Whether to beat the heat or rain, there are plenty of places to enjoy yourself indoors in metro Atlanta.
Some places offer fun and activities for the whole family, including little ones. Other activities can be done solo.
From Great Wolf Lodge in LaGrange to shopping or dining at Ponce City Market or visiting the King Center or one of several museums in the area, there are many ways to enjoy the summer.
Here are a few:
GREAT WOLF LODGE
This is one of the newest of the Great Wolf family of resorts. Great Wolf Resort in LaGrange has two new water slides that have never been used before by the company.
They are one-of-a-kind slides developed for Great Wolf Lodge Georgia by slide maker ProSlide.
Here’s a look at the two water slides:
Triple Thunder: This group raft ride combines two water park attractions into one slide. The ride starts by sending guests down a steep drop and into a funnel, where they will experience sensations of weightlessness as the raft sloshes up and down the funnel walls. Upon exiting the funnel, the raft swooshes toward two saucers. The saucers provide additional excitement as guests hurl at maximum speeds along the bank of the saucer, swirl 180-degrees and exit through a narrow passageway – all in the dark. A few extra twists and turns await after the saucers before riders finally plunge into a catch pool at the bottom of the slide.
Rapid Racer: This two-person tube racing slide features drops, chutes and serpentine curves. As riders emerge from 180-degree and 360-degree banked curves, they enter a section with open racing lanes where they can see and hear their competition on the other side of a low separator wall.
The site also includes a conference center, hotel and dining options.
The water park area is nearly 100,000 square feet. A dry play area occupies another 40,000 square feet. There will also be dining options, yoga for kids and bedtime pajama activities.
150 Tom Hall Parkway, LaGrange. Reservations: 844-473-9653. www.greatwolf.com/georgia
BOOTH WESTERN ART MUSEUM
The world’s largest permanent exhibition space for Western art is in Cartersville at the Booth Western Art Museum.
Open since 2003 just north of Atlanta along I-75, the Booth is one of the largest museum of its kind in the Southeast and an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. Booth, which has 120,000 square feet, is designed to resemble a modern pueblo and constructed from Bulgarian limestone. The Booth’s permanent collection of Western art, presidential portraits and letters, and Civil War art allows visitors to “See America’s Story” – the land, people, struggles, dreams, and legends – in paintings, sculpture, photography and artifacts. Sagebrush Ranch is an award-winning, hands-on experience and interactive children’s gallery.
Booth’s permanent collection covers more than a dozen galleries, showcasing legendary artists such as Frederic Remington and Charles Russell and contemporary masters Howard Terpning and Andy Warhol. Unique to the Booth, the Millar Presidential Gallery displays a portrait and original hand-signed letter from each U.S. President, George Washington through Donald Trump.
501 N Museum Drive, Cartersville. 770-387-1300. Open Tuesdays through Sundays. https://boothmuseum.org/
APEX MUSEUM
The APEX Museum is dedicated to telling the rich and often untold story of people of the African Diaspora. The name APEX is an acronym for African-American Panoramic Experience and the museum is on a street that was once the center of African-American life in Atlanta. There is storytelling by appointment and various special programs and events.
135 Auburn Ave. Tuesdays through Saturdays. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $5-$7 404-523-2739. www.apexmuseum.org
ANDRETTI INDOOR KARTING & GAMES
You can eat, hit the track or enjoy other adventures at Andretti Indoor Karting & Games in Marietta and Roswell.
The activity centers include high-speed electric superkarts for adults and others for youth, a state-of-the-art arcade, a ropes course, a laser tag arena and bowling.
Some activities may not be included at every location. All attractions are pay as you go; there is no general admission fee.
If you plan to drive a superkart, there are some requirements. For instance, drivers must wear flat, closed- toe shoes (no flip-flops or sandals) and preferably shorts or pants (skirts are not recommended). Long hair should be pulled back into a ponytail and tucked into your shirt. No hats of any kind. No loose or flowing clothing or scarves.
Opening times vary at each location.
Marietta: 1255 Roswell Rd. 678-496-9530; Roswell: 11000 Alpharetta Hwy. 770-992-5688. https://andrettikarting.com/
THE GEORGIA AQUARIUM
At one time, the Georgia Aquarium was the largest in the world. It’s still one of the most exciting and has been named one of the must-see (we prefer sea) places to visit.
The Georgia Aquarium, which opened in 2005, houses 100,000 animals. Its massive ocean and cold-water habitats contain 10 million gallons of water.
It’s wildlife includes everything from belugas and whale sharks to penguins, and you don’t have to journey to go far from home to see them.
Some of the special activities include: sleepovers for families, youth groups, schools, companies, and adults throughout the year, which includes admission to the Aquarium on the day of your sleepover and the next day, entrance to all presentations, a bedtime snack, breakfast, guided tours and activities, and a sleeping spot in front of one of the gallery windows. There’s also a diving program, interactions with some of the marine life, state-of-the-art motion-based virtual reality ride using the latest visual display technology and much more.
225 Baker Street N.W. 404.581.4000 www.georgiaaquarium.org
ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER
The Atlanta History Center is an all-inclusive, 33-acre destination featuring the Atlanta History Museum, one of the nation’s largest history museums; three historic houses, the 1920s Swan House, the 1860s Smith Family Farm, and the 1830s Wood Family Cabin; Goizueta Gardens; Kenan Research Center; the Grand Overlook event space; a museum shop and bookstore; a Souper Jenny café; and a BRASH coffee shop. In addition, the History Center welcomes visitors to Margaret Mitchell House at Atlanta History Center Midtown.
130 West Paces Ferry Rd. N.W. Admission including sales tax is $21.50 for adults, $18 for students 13+ and seniors 65+, $9 for youth 4 -12, and free for children 3 and under and Atlanta History Center members. 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. 404-814-4000. AtlantaHistoryCenter.com
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