport here.

15 Fun things to do in Georgia, USA + Food, Hotels, Tours & Map!

Want a real surprise? Providence Canyon looks like Arizona, but terrible farming in the 1800s carved it out. Erosion made a masterpiece. Tell the kids they're standing inside somebody's oops.

For the train-obsessed child, Blue Ridge runs a scenic railway straight through the mountains. It chugs, it whistles, it makes everyone feel like a cowboy.

Savannah and the Salty Coast

Savannah is a city built for wandering. Ride a trolley, chase the fountains in Forsyth Park, and count the live oaks draped in Spanish moss. That moss looks like wizard beards, which is exactly how kids describe it.

Stop at Leopold's Ice Cream. A Hollywood producer started it, and the Tutti Frutti is legendary. Grab a cone on a cobblestone street and pretend you're in a movie.

Brave families can book a kid-friendly ghost tour after dark. Savannah claims to be America's most haunted city. The stories are spooky, the walk is short, and nobody sleeps well.

Then head to Tybee Island. Climb the lighthouse and watch for sea turtle nests in summer. Tiny tracks in the sand mean somebody just hatched.

Farther south, Jekyll Island runs a sea turtle hospital. Cumberland Island has wild horses and almost no cars. Ferries only. Your kids will think they landed on another planet.

Atlanta summer attractions 60 photos - Arptravels.com

Swamps, Science, and Stuffed Cabbages

The Okefenokee Swamp is called the Land of the Trembling Earth. It's dark, moody, and packed with alligators. Take a boat tour and let a guide do the scary talking.

In Cartersville, Tellus Science Museum serves up dinosaur bones, gems, and a planetarium. Fernbank in Atlanta has dinos too, plus a movie screen the size of a building. Rainy day? Solved.

Down in Valdosta, Wild Adventures blends roller coasters with actual animals. Where else can you scream on a drop tower and then go pet a kangaroo?

Now for the truly strange. Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland, Georgia, is where Cabbage Patch Kids are "born." Nurses in scrubs deliver them from a cabbage patch. Kids either love it or find it hilarious. Usually both.

And hey, Georgia grows more than peaches. It's famous for peanuts and Vidalia onions. There's even a giant peanut statue in Ashburn. Photos required. Dignity optional.

The Bottom Line

Georgia squeezes oceans, mountains, swamps, and a singing chicken into one state. You cannot do it all in a weekend. You can absolutely try.

So load the car, pack the snacks, and let the kids pick the route. The weird stops are usually the best ones.