Check out our list of the Best Zoos in Every State. For more family activities, check out our spring activities guide and sign up for our Mommy Poppins newsletters, delivered straight to your inbox. 

1. Zoo Atlanta - Grant Park

We have to start our list with the beloved Zoo Atlanta, which features over 1,000 animals, including panda bears, zebras, tigers, kangaroos, and flamingos. Take the train around the 40-acre property and visit Outback Station, the on-site petting zoo, where kids can interact with goats, sheep and more. Check out the zoo's toddler programs, evening activities, and animal encounters. 

Petting Zoo, Animal Farm, and Wildlife Park Fun in Atlanta

Autrey Mill Nature Preserve and Heritage Center is a free center where kids can hike and interact with a variety of animals. 

2. Autrey Mill Nature Preserve and Heritage Center - John's Creek

Once home to an abandoned flour mill, this 46-acre property offers hiking trails and farm animals, such as goats and chickens. Inside the visitor center, kids will enjoy seeing a variety of snakes, turtles, salamanders, and sliders. Autrey Mill doesn't charge admission but welcomes donations. 

3. L&R Alpaca Haven Farm - Douglasville

Your kids will love visiting this family-owned animal farm with over 30 alpacas. Gentle alpacas are less scary for smaller kids because they don't bite (really...they don't have top teeth!). The farm welcomes visitors by appointment on most weekends and hosts public events, photo shoots, and birthday parties.

4. North Georgia Wildlife Park and Safari - Cleveland

This vast wildlife park, located about an hour north of Atlanta, features a drive-thru safari experience. Admission also includes the petting zoo and a guided walking tour to see wolves, sloths, and lemurs. "Add-on" interactions include capybara feedings and animal meet-and-greets.

Touch a baby alligator at the Okefenokee Swamp Park.

5. Okefenokee Swamp Park - Waycross

Drive four hours to Waycross, Georgia and your family can observe live alligators in one of the world's largest blackwater swamps. Admission to the Okefenokee Swamp Park includes a train ride and nature show, where guests can pet snakes, turtles, and a baby alligator. Sign up for the swamp boat tour to see more alligators in their natural habitat.

6. Pettit Creek Farms - Cartersville

Pettit Creek Farms houses various animal species including camels, reindeer, emus, zebras, and more. Visitors can purchase feed as they enter and drive along the dirt path featuring exotic animals. Linger along the way, and let the animals eat from your child's outstretched arm! Visitors can also enter the Pettit Creek Farms petting zoo and ride a camel!

RELATED: Visiting Fernbank Museum in Atlanta with Kids: A Chance to Discover Natural History

7. Smith Farm - Buckhead

Most people don't expect to find a farm in the heart of Buckhead! However, the Atlanta History Center exposes kids to the 1840s farm of Robert Hiram Smith, complete with live chickens, sheep, goats, and turkeys. 

8. Southern Belle Farm - McDonough

This working farm offers an opportunity to pick your own fruit and participate in other seasonal events such as Fall on the Farm and a Farmstead Christmas. Families can interact with the farm animals, such as barnyard chickens, donkeys, cows and calves, goats, and horses at Belle's barn.

RELATED: Great Bike Rides for Atlanta Kids and Families

9. Wild Animal Safari - Pine Mountain

Georgia's better-known animal safari, Wild Animal Safari, offers options to drive your vehicle on the safari or rent one of the already animal-weathered zebra vans. This vast drive-thru safari features a variety of animals that come knocking on your car window for food. Get close to camels, zebras, watusis, American bison, and more. Warn kiddos: These animals aren't shy about begging for food or slobbering on cars, hands, and pretty much any surface.

10. Yule Forest - Stockbridge

Yule Forest welcomes visitors to the petting zoo during its seasonal events each year. Bring the kids to the annual pumpkin patch in the fall; the Tulip Festival in spring, or the Christmas Tree Farm during the holidays. Admission includes the petting zoo, hayrides, bee house, STEM garden, dinosaur exhibit, fun zone, and more.

11. The Crazy Goat Girls - Canton

Known for their assortment of goat soap and bath products, The Crazy Goat Girls also offer "snuggle sessions" by appointment only at their farm in Canton. Visitors spend time with Nigerian dwarf goats, mini pot belly pigs, bunnies, and their two mini highland cows, Peanut and Hershey. Families love events like goat yoga, soap-making birthday parties, and public soap-making workshops. 

Animal Sanctuaries in Atlanta

12. Bear Hollow Zoo - Athens

Located in Athens' Memorial Park, Bear Hollow Zoo offers a natural habitat for non-releasable animals. You'll find black bears, owls, a spotted skunk, a reptile house, and more. Admission is free.

13. Chestatee Wildlife Preserve & Zoo - Dahlonega

Head north to Dahlonega to see over 100 exotic and native animals, many of which were rescued from abuse and neglect. Don't miss Pippi, a zeedonk(?!), who is half-zebra/half-donkey! Purchase feed bags for $5 but watch your little ones' fingers when feeding the animals. For an additional fee, families can interact with the two sloths, Flash and Sissi.  

14. Georgia Sea Turtle Center - Jekyll Island

If your family plans to hit the beach this summer, make a stop at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center in Jekyll Island. Although you can't touch the sea turtles, visitors can see them recuperating in large glass tanks at this working hospital. Kids will develop an appreciation for this endangered species and learn about ongoing conservation efforts. 

15. Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary - Locust Grove

This 250-acre, nonprofit animal sanctuary, is located 30 miles south of downtown Atlanta. The sanctuary features an oasis for abused and neglected animals, including reptiles, primates, bears, birds, and exotic cats. Opportunities exist for a variety of guided tours.  

See Simba the serval at the Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary. Photo by Jenn Cardinell for the Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary 

16. Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary - Lilburn

Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary has put much care and dedication into the welfare of its animal population. The sanctuary is home to bison, porcupines, black bears, sheep, fallow deer, lemurs, alpacas, and more. Purchase feed bags for $6 to feed select animals in the barnyard. Check the website for info on sloth encounters and special tours.

Unless noted, photos by the author