Originally Posted by
wilson
Museums, especially if she's smart and precocious. They often have a "boring" rep, but well-executed facilities can be great fun. I fully believe that I am the person that I am today, doing what I do, in large part because my parents took me to so many museums/historical sites/zoos/etc. as a child. They took me to the Smithsonian as a 4 year-old, and I've pretty much been hooked ever since.
Atlanta alone has a number of good places:
-The Children's Museum: I haven't actually been, because you have to be accompanied by a child to get in, but it has a sterling reputation.
-The History Center: I remember returning to (and loving) the living history portion in the back (the "Tully Smith House," a reconstructed farmstead) for countless school field trips.
-Fernbank: Dinosaurs! Their permanent and temporary collections are great, and the educational curriculum is excellent as well. Plus, you could reward her with IMAX at the end of the visit.
-Zoo Atlanta: A smallish, but very well-respected facility, and a leader in conservation efforts (after admittedly poor performance in the '70s/early '80s).
-World of Coke: Perhaps not your thing, but definitely a cool paean to an Atlanta institution.
-Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield: Even if you're not too jazzed about the history part, it's pretty up there and a nice hiking/outdoor play spot. Plus, it's part of the National Park Service, so it's pretty cheap.
There are others, of course, and presumably you've been to at least some of these. But we truly have some world-class educational facilities in Atlanta, and they all have stuff specifically geared toward people like your daughter. Also, notice that I didn't mention the aquarium. I do think it's pretty cool, but I'm holding off on my next visit for a while until their track record with animal health and responsible practices improves some. Plus, it always seems to be crowded as hell.