Spend the Day

Family Fun

Welcome to the District
It's where every Atlanta adventure begins

The ATL Airport District is the sweet spot between Downtown Atlanta and the world’s busiest airport. Come and experience the easy, quirky, laid-back side of the A, where the atmosphere is one-of-a-kind—and the hotels cost 30% less.

Family Fun

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  • Start your day like a local with a proper Southern breakfast at Thumb’s Up Diner in East Point. It’s less than a block from the MARTA station, it’s cheap as heck, and it’s got something for everyone—even the little picky people.

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    This place is so authentic that it doesn’t even have a credit card machine. But it does have an ATM—phew! And pancakes the size of your head!

    Once you’ve had your fill of rib-stickin’ biscuits, let MARTA whisk you to Downtown Atlanta for some wholesome fun. Ride the Red Line north and switch to the Blue Line at Five Points. (Or bypass the Blue Line and walk off breakfast—CNN Center is just a short walk from Five Points Station.)

    Hop off the train at CNN Center Station. Take the opportunity to get an educational tour of CNN’s studios—or if your group isn’t quite in the CNN demographic yet, hit up the Children’s Museum of Atlanta at the opposite end of Centennial Olympic park.

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    The fun hands-on exhibits at the Children’s Museum include science experiments for older kids, organized shows and activities throughout the day, and an elaborate kid-size Waffle House replica that everyone can enjoy together. You haven’t lived until you’ve been served a rubber egg with a steaming hot glass of invisible coffee.

    There are great quick lunch spots all around the park (including a real Waffle House), and the CNN Center has a robust food court. If the weather is irresistible, take your grub to-go and play in the fountains of Centennial Olympic Park across the street.

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    Centennial Olympic Park was built for the 1996 Olympics, and the splash pad is shaped like the Olympic rings. It also has two shaded playgrounds at the northern end of the park and a reflecting pool in the center, all connected by a lovely garden walk with pools and waterfalls.

    Keep the splash-able moments flowing as you hit up the Georgia Aquarium for an underwater adventure. The Aquarium experience is as much for adults as it is for kids.

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    If you’re lucky, you can catch the Aquarium’s daily Waddle Walk! That’s when the penguins parade through the building, and you can see them up close.

    Afterward, waddle back to the CNN Center and grab the train back to East Point for a pizza dinner at Oz, right across the street from East Point Station. 

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    Grab a slice and sit outside. Tree-shaded dining patios can be hard to come by on the Southside, and Oz has one of the very best ones.

    Feel free to pass by the East Point MARTA station and get off at the next stop, College Park. Main Street is directly across from the MARTA station where you’ll find the Corner Grille, Noodle, Hattie Marie’s Texas Style BBQ, The Real Milk & Honey, Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen & Bar, Johnny’s World Famous Chick & Waffles, and Tom, Dick, & Hank.

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