From A-Z, AlpharettaMoms.Org keeps you updated weekly on fun family things to do! Bunches of information in one place to make our lives a little easier! This article looks much different than in the past with many places not open yet or re-opening with social distancing measures in place. I have updated the venues with the information I have and will continue to make changes to the article as more detail is publicized. Thanks!
**This article is being updated as venues re-open to the public. Please visit our COVID-19 resources article in the meantime: https://alpharettamoms.org/covid-19-resources-around-and-about-alpharetta/
Alpharetta Events
Alpharetta Open For You is a compilation of restaurants and stores that are open by Awesome Alpharetta.
For those planning a sporting event, family reunion, wedding or other special events, the Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau can be a great help with its free event planning resources that include securing group hotel rates, complimentary welcome bags for guests and insider tips on facilities and vendors. For more information about these services, visit www.awesomealpharetta.com.
The Alpharetta Welcome Center is located at 178 South Main Street, Suite 200 and is the best source for information on Alpharetta and all that it offers in the way of shopping, dining, entertainment and recreation, for visitors and residents alike. Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Atlanta Botanical Garden
The Atlanta Botanical Garden is open. Timed tickets and member reservations are available now.
ALL guests and members must have a timed ticket or make a timed reservation for admission.
Garden Lights, Holiday Nights tickets go on sale October 1! Celebrate the 10th year Anniversary! This year’s show, presented November 14 – January 16, will provide a far more intimate experience than in years past with plenty of “room to glow”. That’s because in an effort to promote social distancing during the pandemic, nightly guest capacity will be significantly limited with all timed tickets available only online. Visitors to what’s traditionally an extremely popular event will be able to spread out among the Garden’s 33 acres for what could be their most enjoyable experience ever at Garden Lights, Holiday Nights.
1. Mark your calendars for October 1 when tickets go on sale at atlantabg.org. Look for a timed-ticketing system much like is used for visiting the Garden during regular daytime hours.
2. Look for all new colors – emphasizing purple, green and aqua – as the Garden purchases new LED lights every three years.
3. Check out your favorite giant plant sculptures from the current exhibition, Alice’s Wonderland Reimagined costumed in lights instead of annuals, such as the Red Queen, the White Rabbit and the Phoenix.
4. Don’t miss Ice Goddess’s new locks. Her chilly blues, silvers and whites have been warmed up in a nod to spring and the promise of hope.
5. Enjoy a new soundtrack at Nature’s Wonders, the vertical, musical light display descending over the Canopy Walk. Depictions of volcanic eruptions, summer thunderstorms and tranquil sunrises are choreographed with nostalgic classics.
Atlanta History Center
Reopen. Our 33-acre experience features award-winning exhibitions, historic houses, and gardens. 9 a.m. – 4pm Tuesday through Sunday with safety precautions.
EXHIBITIONS
The Atlanta History Center’s cornerstone exhibition Gatheround: Stories of Atlanta remains open. Through artifacts, ephemera, interactive media, recording booths, immersive experiences, and Meet the Past museum theatre performances, this 7,700-square-foot exhibition shares the stories of individuals of many different backgrounds and perspectives who helped create the Atlanta we know today.
Conveniently located off of I-75, the Atlanta History Center is a unique 33-acre oasis nestled among one of Atlanta’s most historic neighborhoods. Award-winning exhibitions, historic houses, enchanting gardens, interactive experiences, and a variety of 
year-round adult and family programs truly offer something for everyone looking to explore our region’s past. Admission tickets are all-inclusive of all History Center attractions, and guests enjoy free parking.
Veterans Park at the Atlanta History Center is dedicated to all of the men and women who have served – and continue to serve – the United States of America. The Park was designed not as a traditional veterans’ memorial, but as a unique gathering place encouraging reflection, personal connections to veterans, and a celebration of the lives of those who have sacrificed to secure our freedom.
Autrey Mill Nature Preserve & Heritage Center
The public has cost-free access to Autrey Mill’s grounds for hiking, nature study, strolling the pathways of the Heritage Village, and visiting with our animals. Entrance to the grounds is free and is open 8:00am to dusk 365 days of the year! The preserve has grown under the 30-year leadership and vision of our nonprofit. Today we welcome 14,000 annual visitors to over 3 miles of nature trails, animal exhibits, gardens, and a Heritage Village of restored historic buildings.
Center for Puppetry Arts
The Center for Puppetry Arts @Home program offerings continue to expand, as well as the platforms on which they will be presented. On Demand Viewing: Each rental includes a behind-the-scenes bonus feature. Rent for only $5.00!
