Kids' activities in Atlanta: zoo, museums, pools and rainy days

Last checked Oct. 6, 2026. Hours, addresses and phone numbers come from each attraction’s own website, linked below. Hours change for holidays and special events; check before you go.

Atlanta’s big family attractions cluster in three places: Grant Park (Zoo Atlanta), Midtown (the Botanical Garden and the Center for Puppetry Arts) and downtown around Centennial Olympic Park (the Georgia Aquarium and the Children’s Museum). Fernbank Museum is on Clifton Road, east of Midtown.

At a glance

• Open seven days: Georgia Aquarium, Fernbank Museum, Zoo Atlanta
• Closed Mondays: Center for Puppetry Arts, Atlanta Botanical Garden
• Free in summer: City of Atlanta outdoor pools
• Rainy-day picks: Aquarium, Fernbank, Children’s Museum, Puppetry Arts

Attractions, hours and contacts

Zoo Atlanta

The zoo in Grant Park is open all year except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Weekday hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last entry 3:30 p.m.) and weekend hours 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last entry 4:30 p.m.). Some animals go in half an hour before closing, and food stands close an hour before (Zoo Atlanta). The zoo runs Safari Camps for ages 5 to 11 during school breaks; see our spring break and summer camps guides.

Georgia Aquarium

Open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 225 Baker St. NW, downtown. The aquarium describes itself as a nonprofit (Georgia Aquarium).

Children’s Museum of Atlanta

Hands-on play for young children at 275 Centennial Olympic Park Drive NW, on the edge of Centennial Olympic Park. Hours vary by day and are posted on the museum’s homepage; call 404-659-5437 (Children’s Museum).

Fernbank Museum

Dinosaurs, natural history and a giant-screen theater at 767 Clifton Road, open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with late openings on select nights. Fernbank runs free-with-admission family events such as its October Dinosaur Trick-or-Treat (Fernbank).

Center for Puppetry Arts

A puppetry museum and theater at 1404 Spring St. NW at 18th Street in Midtown. Open Tuesday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m.; closed Mondays. Last museum admission is 4:30 p.m. The center closes for several holidays and for the week of Dec. 28, 2026, to Jan. 3, 2027. Box office: 404-873-3391 (visitor info).

Atlanta Botanical Garden

Open Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., at 1345 Piedmont Ave. NE, and closed most Mondays. In 2026 it opened on the Monday of APS spring break and on Memorial Day (plan your visit). Through Oct. 25, 2026, the Skyline Lawn is closed while new sod grows in.

Free in summer: city pools

City of Atlanta outdoor pools charge no admission. In 2026 they ran 12:30 to 7 p.m. from Memorial Day weekend, each closed two weekdays a week, and an adult must accompany children under 12 (ATL311). The full list is in our summer camps and pools guide.

Frequently asked questions

What are Zoo Atlanta’s hours? Weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.

What can kids do in Atlanta on a rainy day? The Georgia Aquarium, Fernbank Museum, the Children’s Museum of Atlanta and the Center for Puppetry Arts are all indoors.

Is the Center for Puppetry Arts open on Mondays? No. It opens Tuesday to Sunday.

Are there free pools for kids in Atlanta? Yes, the city’s outdoor pools in summer.

Is the Atlanta Botanical Garden open on Mondays? Usually not; it is open Tuesday to Sunday.

What this means for you

• Monday is the hardest day: the Botanical Garden and Puppetry Arts are closed.
• The Georgia Aquarium and the Children’s Museum are both downtown, near Centennial Olympic Park.

Related: free things to do, Halloween events, holiday lights and dog-friendly Atlanta.