Centennial Olympic Park. Downtown Atlanta, Georgia All photography is ours.
Home/Destinations/United States/Georgia
Georgia with Kids
If you’re passing through Atlanta with kids, stop at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park. It’s free, it’s on one walkable block, and it’s the most important place we’ve visited in Georgia. His birth home, the church where he preached, and the tomb where he and Mrs. King rest are all right there.
Georgia is the state most families drive through on the way to Florida. We’ve been guilty of that too, but families can easily turn Atlanta in to a fun weekend with visits to Atlanta’s world-class aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola tour, a day trip to the coast, and the North Georgia mountains.
Destination guide · Updated November 2026 · Last visited May 2019
Best months
April–May, Oct–Nov
National parks
0 + 11 NPS sites
Fly into
ATL · SAV · JAX
How long
A long weekend, a week with the coast
Book ahead
Cumberland Island ferry · Jekyll Island · Georgia Aquarium
Our Georgia time so far has been Atlanta. We spent a morning at the King park walking the visitor center grounds, the historic buildings on Auburn Avenue, and the King Center. It’s a quiet, well-run park that gives kids a real sense of the man and the movement without being heavy-handed.
Beyond the history, we toured World of Coca-Cola on Centennial Olympic Park. The Georgia Aquarium and SkyView Atlanta, a 20-story Ferris wheel, are right next door.
Your Georgia guide
Enjoy exploring Georgia with kids!
Keep scrolling for the essentials, three road trips, and where to stay.
Essential Georgia
Why we love Georgia
We think you’ll love it too.
Georgia is where we’d send a family that wants an Olympic city with one of the best aquariums in the country. We’ve only scratched the surface of Georgia, and Atlanta was a great start. The King park, the Coca-Cola tour, and Centennial Olympic Park are all close together, which makes for an easy day with kids. Scroll down for the rest of essential Georgia, from Savannah to the North Georgia mountains.
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park Guide
Dr. King’s birth home, his church, and his tomb are all on one walkable block in Atlanta. It’s free, and it’s the reason we’ll always stop in Atlanta.
Ebenezer Baptist Church Guide
The historic sanctuary where Dr. King preached is open to walk through. Recordings of his sermons play inside, and that’s the part that stuck with us.
The King Center Guide
The King Center sits across the street from the church. You’ll find the reflecting pool, the eternal flame, and the tomb of Dr. and Mrs. King.
The visitor center Guide
Start at the visitor center for the exhibits and the film. The grounds outside have the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame and plenty of room for kids to move.
And the rest we’d cross the state for
Georgia Aquarium
The Georgia Aquarium is the largest in the country, with whale sharks and belugas. It’s first on our list for our next Atlanta trip, and you’ll want timed tickets in summer.
Savannah
Savannah has twenty-two squares and a riverfront made for walking. Tybee Island is about twenty minutes away when the kids need a beach day.
Cumberland Island National Seashore
A ferry from St. Marys takes you to an island with wild horses, a ruined mansion, and seventeen miles of empty beach. Book the ferry early, because it fills up. Are you looking for more national park sites? See our guide to Georgia national parks.
Jekyll Island
Jekyll Island has Driftwood Beach, the sea turtle center, and a historic district you can bike through. It’s an easy, laid-back stop for families.
Fort Pulaski National Monument
This brick fort between Savannah and Tybee is where rifled cannon changed warfare in thirty hours. Kids can walk right along the walls. Want more NPS sites nearby? Check out our Georgia national parks guide.
Amicalola Falls State Park
Amicalola Falls is a 729-foot waterfall at the start of the approach trail to the Appalachian Trail. It’s a lot of stairs, so leave the stroller in the car.
Helen and the North Georgia mountains
Helen is a Bavarian-style village in the Chattahoochee National Forest. Tube the river in summer, then drive over to Anna Ruby Falls.
Stone Mountain Park
Stone Mountain is a giant granite dome with a cable car to the top, a scenic railroad, and an evening light show. It’s touristy, and kids love it.
Browse
Find your next adventure in Georgia
Tell us what you’re planning and we’ll match it up with some great trip ideas.
-
AftT #ParkPics: Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park in Pictures Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park is a collection of…
Routes
Three Georgia road trip itineraries
One state gives you three very different trips. Pick Atlanta and the mountains, the coast and its islands, or a civil rights history weekend. See all the best stops on a map.