After you watch Beauty & the Beast, create your very own Burly Beast Rod Puppet with their Create-A-Puppet Workshop™ puppet kits. These kits are custom-designed to accompany our on-demand puppet shows and are available in their Etsy shop. Click here to see our entire digital library!
Chattahoochee Nature Center
Their limited, timed admission system will not only provide for an intimate experience on the property, but also allow us to reduce person to person contact and better maintain social distancing throughout the admissions process.
Chestatee Wildlife Preserve & Zoo
469 Old Dahlonega Hwy, Dahlonega, GA 30533
Chestatee Wildlife Preserve is home to over 100 exotic and native animals. These animals are rescued due to being orphaned, abused, illegally purchased or just in need of a forever home. You can help them feed the animals by donating fresh produce, canned fruits, vegetables and meats!
Children’s Museum of Atlanta
Museum to host seasonal celebrations and spook-tacular Halloween special events
Children’s Museum of Atlanta is calling kids of all ages to spend the spooky season with hands-on programming throughout the month of October. Museum visitors can learn about Hispanic Heritage Month by creating Mexican folk art alebrijes and exploring a biodiversity scavenger hunt. Children will also discover fun ways to incorporate fruits and veggies into their meals through a partnership with Georgia Organic’s October Farm to School Month campaign. Families are invited to join in the Halloween-themed celebrations from October 24-31, when little ones can craft up creativity with a dance party and storytime. Safety remains a top priority as Children’s Museum of Atlanta continues to practice health and safety procedures to help visitors feel more at-ease.
CMA On Stage
Biodiversity Scavenger Hunt
Session A: 10 a.m. / Session B: 1 p.m. / Session C (Friday/Saturday/Sunday only): 4 p.m.
Storytime: “Imagine” by Juan Felipe Herrera
Session A: 11 a.m. / Session B: 2 p.m. / Session C (Friday/Saturday/Sunday only): 5 p.m.
Science Bar
Order up an exciting experiment from a menu of options! Little explorers will learn about cactus science and Mexican botanist Helia Bravo Hollis before discovering some fascinating rocks and minerals from Chile, Mexico and Brazil.
Session A: 10 a.m. / Session B: 1 p.m. / Session C (Friday/Saturday/Sunday only): 4 p.m.
Creativity Café
Families can explore Peruvian Nazca lines and create fantastical creatures while learning about Mexican folk art alebrijes.
Session A: 10 a.m. / Session B: 1 p.m. / Session C (Friday/Saturday/Sunday only): 4 p.m.
“Turnip the Volume”— From Farm to School
Oct. 16-23
Children’s Museum of Atlanta is excited to partner with Georgia Organic’s October Farm to School Month campaign: ‘Turnip the Volume!’ Visitors can learn about healthy eating on stage with a reading of Will Power’s “In the West End.” Guests will also have the chance to plant turnip seeds and have a heartbeat dance party in the Science Bar, while the Creativity Cafe will host a make-your-own healthy cookbook that kids are sure to enjoy. Georgia Organic’s October Farm to School Month campaign is a yearly statewide campaign to get kids across Georgia eating, growing and learning about a new fruit or vegetable.
CMA On Stage
Eat the Alphabet
Session A: 10 a.m. / Session B: 1 p.m. / Session C (Friday/Saturday/Sunday only): 4 p.m.
Storytime: “In the West End” by Will Power
Session A: 11 a.m. / Session B: 2 p.m. / Session C (Friday/Saturday/Sunday only): 5 p.m.
Science Bar
Order up an exciting experiment from a menu of options! Junior gardeners will learn to plant turnip seeds and have a heartbeat dance party.
Session A: 10 a.m. / Session B: 1 p.m. / Session C (Friday/Saturday/Sunday only):4 p.m.
Creativity Café
Future chefs will create healthy food cookbooks and bubble wrap printed fruits and vegetables.
Session A: 10 a.m. / Session B: 1 p.m. / Session C (Friday/Saturday/Sunday only):4 p.m.
Halloween Programming
Oct. 24-31
Calling all ghosts, goblins, and ghouls! The Museum celebrates Halloween with a themed storytime and dance party. The Science Bar will feature some spooky, spidery science, and the Creativity Café will feature paper pumpkin lanterns and puffy paint ghosts.
CMA On Stage
Halloween Dance Party
Session A: 10 a.m. / Session B: 1 p.m. / Session C (Friday/Saturday/Sunday only): 4 p.m.
