Looking for free family summer activities? Search no further, because the current issue of Georgia Magazine features a great article titled "North Georgia on a Dime: 10 Fun and Free Places to Take Your Family," and Athens, Georgia was thrilled to land not one, but two spots on the list!  The two selected Classic City attractions are the Georgia Museum of Natural History and Bear Hollow Zoo and Memorial Park.  We agree that these are indeed great, free spots for the family, as the Georgia Museum of Natural History contains a wealth of unique items, and Bear Hollow Zoo offers a quaint home to a wide array of wildlife.  For more ideas for the family in Athens, Georgia this summer, see our family blog post and website page!  The following information is directly from the Georgia Magazine article, which was written by Jacqueline Rosser.



"You'll find everything from bugs to birds to mammals and more in the large collections at the Georgia Museum of Natural History on the University of Georgia campus in Athens. The University's many specimens comprise the most comprehensive selection in the state. With so much to see at the museum, you'll find there is something for everyone. Tours are available by appointment, or you can stop by the Exhibit Gallery free of charge at any time the museum is open. 101 Cedar St., University of Georgia Campus, Athens. naturalhistory.uga.edu. (706) 542-1663."

If You Go:  The museum is open Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday 12 p.m.-3 p.m. For visits less than 45 minutes, park in the green-marked spaces in lot S06, which is accessible from East Campus Road and Cedar Street. For guests wishing to visit for longer than 45 minutes, please see the museum's front desk attendant to purchase a $2.00 parking pass for the day.




"Before leaving Athens, head on over to Bear Hollow Zoo and Memorial Park to see Georgia's native wildlife up close. The zoo and wildlife preserve are home to many animals, including the bald eagle, great horned owl, wild turkey, black bear, white-tailed deer, American alligator and more.
      'Bear Hollow Zoo is one of the most popular places in Athens for families and a great deal because it is free of charge and open seven days a week. Everyone loves the shaded paths that lead them from one area of the zoo to the next. It is a particularly special place because all of the zoo residents have been deem unreleasable, so they couldn't survive in the wild, including two of our bears who were orphaned as cubs' says Cathy Padgett, public information coordinator, Athens Clarke County Leisure Services.
      The zoo itself is open daily, and the Exhibit Hall, complete with projects for younger visitors and animals to touch, is open on select weekend days. 293 Gran Ellen Dr., Athens. athensclarkecounty.com/bearhollow. (706) 613-3616."

If You Go:  The park is open 8:00 a.m. to sunset on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to sunset on weekends and holidays, and the zoo 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.

Thanks again to Jaqueline Rosser, who wrote the original article in Georgia Magazine. Plan your family visits to Athens' Georgia Museum of Natural History and Bear Hollow Zoo and Memorial Park along with North Georgia's eight other featured destinations! For other family fun activities in the Classic City, see our Family Fun in Athens this Summer blog post.