Photo: Diliff, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Rain, a July heat wave or a cold January weekend does not have to wreck a day in Atlanta. The city’s biggest attractions are indoors, and four of them sit side by side around Centennial Olympic Park, so you can do the aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola and a museum without getting wet for long. Here are the best indoor things to do in Atlanta, from whale sharks and dinosaurs to free museums, puppet shows and food halls, with what to book ahead.
- Best rainy-day clusterCentennial Olympic Park: aquarium, Coca-Cola, Civil Rights museum, College Football Hall of Fame
- Best with kidsGeorgia Aquarium, Fernbank Museum, Children’s Museum, Center for Puppetry Arts
- Free and indoorsAtlanta Monetary Museum, State Capitol, Atlanta Contemporary, High Museum on second Sundays
- Getting aroundMARTA stops at Peachtree Center, Five Points and Arts Center keep you out of traffic
Downtown: The Big Indoor Attractions
If you only have one rainy day, spend it here. These are all within a few minutes’ walk of each other and of Peachtree Center station.
1. Georgia Aquarium
More than 11 million gallons of water and the only whale sharks in a U.S. aquarium, in the Ocean Voyager exhibit with its walk-through tunnel. Tickets are timed and priced by day, so buy online. Plan on 2 to 4 hours.
2. World of Coca-Cola
Next door to the aquarium: the vault that holds the secret formula, a century of Coke history and the Taste It! room, where you can sample more than 100 drinks from around the world.
3. National Center for Civil and Human Rights
A museum on the civil rights movement and human rights struggles worldwide, known for its lunch counter sit-in simulation. Across the plaza from the aquarium.
4. College Football Hall of Fame
Interactive exhibits on college football history and an indoor field where you can kick a field goal. A good pick for a rainy afternoon.
5. Cosm Atlanta
Live games and films on an 87-foot LED dome at Centennial Yards, beside State Farm Arena. It opened in June 2026. Check the schedule and buy tickets for a specific event.
6. SkyView Atlanta
The giant Ferris wheel on the edge of Centennial Olympic Park has climate-controlled gondolas, so it works in the rain, with views over downtown.
Museums
7. High Museum of Art
The Southeast’s leading art museum, in Midtown’s Woodruff Arts Center, with a strong American, folk and photography collection. Right at Arts Center station.
8. Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Giant dinosaurs, natural history galleries and a giant-screen theater. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; paid admission. 767 Clifton Rd. NE.
9. Atlanta History Center and the Cyclorama
The restored Cyclorama, a 49-foot-tall painting of the 1864 Battle of Atlanta, plus history galleries in Buckhead. Admission is $27 for adults and $24 for ages 4 to 12.
10. Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum
Exhibits on the 39th president and his work around the world, between Downtown and Little Five Points.
11. Michael C. Carlos Museum
Emory University’s museum of art from ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, the Near East, Africa and the ancient Americas. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday noon to 5 p.m.
12. APEX Museum
The African American Panoramic Experience, on Auburn Avenue in the Sweet Auburn district. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
13. Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)
Exhibitions on how design shapes daily life, in the Midtown arts district. Open Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 7 p.m.
Indoor Things to Do With Kids
14. Children’s Museum of Atlanta
Hands-on play spaces for ages 2 to 8, next to Centennial Olympic Park. Closed Wednesdays. The famous Ball Machine retired in August 2026, with a rebuilt version planned for 2027.
15. Center for Puppetry Arts
The world’s largest collection of Jim Henson puppets and props, plus puppet shows and a make-your-own-puppet workshop. Museum admission starts at $18.
16. LEGO Discovery Center
Indoor LEGO building, rides, 4D movies and a MINILAND at Phipps Plaza in Buckhead. Aimed at ages 3 to 10, and adults must come with a child. Booking online ahead is cheaper.