Halloween Storytime
Session A: 11 a.m. / Session B: 2 p.m. / Session C (Friday/Saturday/Sunday only): 5 p.m.
Science Bar
Order up an exciting experiment from a menu of options! Kids will have the chance to learn how spiderwebs work and mix up some creepy concoctions. On Saturday, October 31, the Museum will also add some dry ice Halloween fun!
Session A: 10 a.m. / Session B: 1 p.m. / Session C (Friday/Saturday/Sunday only):4 p.m.
Creativity Café
Children can create paper pumpkin lanterns and puffy paint ghosts. On Thursday, there will also be fluffy pumpkin slime making sessions for Messy Thursday.
Session A: 10 a.m. / Session B: 1 p.m. / Session C (Friday/Saturday/Sunday only):4 p.m.
Virtual Building Blocks offering adds to variety of interactive, virtual activities bringing workshops and programs to life at home
Children’s Museum of Atlanta recognizes that virtual programming is a lifeline for educators and parents during these complicated times. Regarded as a proactive pioneer in digital programming and activities post-COVID, the Museum invites the community to take part in its latest, all-new digital series with updated, hands-on activities that bolster children’s educational and creative success… even while still at home this fall.
Kicking off on October 19, the new Virtual Building Blocks program is a weekly series of 30-minute classes geared for preschoolers (ages 3-5) to enjoy with the assistance of a grown-up. A variety of topics – from literacy, arts and STEM to emotional wellbeing, geography and heathy eating – will be covered, and each class includes a storytime, vocabulary words and a hands-on activity. Led by trained Museum staff, Virtual Building Blocks will take place each Monday morning at 9:30 a.m. from Oct. 19 through Nov. 23. Parents can register for the series or for individual classes; the cost for non-members is $12 per class or $60 for the full series or $10 per class or $50 for the full series for members.
“Our mission is to inspire our youngest community members to continue on their journey of learning through the power of play… even when interactions are limited,” said Children’s Museum of Atlanta Executive Director Jane Turner. “The Atlanta community of parents and teachers has shared the need for more tools and more programming to augment their lesson plans as children continue to be schooled at home. Since March, our team quickly and successfully pivoted to provide robust digital programs to spark imaginations while teaching the fundamentals of STEM, art, geography, emotional wellbeing and many other important topics.”
Current online programs include Museum On-the-Go, CMA Town Square, Homeschool Days and the all-new Virtual Building Block series. Children’s Museum of Atlanta will continue to serve as a beacon of learning through the power of play, with activities continually launched through virtual programs to ensure engagement for all children regardless of their location. The Museum has also partnered with organizations like the YMCA and Atlanta Hawks to supplement their camps and digital programming.
Children’s Museum of Atlanta is now open for limited capacity in a two-hour session format. The Museum is following enhanced health and safety measures, including requiring face coverings for all guests over 5-years-old and all staff members; deep cleaning between each session and cleaning of high touchpoints during sessions; and conducing Creativity Café projects in open-air spaces. A full list of health enhancements can be found on the Museum website. More information on reservations and tickets, revised operating hours and the Museum’s online programming guide can be found here.
Consolidated Gold Mine Dahlonega
Open Wednesday – Sunday. Re-opened to the public. Welcome back to Underground Gold Mine Tours, Gold Panning and Gemstone Mining!
Safety measures for guests and Miners are in place. The Miners will have masks, face shields and clear dividers, where applicable.
We will limit our tour sizes and spread out to the best of our ability.
Guests will be spread out in our gold panning and gem mining areas with ample room between visitors.
Our shop and ticket lines have one way aisles and we have floor markings to encourage distance while in the ticket lines.
Feel free to wear a mask while visiting with us! Limited supply of masks are available for sale in our shop, however, we encourage you to bring your own if you want. We encourage you to stay away if you are sick or have been around someone that is sick.
Largest gold mine east of the Mississippi. Travel 200 feet underground and hear tales of miner’s struggles to uncover gold deep within large quartz veins. Your tour guide welcomes interaction from the group as you experience life as a miner at the turn-of-the-century. They also offer gemstone mining – find colorful gems in every bucket!
Fernbank Museum of Natural History
In addition to the “World of Wow” guests have come to expect, they also will find a number of new health and safety procedures.
Highlighted by 75-acres of vast outdoor experiences in WildWoods and Fernbank Forest and a three-story natural history museum, Fernbank offers both indoor and outdoor experiences that intuitively favor physical distancing, including 2 miles of nature trails, a tree-lined canopy walk, a creek-lined pollinator sanctuary, and a variety of trees, native plants and blooming wildflowers.