Home base
Downtown Atlanta
Fly into ATL. The King park on Auburn Avenue took us a morning. The aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola fill the rest of the day.
Then head to
Centennial Olympic Park
Around Centennial Olympic Park you’ll find the Center for Civil and Human Rights, the College Football Hall of Fame, and the fountains for the kids to run through.
Add on
Stone Mountain
It’s thirty minutes east. Ride the cable car up, take the train around, and stay for the laser show.
Home base
Savannah
Fly into SAV. Take two days for the squares, Forsyth Park, and Fort Pulaski, with an afternoon at Tybee Island.
Then head to
Jekyll Island
It’s ninety minutes south. The island has Driftwood Beach at low tide, the sea turtle center, and bikes everywhere.
Finish
Cumberland Island
Drive an hour further to St. Marys for the ferry. Spend a full day on the island with a picnic.
Then head to
Amicalola Falls & Dahlonega
It’s ninety minutes north. Climb the falls in the morning and pan for gold in Dahlonega in the afternoon.
Finish
Helen
It’s forty-five minutes east. Tube the Chattahoochee, walk to Anna Ruby Falls, and eat a pretzel the size of your head.
When to go
Time your visits with the weather and the region
Georgia is hot and humid from June through September, mild the rest of the year, and rarely truly cold except in the mountains. Spring and fall are the easy answer. The coast stays swimmable into October.
Swipe the chart sideways to see the full year.
April – May
Azaleas and dogwoods bloom in Atlanta, afternoons are warm in Savannah, and the mountains are green again. Book Savannah early for spring weekends.
June – September
It’s hot, humid, and stormy in the afternoons. Plan around water with Tybee, Jekyll, tubing in Helen, and the aquarium in the heat of the day.
October – November
The humidity breaks, the coast is still warm, and the mountains turn in late October.
December – March
It’s mild in Atlanta and on the coast, and cold in the mountains. Savannah at Christmas is lovely, and the aquarium is a great bad-weather day.
Where to stay
Pick a good base to start your Georgia adventure
Georgia is easier when you pick one region. Here’s where we’d stay for each.
City trips
Downtown Atlanta
Stay near Centennial Olympic Park and walk to the aquarium, the Coke museum, and the civil rights center. Dense with chain hotels, so this is an easy points stay.
- Centennial Park area for walking to everything
- Sweet Auburn is a short ride east
- Skip the car downtown
Coast trips
Savannah & the Golden Isles
Savannah’s historic district is worth the premium for walking. Jekyll Island has a handful of hotels and a state-run campground that books up fast.
- Savannah historic district, not the highway hotels
- Jekyll Island Club or the beachfront chains
- Tybee Island for a beach-first trip
Mountain trips
North Georgia cabins
The mountains run on cabin rentals and state park lodges. Fall color weekends sell out a year ahead.
- Amicalola Falls Lodge for the view
- Helen for tubing and restaurants
- Unicoi or Vogel State Park cabins
Good to know
Questions families ask us about Georgia
Yes, it is. It’s free, compact, and the visitor center is built for families. We spent a morning there and it held the kids’ attention the whole time. The birth home tour needs same-day tickets and fills fast, so go early. Ebenezer Baptist Church and the King Center are open without tickets, and the church is the part we’d tell you not to skip. Our photos from the park give you a sense of it.
Fly into ATL for Atlanta and the mountains, or SAV for Savannah and the coast. Jacksonville (JAX) is closer to Cumberland Island and Jekyll than Savannah is. Atlanta is the busiest airport in the world, so award seats are rarely a problem.
For Atlanta alone, you don’t. MARTA runs from the airport to downtown and the King park is a short ride from Centennial Park. For the coast and the mountains, you do.
Book weeks to months ahead, depending on the season. The ferry carries a limited number of visitors a day and spring weekends sell out. Book the ferry first, then the hotel in St. Marys.
We thought so after one morning in Atlanta. The King park alone is worth a stop, and it’s a good way to introduce kids to civil rights history. The aquarium, the coast, and the mountains are three more trips we haven’t gotten to yet. If you’re driving I-75 to Florida, give Atlanta a night on the way.
Map
Essential Georgia, mapped
Keep exploring
Where to go next
Florida with Kids
Florida has the theme parks, three national parks, and the Keys, straight down I-95 or I-75.
South Carolina with Kids
Charleston is two hours up the coast from Savannah.
