If you've given in to your kids' pleas and are planning a trip to the new Great Wolf Lodge in LaGrange, you'll find plenty to do inside the resort and indoor water park.
Located about an hour south of Atlanta, it features plenty of water slides and features as well as an adventure park with attractions like a ropes course, arcade and more.
But when you're ready to venture outside of Great Wolf Lodge and see some of the surrounding areas, you'll find that LaGrange has other family-friendly destinations to enjoy.
Check out these five other enjoyable family-friendly attractions:
Credit: hillsanddales.org
Credit: hillsanddales.org
Hills & Dales Estate, 1916 Hills and Dales Drive, LaGrange. 706-882-3242. hillsanddales.org.
This 13,000-square-foot home was completed in 1916 and flows into beautiful formal symmetrical gardens of dwarf boxwoods, which is considered to be one of the best preserved 19th-century gardens in the U.S. You can take the family on a tour of the house and garden or the garden only, and if you have young children and enough tour guides are available at the time you arrive, you'll be offered a special children's tour. Make sure to pick up a Hills & Dales activity book for the kids, which helps them learn about the estate and complete a hunt to receive a prize at the visitors center.
Credit: LaGrange Art Museum
Credit: LaGrange Art Museum
LaGrange Art Museum, 112 Lafayette Parkway. 706-882-3267. https://lagrangeartmuseum.org.
Housed in an interesting Victorian building near the town square, LaGrange Art Museum is located at what used to be the town jail. You'll be able to expose the kids to art at the museum's "Take Your Time" exhibition inspired by the Slow Art movement, which encourages you to deliberately savor artwork rather than zooming from one work to another. And if you'll be in LaGrange on the third Saturday of a month, check out the museum's Family Super Saturdays. Drop in anytime between 1-4 p.m. to tour the current exhibit and explore a family-oriented activity.
Wild Leap Brew Co., 308 Main St., LaGrange. 706-298-6400. www.wildleap.com.
While you're at Great Wolf Lodge, you might sample the craft beer selections from Wild Leap Brew Co., which are featured at the water park. This includes the brewery's signature World Peach Cobbler Ale, which is sold only at Wild Leap and Great Wolf Lodge. If you'd like to see how it and other brews are made, head to the brewery for a tour. It may sound a little strange to take the kids to a brewery, but it's kid-friendly, with a large outdoor area that houses games such as cornhole, Connect Four and a giant Jenga. You can also catch bands there for some entertainment and occasional events such as a Summer Solstice Party on June 23, with games and a cookout.
Credit: exploregeorgia.org
Credit: exploregeorgia.org
West Point Lake, 500 Resource Management Drive, West Point. 706-645-2937. www.westpointlake.info
Just eight miles west of LaGrange, West Point Lake extends 35 miles along the Chattahoochee River. It's a great place to let the kids get out and about and fish from one of the piers, bike or walk on a nature trail or play in a park. Kids will want to keep their eyes open for wildlife like eagles, whitetail deer and rabbits. And since you'll have packed your swimsuits for Great Wolf Lodge, spread out your towels on the sand and enjoy one of the lake's beach areas.
Wild Animal Safari, 1300 Oak Grove Road, Pine Mountain. 706-663-8744. https://animalsafari.com/Georgia.
If you drive just 13 miles from LaGrange, you'll feel like you're on a different side of the world at Wild Animal Safari. Take a drive on the wild side as wild animals like zebras or American bison come up to the car. Over 75 species of animals are located on over 500 acres, and you can see them by car or by guided bus tour (seasonally). And if you don't want to drive your own car, you can rent a zebra-striped minivan that seats seven. To see even more animals, visit Wild Animal Safari's traditional zoo-like setting where you can see Bengal tigers, lemurs, monkeys and more.
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