Grant Park

Grant Park in Atlanta's southside is one of the city's oldest and most historically significant parks — a 131-acre expanse of mature trees, rolling terrain, walking trails, and open green space that has served as the community's backyard since 1883. It's adjacent to Zoo Atlanta, making it a natural complement to a zoo visit or the anchor of a stand-alone park outing.

The park itself is free, and it delivers genuine value: playgrounds for young children, ample open space for running and picnicking under the mature oak and magnolia canopy, a seasonal pool, a dog park, and the historic landscape character that you can't replicate at a newer park. The 4.6 Google rating with 6,676 reviews reflects deep community love built across generations.

For families, the standard approach is to pair a free park morning with a paid Zoo Atlanta afternoon. The park's walking paths lead directly to the Zoo Atlanta entrance, and the flow between the two is seamless. Alternatively, families who want a free day out can spend 2-3 hours in the park alone — there's enough space and variety to keep kids occupied with playground equipment, open play, and trail exploration.

The Grant Park neighborhood surrounding the park has some of Atlanta's best intown casual restaurants, making it easy to add a meal to the outing without leaving the area.

Street parking along Cherokee Ave and within the park fills on popular weekend days — arrive by 9AM for easier parking.