Guests can search for wildlife—including reptiles, mammals, birds and insects—as well as appreciate the natural beauty of a rare old-growth forest in the middle of the city. Most museum exhibits will also be open to explore, with some hands-on exhibits, outdoor children’s exhibits and some interactives temporarily unavailable.
Guests will find that Fernbank Museum of Natural History has become Fernbank Museum of Supernatural History with the return of Woodland Spirits and Fernbank’s Supernatural Science Fest. Come face-to-face with dozens of ghostly “visitors” lurking among the trails outside in WildWoods and Fernbank Forest.
On view through November 8, 2020, Woodland Spirits returns for the third year, once again expanding to include new experiences. As guests wander throughout Fernbank’s outdoor areas, they will cross-paths with spirits who were unable to let go of the physical world and appear in the shadows, up in the trees and waiting in plain sight for their next scare. These ghostly sculptures were imagined by Fernbank, and transformed by local Atlanta artist, Laura Lewis.
New ghastly encounters include a stroll through the Monster Garden, where guests will experience their own “Little Shop of Horrors.” Meanwhile, spiders, skeletons, bats and more spirits have taken over Adventure Outpost, transforming it into the Haunted Outpost. For those who want to immerse themselves in the seasonal feel, Nature Stories has become Harvest Stories, where scarecrows, haybales and pumpkins will be spread throughout for the perfect fall experience.
Featured as part of the Supernatural Science Fest, Woodland Spirits provides daily seasonal Halloween experiences, with additional events and programming to capture the full Halloween vibe, including:
- Forest night walks will be taking place, where spirits found in the outdoor areas will illuminate in hopes of capturing a scream or two. Need the date time.
- Two family Discovery Days include Bugs, Bats and Bones Day on October 10 and Creepy Crawlies Day on October 31, 2020.
- Ghostly Gatherings offers evening access with a bewitchingly fun event series features evening hours at Fernbank, including Woodland Spirits, as well as special interactive activities, adult beverages, as well as special snacks for purchase. Ghostly Gatherings are offered on Saturday, October 17 and Saturday, October 24 from 6:30pm-10pm. ($10 for members, $20 for non-members)
- Fright Night, for ages 21+, features a costume contest, twilight tours of outdoor experiences, access to indoor and outdoor exhibits (including Woodland Spirits), specialty drinks, as well as small bites available for purchase. Fright Night will take place Friday, October 30, 2020 from 7pm-11pm. ($21.95 for both members and non-members)
Fernbank’s Supernatural Science Fest, including Woodland Spirits, will be held from through November 8, 2020. To purchase general admission and event tickets as well as see the full calendar of events, evening hours, and safety precautions (including required face covering policy), visit FernbankMuseum.org.
*Advanced ticket reservations are required for all visitors, including members and prices are higher if not purchased in advance.
Guests will get to experience the biomechanics of the natural world through a “nuts and bolts” breakdown
Fernbank Museum announces its newest special exhibit, Amazing Animals: Built to Survive, which opened on October 3, 2020. The exhibit takes guests into the natural world, explores the traits of plants and animals, and reveals the marvels of natural engineering to showcase that evolution is Earth’s greatest inventor.
With interactive displays, life-like models, preserved real specimens, and immersive footage and photography, Amazing Animals investigates how a cheetah can run so fast; how birds can navigate through the air and fish swim through water; how strong the grip of a chimpanzee is; and how organisms are built to survive, explore and find their next meal, all while avoiding being one in the process.
Organisms face threats to their survival every day. Creatures in the natural world must develop tools that allow them to withstand threats to their survival, including wind, water, extreme elements and even gravity. Here, guests will have the opportunity to see how flexible fibers as well as rigid structures have formed in different organisms to resist the elements. Bones and shells on display in the exhibition showcase this evolutionary blend of flexibility and rigidity through dome-shaped structures that are among the most protective and common in the natural world; found in the human skull, tortoise shells and even in the construction of a horseshoe crab’s shell.
While external forces are working to break organisms down from the outside, internally the fight for survival rages on. By examining five heart models from a mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian and fish, guests will see that while these vital organs vary in shapes and size, they are crucial “pumps,” providing key life-support to cells throughout the body. Visitors will have the opportunity to “pump” blood through a giraffe’s body using a heart model, as well as getting an up-close view at a real giraffe heart on display with this interactive experience.
