A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine was asking for suggestions on day trips for her and her family this summer. So many people piped up with some great suggestions, so I took the list and have included it here for you in case you're looking for some new ideas! I'll be adding more throughout the summer, so if you have a favorite not on the list, please comment below and I'll add it!
The Art Barn - You will feel like you are at home with friends and family as you truly experience what farm life is all about. From gathering farm fresh eggs, peeking into the gardens, to the beautiful sounds of the barnyard symphony... Roosters crowing, Cows mooing while Donkeys and horses belt out some equine melodies. The farm offers many learning opportunities for groups of every size. From small family gatherings to farm-tastic field trips for schools of any size. Barnyard meet & greets to Farm To Table workshops. Come create a memory.
208 Roper Road, Canton, GA 30115
BabyLand General Hospital - Free admission to the Cabbage Patch Kids' Southern-Style, antebellum home in the Georgia Mountains. Witness a birth. Staff administers Imagicillin & gives adoption consultations. Adoptable Appalachian art in animated displays. Throughout the year there are special public Seasonal Events, Tea Parties, along with private birthday, ballroom and wedding celebrations.
300 N.O.K. Drive, Cleveland, GA 30528
Booth Western Art Museum - This 120,000 square foot Museum opened in August 2003, and houses the largest permanent exhibition space for Western art in the country. Galleries feature contemporary Western American art, historic Western art, Civil War art, Presidential portraits and letters, Western movie posters, and Western illustration. Sagebrush Ranch is an interactive gallery where children of all ages can learn about art and Western America. The Museum’s Special and Temporary Exhibit Galleries hosts six to ten temporary exhibits per year.
501 N Museum Dr., Cartersville, GA 30120
Callaway Gardens - A recreational facility offering beach and water sports, geocaching, treetop adventures, zip lines, beautiful gardens and historical buildings.
17800 US Hwy 27, Pine Mountain, GA 31822
Chattahoochee Nature Center - Visit metropolitan Atlanta’s largest nature center today – we are open 361 days a year! Fun community events for children, families and adults happen at CNC featuring wildlife programs, environmental education, horticulture & more!
9135 Willeo Road, Roswell, GA 30075
Cumming Aquatic Center - The Cumming Aquatic Center is a state-of-the-art aquatic facility that opened in June 2011. We have two indoor pools -- a 50-meter competition pool and a 25-yard instructional pool -- and these are open 7 days a week to the public. The outdoor leisure pool is open during the summer, from May through September, and features a slide, a lazy river, and a play structure for children. The outdoor area also features four cabanas for birthday parties and three giant umbrellas for shade.
201 Aquatic Circle, Cumming, GA 30040
DeKalb Peachtree Airport - Watch planes take off and land from benches within a playground. There is also a covered picnic shelter resembling an airplane hangar.
2000 Airport Road, Atlanta, GA 30341
Gold Panning in Dahlonega - Though you may not strike it rich, in most cases the wealth is in the experience! While you can usually pan no more than a few cents worth of gold in an hour, there's always a chance of finding a stray nugget. Recreational panning for gold in most streambeds is allowed. Special permission, permits, or fees are not required when only a shovel and pan are used and no significant damage is done to the streambed. In-stream sluices and suction dredges are not allowed. Contact the Blue Ridge Ranger District office at (706) 745-6928 to determine whether the mineral rights of a stream are publicly or privately owned or if any restrictions have been placed on the stream.
Dahlonega CVB, 13 South Park Street, Dahlonega, GA 30533
Helen, GA - Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the Chattahoochee River, this Northeast Georgia village has a rich history linked to the Cherokee Indians and Indian burial mounds as well as early settlers who arrived to mine for gold and cut virgin timber for a thriving lumber industry in the early 1900s. Helen is a re-creation of an alpine village complete with cobblestone alleys and old-world towers. We've got shopping, camping, both rustic and luxury mountain cabins, restaurants, bed and breakfast inns, mountains, theater, recreation, romantic getaways, beautiful scenery, family activities, waterfalls, museums, history, art, fishing, tubing, golf, and more. Something for every member of the family.
Helen CVB, 726 Bruckenstrasse, Helen, GA 30545
INK - Interactive Neighborhood for Kids, Inc. (INK) encourages children of all ages to develop their full potential through exciting hands-on learning. INK strives, through the exhibits of our Museum, to create a unique environment in which children of all ages, abilities and experience can feel free to imagine, create and explore beyond their dreams.
