Things to Do for Spring Break in Atlanta

By Carol Carter

Published February 6, 2025
Last Updated February 12, 2025

Travel and Tour World ranks Atlanta 12th among U.S. cities for international tourism with approximately 765,000 visitors annually, according to data from the International Trade Administration. This ranking places Atlanta just behind Houston and ahead of Fort Lauderdale in international tourism. Urbanize Atlanta ranked the city among the top five most fun cities in the United States for 2024.

CityPASS Saves 49% on Admission to Top Attractions

Start planning your Atlanta spring break trip by purchasing a CityPASS, which allows you to save 49% on admission to five of Atlanta’s top attractions.

Tickets are valid for a 9-day period starting on and including the first day you visit an attraction or have a reservation. For example, if you visit your first attraction on the 10th day of the month, your last day of validity would be the 18th day of the month. You have one year from the date of purchase to start using your tickets.

Georgia Aquarium

Georgia Aquarium is considered by various sites as country’s top aquarium. It is the largest in America and the sixth largest in the world. Among its more unusual animals to find in an aquarium are the whale sharks. In addition. the aquarium’s notable specimens include beluga whales, bottlenose dolphins and manta rays. The animals are displayed in five galleries: Tropical Diver, Ocean Voyager, Cold Water Quest, River Scout and Dolphin Tales.

World of Coca-Cola

World of Coca-Cola invites you to meet the Coca-Cola polar bear (and get a photo), journey to The Vault, which holds the secret formula for the soft drink and look back at Coca-Cola promotions through the years. See a small bottling operation. Visit Scent Discovery to learn about the relationship between scent and taste. In the Taste It room, sample Coca-Cola products from around the world. As you leave, browse the gift shop where there are souvenirs galore. Admission is always free for active, reserve and retired members of the U.S. military with proper ID. The Beverage Lab enables visitors to delve into the world of beverages and get the opportunity to explore the science, creativity and innovation that fuel Coca‑Cola’s lineup of drinks.

Zoo Atlanta

Zoo Atlanta is home to a variety of animal species. (Photo courtesy of Zoo Atlanta)

Zoo Atlanta, located in historic Grant Park, features animals from the African plains and Asian forests. See the nation’s largest gorilla habitat. Check out the Slimy, Scaly Spectacular to see reptiles and amphibians. The African Savanna is home to African elephants, giraffes, zebras, ostriches, warthogs, meerkats and Southern white rhinos. The zoo is home to more than 1,000 animals representing more than 200 species from around the world, many of them endangered or critically endangered.

Fernbank Museum of Natural History

When you visit Fernbank Museum of Natural History, say hello to the world’s largest dinosaurs. Science comes to life at Fernbank, both on the Giant Screen theater and in exhibits that explore, for example, our bodies, animal life and nature’s superheroes.

Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame

Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame includes 45-yard football field, shrines to the sport’s best players and coaches, a Helmet Wall and a skill zone where you can try your luck at kicking a field goal. 

National Center for Civil and Human Rights (closed for renovations until August 2025)

The National Center for Civil and Human Rights makes it possible to walk back in time to the tumultuous days of the American Civil Rights Movement, sit at a mock lunch counter and try to remain calm as angry voices shout insults over headphones. Meet the Freedom Riders and experience the historic March on Washington where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have A Dream” speech. (After visiting this exhibit, you may be inspired to visit the nearby Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park.)

Now that you’ve exhausted your CityPASS options, try some of the following ideas for family fun during spring break in Atlanta:  

More Ways to Family Fun in Atlanta

Center for Puppetry Arts

The Center for Puppetry Arts is the largest organization in the country dedicated to puppetry. The center’s puppet shows are magical, funny and heartwarming. While you’re there, tour of the Worlds of Puppetry Museum where the Jim Henson Gallery explores the mind and legacy of this animator, inventor, filmmaker, screenwriter and puppeteer.

Children’s Museum of Atlanta

The Children’s Museum of Atlanta enables children ages 0 to 8 to have fun while they learn through play about the arts, culture, engineering, math, health, literacy and so much more.

LEGO Discovery Center

North America’s first next-generation LEGO Discovery Center is located at Atlanta’s Phipps Plaza. Children may blast into the new Spaceship Build & Scan where they will see their LEGO rocket fly into outer space. Little ones may visit DUPLO Park where they can hop aboard a carousel. Another option is to join the master model builder and learn how to build the fastest race car.

Take a Tour

In addition to all of the above, you can take the family on a tour. Choose a food tour, civil rights tour, bicycle tour or Segway tour.

If you have high-school age kids, consider taking a self-tour of a college campus. Close-in campuses include Atlanta University Center — Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine and Spelman College; Georgia State University; Emory University; Agnes Scott College; and Georgia Tech. A little farther out are Kennesaw State University, Clayton State University and Oglethorpe University.

Finally, if you have time to spare, take a walk along the Atlanta Beltline, stroll and relax in Centennial Olympic Park and grab a hot dog and fries at every kid’s favorite, The Varsity, the world’s largest drive-in restaurant. Yes, there are car hops. If you are an Atlanta Falcons fan or an Atlanta United fan, take a tour of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. If you are an Atlanta Braves fan, take a tour of Truist Park.

Just in case we didn’t give you enough options, here are 50 fun things to do in Atlanta.  

Journalist Carol Carter writes and edits for Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau.