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Atlanta, Georgia: Take Your Family to the Peach State

Macaroni Travel Review: Atlanta

By Sam McDade-Wray, Highlands Ranch-Parker-Castle Rock-Lone Tree Publisher March 11, 2015


When people find out that I grew up in Georgia, they always ask me if I've ever eaten fried green tomatoes (no) and if I've read Gone With the Wind (no, but I have seen the movie). Recently, I took my Colorado-raised kiddo to play tourist in the "neck of the woods" where I grew up. With Spring Break and summer vacation planning around the corner, now is the time to think outside the state and maybe a little warmer.

With three kids, two families, and not a lot of time, we decided to focus on the main Downtown area for this attraction-focused mini vacation. It is a remarkably easy city to get around downtown. In fact, by staying in the Luckie Marietta District of Atlanta, we did not move the car except to see friends in the suburbs and to make our way to my hometown.

Where to Stay

Embassy Suites Downtown Atlanta: If you've ever stayed at an Embassy Suites, you know why families love them. This hotel offers a large space with two rooms that allow adults and kids to each have their own space. Our suite was no exception with a main sleeping quarters and a separate area for lounging, visiting, and sleeping. 

Amenities included a coffee maker, small refrigerator, and two TVs. There was a pool and hot tub on one floor which allowed for some fun downtime. A full complimentary breakfast was provided every morning in the attached Ruth's Chris restaurant and was spectacular.

A real benefit was the location which was right downtown across from Centennial Park and within walking distance of most of the Downtown attractions.

Must-See Downtown Attractions
  • Georgia Aquarium: This must-see attraction located in the heart of Atlanta houses more than 100,000 animals representing 500 species, all of which reside in 10 million gallons of marine and fresh water. My son calls it the Home Depot Aquarium because it was built by Home Depot founder Bernard Marcus and one of the feature films stars "Depot" the fish.

    This is a BIG place, so plan to spend the day. There are six galleries: Georgia Explorer, Tropical Diver, Ocean Voyager, Cold Water Quest, River Scout, and Dolphin Tales. Each corresponds to a specific environment. A few highlights are the whale sharks, the beluga whales, the otters, and the penguins. Make sure to note when the feedings are and plan your route around those — and get to the exhibit early for the best view!






  • World of Coca-Cola: This permanent exhibition features the history of the iconic Coca-Cola, invented in Atlanta. Visitors are greeted in the entrance lobby by large Coca-Cola bottles made from different materials from around the world while familiar Coke jingles and lyrics play in the background.

    Our first stop was a room full of memorabilia from the past 100 years. After a short film entitled "Moments of Happiness” about how Coke products add happiness to your life's stories, the rest of the attraction focused on various aspects of the brand. One of our favorite exhibits was an exhibit of the "the secret formula" where you learn about how, who, and when the product and the business was developed. The kids thought the science and the chemistry behind this was interesting since Coca-Cola was developed by a pharmacist.

    The Bottle Works display gives visitors a full visual of a bottling plant. And each visitor gets to take home a small bottle as a souvenir. Kids will really get a kick out of the 4D movie, with seats that move, spray, and more. The Tasting Room featured Coca-Cola products from around the world. Each continent had its own stations featuring the familiar US coke products to seemingly-related fruit drinks from Africa. Fascinating and needed after our tour!




  • Gamex: Located near Centennial Park, Gamex offers an arcade-style attraction for the museum-weary kids. Kids and adults alike had a great time playing Fruit Ninja and Connect Four on huge electronic boards. More traditional active games like Skeeball and basketball were also available. Kids can collect points to redeem at the store!

Got More Time?

  • National Center for Civil and Human Rights: Atlanta's key center for understanding human rights, its mission is to empower people to take the protection of every human's rights personally.
  • Inside CNN Studio Tour: If you or your kid is interested in TV and all things news, this behind-the-scenes guided walking tour of Cable News Network (CNN) is perfect for them!
  • SkyView Atlanta: This 20-story tall ferris wheel gives you breathtaking views of Atlanta. You can usually find Groupons too for this so be sure to do an online search!
  • College Football Hall of Fame Museum: This 94,256 square feet mecca for college football fans is features the stories and accomplishments of the collegiate players. Guests are treated to a personalized experience in the Hall through 10 augmented reality displays where they can select video and images of players and coaches from their favorite school. It evens includes a 45-yard indoor football field!
  • Children’s Museum of Atlanta: Have kids 5 years and younger who need a fun place to play and create? This is your spot with four permanent learning zones, feature exhibits and more.

Worth the Drive

  • Stone Mountain Park: This 3200-acre park is a great way to escape after a few days in the city. The granite mountain ("hill" to us Coloradans) has the largest high relief sculpture in the world which is a Confederate Memorial carving of three Confederate heroes of the Civil War. You can see this carving from the gondola that takes you to the top of the mountain and against which the world-renowed Lasershow Spectacular is featured in the summer. Hike back down the mountain to take in the Barn, the museum, and SkyHike, Geyser Towers, golf, and more in the summer.

See a Lot and Save a Lot

The Atlanta CityPASS gives you admission to the Georgia Aquarium (expedited entry), World of Coca-Cola, Inside CNN Studio Tour, Zoo Atlanta OR Center for Civil and Human Rights, and Fernbank Museum of Natural History OR College Football Hall of Fame. 

The current cost is $73.25 for adults or $59.35 for children 12 and under (tax not included). CityPASS booklets are valid for nine consecutive days, and you can skip most ticket lines once you have your booklet. You can purchase the Atlanta CityPASS up to 6 months before your trip.