999 Chestnut Street, S.E., Gainesville, GA 30501
Lanier World - Whether you are looking for the coolest lakeside spot for day play and nightlife, a sandy area to bask in the sun, or a place to let loose and let your inner child out, LanierWorld has it all. At the Family Fun Park, enjoy Wild Waves, the South's largest wave pool, as well as Raging River, carnival rides, Bucky's Game Station & Tads Lakeside Grille. A short walk through the tunnel takes you from the Family Fun Park to Big Beach, home of the largest collection of rides, slides and dining options at LanierWorld. Across the sand and over the Boardwalk, lies Sunset Cove, THE spot on Lake Lanier for music, entertainment, dining & nightlife!
7000 Lanier Islands Parkway, Buford, GA 30518
Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary - Noah's Ark is a 250 acre sanctuary for abused, unwanted and neglected animals. A beautiful "park like" setting with paved pathways to bring your family and enjoy an afternoon out. We have a beautiful picnic area and playground. Wear your walking shoes, pack a lunch and come spend the day with us!
712 LG Griffin Road, Locust Grove, GA 30248
North Georgia Zoo and Petting Farm - The animals we exhibit here serve as ambassadors for their wild cousins and help educate on a variety of species of animals.. From reclusive reptiles to friendly farm animals to carnivores. The species here at North Georgia Zoo educate visitors and help zoo scientists protect wildlife and hoofstock around the world.
2912 Paradise Valley Rd., Cleveland, GA 30528
Pick Your Own Berry Farms - Please see the article for nearby "pick-your-own" farms.
Southeastern Railway Museum - Ride in restored cabooses behind antique diesel locomotives, stand next to the massive driving wheels of the locomotive that pulled passenger trains to Key West on the "railroad that went to sea," and pose on the platform of the private car once used by President Warren G. Harding. All of these adventures and more await when you visit the Southeastern Railway Museum.
3595 Buford Hwy., Duluth, GA 30096
Sweetwater Creek State Park - Sweetwater Creek State Park is a peaceful tract of wilderness only minutes from downtown Atlanta. A wooded trail follows the stream to the ruins of the New Manchester Manufacturing Company, a textile mill burned during the Civil War. Beyond the mill, the trail climbs rocky bluffs to provide views of the beautiful rapids below. Additional trails wind through fields and forest, showcasing ferns, magnolias, wild azaleas and hardwoods. Park rangers lead informative hikes to these areas throughout the year.
1750 Mt. Vernon Rd., Lithia Springs, GA 30122
Tanglewood Farm - Tanglewood Farm is nestled in the rolling hills of Cherokee County at the foot of the North Georgia mountains. We have a 10-acre Wild West Town with more than 100 inhabitants... all of them miniature farm animals! Tanglewood is a wholesome family place where young and old can enjoy together a trip back to the past. In addition to petting and feeding our friendly animals, kids can enjoy pony rides and hay rides, seasonal arts and crafts demonstrations, and panning for gold and arrowheads.
171 Tanglewood Drive, Canton, GA 30115
Tellus Science Museum - Tellus features four main galleries: The Weinman Mineral Gallery, The Fossil Gallery, Science in Motion and The Collins Family My Big Backyard. A 120-seat digital planetarium and an observatory with a state-of-the-art 20-inch telescope is also located at Tellus. Eye-popping exhibits like an 80 foot-long Apatosaurus and a replica Wright flyer excite and amaze visitors of all ages. Children will have a blast conducting hands-on experiments with light, sound, magnets and more. Dazzling gems and minerals sparkle and glow alongside interactive exhibits demonstrating how the Earth moves and changes.
100 Tellus Drive, Cartersville, GA 30120
Wild Animal Safari - Wild Animal Safari has over 65 different animal species, adding up to over 650 animals! You will get to see these animals upclose from the comfort and safety of your vehicle or one of ours. You'll see lions, tigers, monkeys, giraffes and more. Our websites have more information about what animals each animal park features.
1300 Oak Grove Road, Pine Mountain, GA 31822
Yellow River Game Ranch - Stroll along a mile-long trail on 24 wooded acres and encounter over six hundred highly sociable birds and animals indigenous to the state of Georgia. White-tailed deer, bunnies, buffalo, sheep, kid goats, black bears and a bevy of new-born animals are waiting to be fed, admired and petted on a “nose-to-nose” basis. We specialize in “people-friendly” wildlife.
4525 U.S. 78, Lilburn, GA 30047
