By Allison Hersh
For Coastal Parent

Atlanta Convention & Visitor Bureau photo
This 3,200-acre park features the world's largest exposed mass of granite, as well as swimming, fishing, tennis, golf, a sky lift and other activities.

Atlanta may be best known as the capital of the Peach State, the birthplace of "Gone With the Wind" and the site of the 1996 Olympics, but it is also a remarkably kid-friendly city with dozens of attractions to delight families from coastal Georgia.

Located between three and five hours from Savannah (depending upon traffic, where you're coming from and how fast you drive), Atlanta offers an ideal weekend destination for families looking for a broader range of activities than what is available in the Coastal Empire. You may have to endure bumper-to-bumper traffic that makes Abercorn Street look like a rural highway, but it's well worth it to experience the city's many family-friendly museums, parks and attractions.

Atlanta opens a whole new world of educational opportunities - and old-fashioned fun - for children of all ages. From outdoor adventure to roller coaster rides, science museums to children's gardens, Atlanta has something for everyone.

The area's newest attraction for kids is Imagine It! The Children's Museum of Atlanta, which opened its doors in March 2003. Located just across the street from Centennial Olympic Park, the 30,000-square-foot museum features a range of hands-on exhibits and activities where children can look, listen, touch and explore as they learn how things work.

Designed for children ages two through eight, the museum hosts the dinosaur exhibit "A T. Rex Name Sue," which features the world's most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, through Jan. 5.

For your budding Einstein, don't miss a visit to SciTrek, downtown Atlanta's science and technology museum. The interactive museum, which is designed to inspire innovation in children, recently unveiled the newest addition to its facility, the Challenger Learning Center. This innovative program -- which was started by the families of the late Challenger mission astronauts -- enables children and adults to fly simulated space missions. A new Life of the Brain exhibit allows visitors to discover how the brain changes throughout an individual's lifetime in order to store new information and encourages children to experience their five senses.

Animal-lovers of all stripes will enjoy a trip to Zoo Atlanta, one of the top zoos in the southeast. The zoo, which features more than 250 species of animals from around the world, is home to Lun Lun and Yang Yang, two rare Giant Pandas who eat bamboo shoots and delight audiences with their daily antics. The zoo features naturalistic environments that simulate each animal's native home, creating a vivid international tapestry. Zoo highlights include Western Lowland Gorillas, Sumatran Orangutans, exotic birds, tigers, giraffes and much more. Don't miss the chance to see Caesar, the zoo's newest gorilla, who arrived from the Los Angeles Zoo in August and now lives in the Ford African Rainforest exhibit at Zoo Atlanta. Animal feedings and demonstrations take place throughout the day at the zoo, much to the delight of children and adults alike.

For a taste of Georgia history, don't miss Stone Mountain Park, which has earned the distinction of being Georgia's most popular tourist attraction. Each year, more than four million visitors visit Stone Mountain Park to see the world's largest exposed mass of granite and to enjoy music-fueled laser light shows and a wide range of outdoor activities.

The park recently completed its largest expansion to date, opening two new fun-filled family attractions. The Great Barn, a tribute to nineteenth-century farm life, offers a variety of interactive adventures, as well as rope nets, mazes, games and a 40-foot super slide. Crossroads, a new attraction that recreates a Georgia town from the 1870s, brings the state's rich heritage and history to life. Townspeople dressed in period costumes demonstrate blacksmithing, candle making, glassblowing, mill grinding and other nineteenth-century activities in a charming setting which recalls historic Williamsburg, Va.

Other Peach City highlights for families include visits to the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Six Flags Over Georgia and the World of Coca-Cola. For exposure to the arts, a visit to the High Museum of Art or an Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performance can't be beat.

As if Atlanta doesn't have enough do, the city is currently building a state-of-the-art aquarium in the downtown area that will be a regional showcase. The Georgia Aquarium, which is expected to open in 2005, will feature 5 million gallons of freshwater and saltwater, with more than 50,000 fish and sea mammals. The 400,000 square-foot facility will be one of the largest and most elaborate aquariums in the country.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY ATLANTA ATTRACTIONS: ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDEN
Piedmont Ave. at The Prado
(404) 876-5859
www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org

This peaceful oasis includes 30 acres of gardens, an urban forest, orchid displays, wildflower trails and a special Children's Garden which offers mazes, waterfalls and special programs throughout the year.


FERNBANK MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
767 Clifton Rd.
(404) 370-0960
www.fernbank.edu

A natural history museum with hands-on interactive exhibits, an IMAX theater and a permanent exhibit devoted to the development of life on earth.


GEORGIA'S STONE MOUNTAIN PARK
Hw. 78, Stone Mountain, Ga.
(770) 498-5600
www.stonemountainpark.com

This 3,200-acre park features the world's largest exposed mass of granite, as well as swimming, fishing, tennis, golf, a sky lift and other activities.


HIGH MUSEUM OF ART
Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St.
(404) 733-4400
www.high.org

A sleek, modern building in downtown Atlanta houses permanent collections of European and American painting, sculpture and photography, as well as excellent traveling exhibits.


SCITREK - THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MUSEUM OF ATLANTA
395 Piedmont Ave.
(404) 522-5500
www.scitrek.org

Ranked as one of the top 10 science centers in the U.S., SciTrek houses more than 100 interactive exhibits, live demonstrations, workshops, lectures, films and more.


SIX FLAGS OVER GEORGIA
7561 Six Flags R. at I-20 West, Mableton, Ga.
(770) 948-9290
www.sixflags.com

Georgia's most popular theme park features exciting rides, live Broadway-style show, and thrilling attractions.


WHITE WATER THEME PARK 250 N. Marietta Parkway, Marietta, Ga.
(770) 424-9283

This water theme park, one of the three largest in the country, covers nearly 40 acres with lazy rivers, an Atlantic Ocean wave pool, waterfall, water playgrounds for children and toddlers, Tree House Island and much more.


THE WORLD OF COCA-COLA
55 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive
(404) 676-5151
www.woccatlanta.com

Experience the past, present and future of the world's most famous soft drink through exhibits, memorabilia, classic advertisements and a futuristic soda fountain.


ZOO ATLANTA
800 Cherokee Ave., Grant Park
(404) 624-5600
www.zooatlanta.org

This world-class zoo features rare giant panda exhibits, as well as gorillas, orangutans, tigers, lions, giraffes and elephants, all in simulated natural habitats.