Children’s Museum of Atlanta

First timers at the ATL Children's Museum

Most large cities have some sort of children’s museum, so when we moved to Georgia, I was excited to visit the Children’s Museum of Atlanta. For the size of Atlanta the museum is small, but it was recently remodeled so all the exhibits are in great shape. When we walked in, the girls gravitated toward the most adorable pretend diner set up. It was so authentic, even I was having fun playing pretend behind the counter! Next to the diner is a market where the kids can grocery shop, and beyond that is a farm. Caroline also was obsessed with an indoor tree house set up.

At the center of the museum was a cool climbing thing. For the smaller kids it was easy to get up but difficult to get down. I saw several children get stuck and Mommies having to go in after them. Luckily, Caroline is not into taking risks so I didn’t have to go in after her. There was a giant globe in the center that the kids could climb up into and have a view of all the fun attractions below.

While we were there, there was a cute little educational performance with songs and audience participation. Other cool features were the craft and engineering labs.  In the engineering lab helpers built an airplane with the kids, and in the craft room the children did an art project. There was a sign-up sheet by each door, so if you want to make sure you get a spot, stop by and sign up when you arrive.

On the second floor there was not much, but they have some very cool piano stairs that make the journey up a good time. The lunchroom and vending machines are on the second floor, but there's no restaurant or place to purchase non-vending food. This is nice because you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg on food, but if you forget to bring lunch you're out of luck.

I recommend visiting the museum if you have children between 18 months to 6 years of age. There were some more advanced hands-on learning for older kids, but since mine are 9 months and 4 years old, we stuck mostly to the “play pretend” areas. They also have some cool kinetic sand, and a little baby spot where you can sit your baby down to play and get some hands-free time in a baby-safe space.

Tip- Arrive when they open on a weekday and park next door in the parking garage. There were tons of spots and it was a short walk to the entrance.