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| Baby Hedgehog |
After our delicious lunch at Campfire Grill, David and I headed over to the Wildlife Wonders’ Animal Babies show. From a baby otter to a kangaroo, animal experts immerse guests in an educational and interactive animal encounter! We really enjoyed the show, and David was so excited to get to touch the animals.
We learned many cool facts about the baby animals showcased, and got to touch them all, except for the baby otter. She has very sharp, strong teeth, so no touching allowed!
David was ready to run around and have some fun so next up we headed over to the Sky Hike & Camp Highland Outpost. The line for Sky Hike (one of the nation's largest family adventure courses) was a little long so we checked out the kid-friendly Camp Highland Outpost. The low ropes course, three line bridges, and zip line were perfect for my 9 year old! He had a blast!!
Geyser Towers was the perfect end to our time in the Crossroads Section of Stone Mountain Park. It was getting awfully warm by this time and David was ready to cool down. The rope bridges and various platforms are so much for hot kiddos to play on, and they are surprised by sporadic "eruptions" of water that cool them off and fill the air with screams of delight! (Note: Kids must have close toed shoes on to play at Geyser Towers.) We like to end our day at Geyser Towers so David can go straight to the car and change into dry clothes!
As we were leaving, we decided on an impulse to visit the Antebellum Plantation & Farmyard, located right off the road we take to exit Stone Mountain. I have been visiting Stone Mountain since I was a kid, and I don't know that I've ever taken the time to visit the Plantation. I am so thrilled we took the time to do so this visit! We've been missing out on a hidden gem at SMP.
You enter this part of the park through a general store. If you purchased an Adventure Pass for all of the fun over at Crossroads, then you may also explore the Plantation area with no additional charge. If not, you can purchase a pass just for the Plantation. You get to take a self guided tour through a collection of original buildings from Georgia, built between 1783 and 1875. All were moved to SMP, carefully restored and furnished with period furniture and accessories. The plantation homes are beautiful. I think I should have lived during the Antebellum era - this speaks to my heart! The homes and their furnishings were just lovely.
The slave cabins, cookhouse and doctor's cabin were very interesting to see and read about. The gardens are lovely. We enjoyed ducking under the shady canopy of a huge magnolia tree - it was so much cooler under the shade!
We also ducked into the barnyard for a visit. I quickly found out that there is one young goat who really, really likes pink - whether shirt, bag, shoes - he will find you if you have pink on! He had half my shirt in his mouth before I even realized it, lol! So don't wear pink! :) Keep an eye out for this one:
We loved that the rest of the goats were all together on the path enjoying a nap in the sunshine. They patiently let my boy brush them. There were also little piggies and lambs to see.
This garden of herbs had signs explaining what each was used for medicinally. Loved it!
After we spent about an hour wandering around the various buildings and gardens, we were pooped. We could have stayed for the Laser Show, but we were so tired!
So instead, we got in the van and headed north, back to our part of town. We had spent the most delightful day at Stone Mountain Park during our Spring Break staycation! Can't wait to see what they have to offer this summer, and over the holidays! It is one of Atlanta's best destinations for family fun!
Stone Mountain Park offers a variety of value-priced options for families to enjoy the park and the special SFB activities.
Adventure Pass
$28 Adults/$22 Children 3-11 (tax not included)
Includes all of the SFB activities and other popular attractions such as the new Journey 2: The
Mysterious Island – The 4-D Experience, Geyser Towers®, Sky Hike®, the Summit Skyride, the
Great Locomotive Chase Adventure Golf, The Great Barn®, Scenic Railroad, the Antebellum
Plantation & Farmyard and Memorial Hall Museum.
Mountain Membership Annual Pass
$56 Adults /$44 Children 3-11 (tax not included)
Pays for itself in two visits. An annual pass lets families come again and again throughout the
year to take advantage of the park’s attractions, special events and exclusive discounts.
Family Value Pass
$125 for a family of four (tax not included).
Saves families 30 percent. Sold exclusively online, pass includes Adventure Passes, meal tickets
and complimentary cups with unlimited refills all day.
Families may also enjoy great vacation and staycation accommodations right inside the Park at two Marriott hotels. Family Escape Packages, beginning at $189 a night, include a one-night stay at the Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort or Stone Mountain Inn, 2-day Adventure Passes and breakfast.
Listed in Frommer’s 500 Places to Visit with Your Kids Before They Grow Up and cited by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as one of “35 Natural Wonders in Georgia You Must See”, Stone Mountain Park is located 16 miles east of downtown Atlanta. To get to the park, take I-285 to Exit 39B, Hwy. 78 East. Stone Mountain Park is Exit 8 on Hwy. 78. More information on Spring FUN Break, Stone Mountain Park attractions and hours of operation is available at www.stonemountainpark.com or by calling 770-498-5690.
Disclaimer: I was provided free passes to SMP in order to review the shows and attractions for the blog. No other compensation was received and as always, all opinion are my own!
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