Muscles and joints act as motors and levers, setting the internal mechanisms in organisms’ jaws, claws and legs. Amazing Animals takes a closer look at the design and function of these tools and how they allow for success while hunting and exploring. Visitors will witness the ultimate bite force of Dunkleosteus, an extinct species of fish, through a mechanical model; explore how a cheetah’s spine works as a spring and see just how complex the way a human walk truly is. Amazing Animals also examines the quick, powerful, and graceful movements of smaller animals such as mantis shrimps, trap jaw ants, and beetle larvae.
While the complex human gait allows us to move through our environment, animals that fly through the air or move through the water have adapted a different way to navigate their terrain. Aerodynamic bodies have allowed for animals such as birds, fish and other creatures to move stealthily through their environment, quickly propelling them along the way. Visitors will get a chance to “fly” as they test out the functions of both large and small wings in an interactive experience.
Reliance on specialized senses is crucial for plants and animals to survive. Amazing Animals explores the amazing ear of a Northern Saw-whet Owl, the extra antennae of a Luna Moth that allows it to smell farther than any creature on earth and many other sensory mechanisms that ease the fight for survival. Guests can also explore the evolution of the senses through an interactive display showcasing the eye and how the mechanisms inside this sensory organ have developed over time.
Biomimicry, or the way humans have taken exemplary traits from the natural world and applied them to help solve human problems, will also be showcased. With human inventions such as Velcro being derived from the natural world, nature is one of the best tools we can use to find inspiration. These applications and many more will be explored.
Amazing Animals: Built to Survive is presented in both English and Spanish. This bilingual exhibition was developed by The Field Museum in partnership with the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and is funded by a grant from the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust and ITW foundation. Amazing Animals is sponsored locally by the Isdell Family Foundation, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and UPS.
Amazing Animals: Built to Survive will be on exhibit from October 3 until January 3, 2021. Admission is included with the purchase of a museum ticket and is free for members. Ticket prices are $20 for adults, $19 for seniors and $18 for children. To purchase tickets or view pre-visit information, frequently asked questions, safety protocols and more, please visit FernbankMuseum.org.
Fernbank’s Giant Screen Theater will re–open to the public on weekends and major holidays starting Saturday, October 3, 2020, with the debut of the new movie, Australia’s Great Wild North. Fernbank will show the 25-minute, 2D version of the movie, eliminating the need for 3D glasses. Fernbank will offer a special re–opening promotion, featuring movies as a $5 add-on to General Admission. (Regular prices are $7 plus general admission.)
A bucket-list vacation is on many people’s wish list this year, and Australia’s Great Wild North transports audiences to one of the most wild and isolated places on our planet. Viewers are invited on a tour of Australia’s Top End, aided by a guide who knows the land better than anyone.
Tommy, a native Aboriginal tribe member and film narrator, guides the audience across land that his ancestors have cared for and watched over for at least 50,000 years. Audience members experience the North of Australia in a way that has never been done before. With breathtaking visuals of the landscape, an up-close view of the wild environment and spotlight on indigenous cultures, guests will be immersed in a world that goes beyond belief.
Far Northern Australia is a land of extremes. Huge bushfires ravage the ancient landscape in the dry season and the world’s biggest thunderstorms bring torrential rain and flooding in the wet season. These almost Jurassic conditions have created some of the richest wetlands on Earth.
Australia’s Great Wild North follows a saltwater crocodile as it leads Tommy and the audience through one of the most mysterious regions in Australia. These apex predators of the region have been untouched by evolution and remain in almost identical form that they resembled 200 million years ago. As twists and turns guide viewers from the Kimberly Coast, across the rarely experienced Arnhem Land, and through the world’s oldest rainforest in Cape York, some of Australia’s most famous creatures—including sharks, venomous snakes and buffalo—along with some of Australia’s best-kept natural secrets are revealed.
Guests take an immersive and epic journey through some of the wildest landscapes on Earth as the 4-story–high screen and laser projection of the Giant Screen Theater take audiences deep into the crocodile’s world, while specialized underwater camera rigs get viewers closer than ever before to the most powerful jaws on Earth.
Australia’s Great Wild North will show from October 3 for a limited time* on weekends and holidays at 11:15am, 1:15pm and 3:15pm. Additional show times may be added. Through November 22, tickets to the Giant Screen Theater are available for only $5 as an add-on to Fernbank General Admission. Movie-only tickets are not available. Advance ticket purchase is required. The movie Hidden Pacific is also showing at Fernbank. Buy tickets online at FernbankMuseum.org.
