Children's Museum of Atlanta

The Children's Museum of Atlanta is the downtown attraction built specifically for the youngest travelers, and parents of toddlers and early-elementary children will find it the most relaxed stop in the Centennial Olympic Park district. It sits at 275 Centennial Olympic Park Drive, across the street from the park and a short walk from the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola, so it slots neatly into a family day downtown. The museum is designed for play rather than looking. Its permanent exhibit floors are full of things to touch, climb and operate: areas for building and engineering, pretend-play spaces where children shop, cook and work, water and science stations, art-making corners and climbing structures, all scaled for small bodies and designed so that adults can sit nearby and watch. General admission covers the permanent floors, the Super Spectacular Science Show on the museum stage, and whatever featured traveling exhibition is in residence, which changes through the year and often brings a well-known children's character or theme. Sensory-friendly playtimes are offered for children who prefer quieter, less crowded sessions. Hours are shorter than at most attractions — the museum opens in the morning and closes mid-afternoon on weekdays — and it is closed on Wednesdays, which catches out many visitors. Tickets are valid for one entry on the date of purchase. For children older than about eight, the aquarium, the College Football Hall of Fame or Fernbank will hold attention better; for those younger, this is the best two hours you can spend downtown.

The museum has been part of the downtown family circuit since the early 2000s, and its location was chosen to put it among the big attractions that grew up around Centennial Olympic Park after the 1996 Olympic Games. What makes it work is that it does not try to compete with them. Instead of spectacle, it offers a place where a three- or five-year-old can direct the visit: fill a cart in the pretend market, send balls through a tube maze, splash at a water table or put on a costume and a show. Staff run short programs through the day, and the science show on stage is a reliable crowd-pleaser, with bangs, bubbles and volunteers pulled from the audience. Traveling exhibitions rotate to keep repeat visitors coming back, which is why many Atlanta families hold memberships.

Plan around the schedule. The museum opens in the morning and closes in the mid-afternoon on weekdays, with slightly longer hours on weekends, and it is closed on Wednesdays as well as on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Arrive at opening, when energy is high and the floors are calm; school groups often arrive mid-morning on weekdays. Check the day's science show times as you enter. Bring a change of clothes for very young children if they gravitate to the water play, and plan a snack break, since a visit of two to three hours is typical. Tickets are for one entry on the day you buy them, so do not plan to leave for lunch and return.

Pairing it with other downtown attractions is easy. Many families do the Children's Museum in the morning and the Georgia Aquarium after lunch, or run off remaining energy at the Fountain of Rings and the playground in Centennial Olympic Park across the street. Downtown hotels in the park district are a short walk away, and public parking decks surround the area. If your children are a little older, consider the College Football Hall of Fame next door instead, which has its own interactive field.