17. Fernbank Science Center
Run by DeKalb County Schools, with a free exhibit hall and the Jim Cherry Memorial Planetarium. Planetarium shows are ticketed. Not the same place as the Fernbank Museum.
More ideas by age in our guide to kid-friendly things to do in Atlanta.
Shows and Experiences
18. Fox Theatre
A 1929 movie palace in Midtown with a starry-sky ceiling and a giant pipe organ. See a Broadway tour or concert, or take a guided building tour.
19. Delta Flight Museum
Vintage airliners in historic hangars next to the airport, and a walk through the first Boeing 747-400 ever built. Open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., closed Wednesdays.
20. Atlanta Botanical Garden conservatory
Most of the garden is outside, but its conservatory holds a tropical rotunda and a living collection of poison dart frogs, a warm escape on a cold day.
Food Halls and Markets
21. Ponce City Market
A food hall and shops in the huge 1920s Sears, Roebuck building on the BeltLine. Easy to spend a rainy afternoon eating your way through it.
22. Krog Street Market
A smaller food hall on the Eastside Trail, steps from the painted Krog Street Tunnel.
23. Sweet Auburn Curb Market
A downtown market selling produce and lunch since 1918, a few blocks from the King historic district.
Free Indoor Things to Do
24. Atlanta Monetary Museum
Free, inside the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta in Midtown. Self-guided visits 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, no reservation needed for small groups. Bring a photo ID.
25. Georgia State Capitol
Free self-guided visits to the gold-domed Capitol and its museum, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Expect a security screening.
26. Atlanta Contemporary
A Westside contemporary art center that is free every day it is open, Thursday through Sunday. Register online before you come.
The High Museum is also free on the second Sunday of every month from noon to 5 p.m. (the next two are November 8 and December 13, 2026), and the CDC Museum is free with a reservation. See all free things to do in Atlanta.
Worth the Drive
27. Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History
In Kennesaw, home of The General, the locomotive stolen in the 1862 Great Locomotive Chase. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
28. Tellus Science Museum
About an hour north in Cartersville, with fossils, gems, a planetarium and a hands-on science area. A full rainy day for curious kids.
Flying through? See things to do on a layover in Atlanta. Planning the rest of your trip? Our things to do in Atlanta guide covers the parks and neighborhoods for when the sun comes back out.
Common Questions
What is there to do in Atlanta when it rains?
Head downtown to Centennial Olympic Park, where the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, National Center for Civil and Human Rights and College Football Hall of Fame are all indoors and a short walk apart. The Fernbank Museum, High Museum and Atlanta History Center are other good all-day picks.
What are free indoor things to do in Atlanta?
The Atlanta Monetary Museum and the Georgia State Capitol are free on weekdays, Atlanta Contemporary is free Thursday through Sunday, and the High Museum of Art is free on the second Sunday of each month from noon to 5 p.m.
What can kids do indoors in Atlanta?
The Georgia Aquarium, Children’s Museum of Atlanta, Center for Puppetry Arts, Fernbank Museum, LEGO Discovery Center and College Football Hall of Fame are all indoors and built for kids.
Is the Georgia Aquarium worth it on a rainy day?
Yes. It is the most popular indoor attraction in Atlanta and the only U.S. aquarium with whale sharks. Tickets are timed and busy days can sell out, so buy online before you go.
Sources we checked
Facts on this page were checked against the operators of each attraction and our own detailed pages. Prices, hours and exhibits change, so confirm before you go:
- Georgia Aquarium: whale sharks, timed tickets
- Fernbank Museum: hours, exhibits
- Atlanta History Center: Cyclorama, admission
- High Museum of Art: UPS Second Sundays
- LEGO Discovery Center Atlanta: ages, attractions, online booking
- Delta Flight Museum: hours, Wednesday closure
- Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta: Atlanta Monetary Museum: free admission, hours, ID
Spot something out of date? Email Contact@n-georgia.com and we’ll check it against the official source. Read how we research our guides.