*The closing date for this film is TBD but it is anticipated to show for the duration of 2020 or longer. Showtimes are confirmed through November 22 and may change after that date.
Fox Theatre
The Fox Theatre is opening its doors virtually to fans through a new digital Behind the Scenes series, set to debut by the end of June. The biweekly series will explore areas of the not often seen by guests – from the Hospital Room and backstage to its Archives and Projector Room. Fans can look forward to a peek at some rarely seen parts of the 90-year old Atlanta landmark.
Sneak peeks at the Hospital Room, Archives, Projector Room, Celebrity Dressing Rooms and more!
Fox Theatre website at foxtheatre.org/tours
Georgia Aquarium
What better way to continue your education and keep kids’ curiosity piqued than to adventure with Georgia Aquarium from afar? Deep Sea learning videos, web cams and more!
- Join us daily and weekly for live streaming events
- Get regular updates on our animals
- Download lesson plans and resources
- Learn about all the animals in our facility
- And much, much more
High Museum of Art
The High Museum of Art remains closed. Check out their streaming videos and creative art projects to do from home.
Home Depot Free Kid Clinics
First Saturday of Each Month between 9 a.m. – 12:00 pm. FREE hands-on workshops designed for children ages 5 – 12 at all Home Depot stores. Workshops teach children do-it-yourself skills, tool safety and instill a sense of pride and accomplishment. All kids get to keep their craft and receive a FREE Kids Workshop Apron, commemorative pin and certificate of achievement.
Legoland Discovery Center
LEGOLAND Discovery Center Atlanta is reopen! With Bricktastic Safety, the attraction has introduced enhanced cleaning measures throughout the day and before each playtime to clean and sanitize the attraction including high-frequency touchpoints, play areas, and LEGO bricks.
The Halloween party built for kids is bringing back a spooktacular way to play with LEGO bricks! Along with giant LEGO Halloween creations and activities, LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Atlanta’s Brick-Or-Treat will feature LEGO Hidden Side allowing families to explore the ‘hidden side’ of LEGO sets with an AR (Augmented Reality) experience. LEGO Hidden Side is a chilling, creative world of ghosts – a creative building toy, tech toy, and AR game, all rolled into one where kids can create their own ghost-hunting adventures. The AR app, LEGO Hidden Side, will add to the Brick-Or-Treat experience giving families another reason to explore the ultimate indoor playground to celebrate Halloween.
Continuing to take extra precautions for health and safety, LEGOLAND Discovery Center Atlanta has implemented enhanced physical distancing measures, limited capacity, LEGO® bricks just for families to use at the attraction, and stringent cleaning protocols throughout the day following the guidance of local and national health officials.
Brick-Or-Treat activities
- Boogie at a safe distance to your favorite Halloween hits at our Monster Mash Dance Party!
- A Hauntingly Fun MINILAND: LEGOLAND Discovery Center’s MINILAND transforms into a hauntingly fun area where you can try to spot all the extra spooky scenes. Dare find them all!
- Boo-tiful Halloween Builds: No trip to LEGOLAND Discovery Center during October is complete without building seasonal LEGO models! Enjoy Halloween themed build activities with our Master Model Builder in the Creative Workshop and challenge your fellow LEGO lovers to a building competition.
- Crazy Cool Costumes: LEGO lovers of all ages are welcome to dress in their Halloween best! Bonus points for wearing a LEGO themed costume!
For a list of planned activities, attraction hours and ticket prices at each site, visit
https://atlanta.legolanddiscoverycenter.com
Library Events
Click HERE for AMO’s article on local library events that are FREE. Events range from infant to teenagers and adult!
Forsyth Public Libraries: Contact-Free Curbside Pickup of books available. Outdoor book drops at all four Forsyth County Public Library locations have reopened.
Lowes Build & Grow
Free Kids Clinics offered 1-2x per month on Saturdays year round from 10 a.m. – 11:00 a.m
Medieval Times
Medieval Times is excited to welcome you back to their Castle! They created an extensive reopening plan with direction from health experts and government officials. their focus remains on the health and safety of our guests and Team Members, to ensure we exceed standards and your expectations.
Medieval Times is a thrilling, family-friendly dinner attraction inspired by an 11th-century feast and tournament. Guests are served a four-course banquet and cheer for one of six Knights competing in the joust and other tests of skill. See AMO’s post here with more detail on this fun entertainment for the family.
National Center for Civil and Human Rights
Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia is open. Advance reservations must be made prior to your visit. The reservation process only takes 5-7 minutes. Have your online order number, ticket number or Membership/Season Pass number handy and visit sixflags.com/reserve.
Southeastern Railway Museum
This was also the opening for the first phase of refreshing the “Superb”, President Warren G. Harding’s private car that is at the front of building 1. This car has had a multi-year effort to spruce up the interior. There will be more information on this project coming soon.
SRM has about 90 different cars, including Pullman cars, classic steam locomotives, and antique diesel-electric trains. Ride in restored cabooses and learn about the famous trains that made history! Special admission price of $7 and free train rides for home-schooled kids and their families! Learn about the building of the Transcontinental Railroad through arts and crafts, special exhibits, and scavenger hunts. 3595 Buford Hwy Duluth
Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History
To ensure the health and safety of our visitors and staff, all guests will be screened and evaluated upon entrance and gallery components will be cleaned continuously throughout the day. Temporary hours of operation are Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm. Public programs continue to be postponed.
Southern Museum offers a Mommy & ME preschool program every Thursday at 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 am. Designed for preschool age children ages three to five-years-old and their caregivers, the Museum’s history, themes and exhibits provide a fun and exciting starting point for educational activities. Free with museum admission. No reservations required.
The Southern Museum, in association with the Smithsonian Institution, is a premier metro Atlanta museum, featuring exhibits on Civil War and locomotive history. The Southern Museum is home to the General locomotive, stolen during the Civil War’s Great Locomotive Chase; a reproduction of the locomotive assembly line from the Glover Machine Works; weapons, uniforms and every day items of Civil War soldiers; and the Jolley Education Center that features train history, hands-on activities for children and Georgia’s French Gratitude Train. Kennesaw
Stone Mountain Park
Book your visit. In order to provide safe outdoor entertainment and maintain social distancing guidelines, we are reducing and managing our daily capacity. All Mountain Members and Daily Attractions Guests are encouraged to make a reservation prior to visiting.
Halloween at Stone Mountain on October 19, 2019. Photo by Steven Bridges
Stone Mountain Park’s all-new Pumpkin Festival – Play by Day, Glow by Night, an outdoor extravaganza returns bigger, better and brighter this year. Visitors are welcome to celebrate the splendor of autumn during the park’s Pumpkin Festival, a family tradition featuring dozens of new scenes, thousands of jack-o-lanterns, a giant glowing pumpkin tree, costumed characters, glow-in-the-dark mini golf, new storytelling adventures, new glow-along party parade, new glow-in-the-dark dinosaurs, new magic show, and more nighttime family-friendly experiences. Discover a patch of fall fun on acres of natural beauty beginning Sept. 19 – Nov. 1 (select dates).
Guests can play by day and experience all of their favorite park attractions and special fall entertainment, then glow by night in a whole new light.
Glow by night is an all-new, immersive experience with more glow and nighttime outdoor fun. Guests can explore 20 life-size Jurassic giants after dark at the all-new Dino Glow Experience and watch magical entertainer Aaron Radatz for a fast-paced, interactive outdoor show before he disappears.
Take an outdoor journey through classic storybook tales that come to life in 10 new themed areas with over 40 newly imagined scenes, thousands of glowing lights, massive carved pumpkins, bubbles, fog and plenty of not-so-spooky, glow-in-the-dark adventures after sunset.
Halloween at Stone Mountain on October 18, 2019. Photo by Steven Bridges
From fairytales to nursery rhymes, be part of the adventure as you encounter your favorite storybook characters! Discover an underwater marvel 20,000 leagues under the sea, catch a fairytale remix with Mother Goose, watch an all-new story book dance-along party parade on the laser lawn, and join the 3 little pigs for an adventure on the scenic railroad. Come immerse yourself in outdoor picture-book settings with fun fall decor and much, much more! For tickets and activity schedule, visit www.stonemountainpark.com.
In order to provide safe outdoor entertainment, Stone Mountain Park is reducing and managing its daily attractions capacity. The park is implementing a number of new safety measures based on the guidance of health officials including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and appropriate government agencies. Reservations are required and guests are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance. Guests are also encouraged to review important health and safety procedures at the following link before visiting park attractions: https://www.stonemountainpark.com/PlaySafe.
Treetop Quest
Dunwoody and Gwinnett location are now open.
Are you looking for something adventurous AND nature-oriented? Treetop Quest is an aerial adventure park which means ziplines and obstacles in the trees! 2 locations in Gwinnett and Dunwoody. Great family fun for ages 4 and up! Come swing in our 
trees with us!
Treetop Quest is a self-guided activity comprised of treetop obstacles and zip-lines. Our courses range in difficulty from easy to very challenging, so the entire family will have a blast! Once you are equipped, we will teach you how to operate your equipment and you will be good to swing through each course as many times as you want, for 2.5 hours (according to age limit as indicated below).
Waterfalls/Hiking
Georgia and the Atlanta area are full of hiking trails for all skill levels. See our article with suggestions for hikes and visiting waterfalls in the Atlanta area and beyond!
Yellow River Wildlife Sancturay
Yellow River Game Ranch is a popular destination to encounter, feed and pet animals. Located 2 1/2 miles east of Stone Mtn on Hwy 78, it offers a chance to meet wildlife on a close and personal basis. Stroll along a mile-long trail on 24 wooded acres and encounter white-tailed deer, bunnies, buffalo, sheep, kid goats, black bears and more!
If you’re looking for a fun and interesting way to spend a morning, or the afternoon, look no further! The Yellow River Game Ranch is under new management and has undergone extensive renovations to providethe animals here with the best possible environment, care and quality of life. Come visit the NEW YELLOW RIVERWILDLIFE SANCTUARY in central Gwinnett alongside the Yellow River, just minutes from Stone Mountain Park.
Woodruff Arts Center
Choose day and time to visit and check out online.
Every Sunday from 1:00–4:00 p.m., visit the Woodruff Arts Center for FREE family activities, including art-making workshops, ASO backstage tours and more! The Woodruff Arts Center Atlanta, Georgia is one of the only arts venues in the United States to offer both visual and performing arts on a single campus. The Woodruff produces outstanding theatre, music and exhibitions for over 800,000 patrons each year.
The Woodruff Arts Center serves over 200,000 students annually and is proud to be recognized as Georgia’s largest arts educator. Whether it’s summer camps for middle school students or theatre made for the youngest audiences, families with children of all ages will be able to explore, play, learn and create art in an interactive environment.
World of Coca-Cola
New Exhibit – Scent Discovery!! The World of Coca-Cola has officially announced the opening of Scent Discovery, the attraction’s first new permanent exhibit since 2011. The experience gives guests a deep dive into the anatomy of smell — from reception to perception — and challenges visitors to identify a variety of sweet, fruity and spicy scents.
Inside the exhibit, guests learn about the science behind humans’ sense of smell and how it works with the brain to identify foods and recall memories.
World of Coca-Cola Ambassadors lead small groups of guests through a tour of aromas — from sweet to fruity to spicy. Guests individually smell the scents one by one, share what each reminds them of and attempt to identify the fragrances.
Following the guided experience, guests are invited to explore other mystery scents, grouped by flavor profile, along the outside wall of the room. As they learn each aroma’s origin, guests will also uncover related beverage recommendations. Guests leave the exhibit knowing more about why they choose the beverages they prefer and which Coca-Cola drinks to sample next.
The health and safety of employees and guests are World of Coca-Cola’s top priorities, and the attraction has adjusted its operations in compliance with guidelines from health and government authorities. Face coverings are required for all employees and guests over the age of 2, and capacity has been reduced via time-stamped admission tickets to promote social distancing. Thermal temperature scans are conducted for employees and guests upon entry, and cleaning routines have been enhanced throughout the attraction. Face coverings and social distancing are required inside Scent Discovery and do not detract from the experience of the exhibit. The Taste It! sampling experience has been altered to comply with FDA guidelines, and small groups are led through curated tastings at designated times. More information is available online.
Zoo Atlanta
Purchase timed tickets in advance. Survival Safari, Family Zoo Yoga, Wild on the Rocks and more!
Survival Safari on select dates: Grab your family and friends and come to the Zoo for an evening of team challenges, scavenger hunts, and interactive activities that will engage and excite. See if you have what it takes to survive and thrive as an Animal Care Specialist. Compete against other teams as you and your group work together to solve team challenges that explore how animal care teams feed, maintain the environments of, and enrich the lives of Zoo Atlanta’s animal ambassadors. Participants will explore the Zoo after hours with a Zoo educator and learn about animal care and conservation efforts.
Article updated weekly. Information provided by the specific venue. Enjoy!
Just wanted to mention, designing a miniature dream bedroom is a great activity to do when the kids are home from school. Check out our website http://www.myroomrocks.com for details or see our fb site for some amazing pictures!