Free Summer Fun in Georgia
Summer is a great time to explore all that Georgia has to offer, yet heading out each day can get expensive. To keep your budget in check, balance out more expensive excursions with free or cheap summer fun. Here is a sample of what you can find across Georgia.
Watch a Movie
Wrap up a day of exploring the state with a free outdoor movie at many town squares or parks. Get there early to set up a blanket or lawn chair, and enjoy dinner from one of the restaurants nearby. The kids can run around while the adults relax and watch the sun go down. Check the Explore Georgia event calendar to find one near you.
More: 5 Georgia Drive-In Theaters You Can't Miss
Tour Savannah
Take a walking tour of Savannah for free with Free Savannah Tours. If you enjoy the experience, just pay a gratuity to your guide. Learn about Savannah’s history, the famous squares, movies that were filmed in the city, ghostly residents and more.
More: 15 Best Free Things to Do in Savannah
Discover the Meadows
Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center in Columbus, Georgia, has natural history displays, as well as nature trails and educational programming. Visiting the center is free (although donations are accepted). Special programs, like summer spectacular shows, are offered for a nominal fee.
More: Guide to Columbus
Cool Off in the Fountains
No need to just run through a sprinkler in the front yard anymore, Georgia has several splash fountains throughout the state where visitors can cool off with a quick run-through, or dowse themselves with a steady stream. It’s like a free version of the many Georgia water parks. Whether you are 5 or 50, these community gathering spots, like at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta and at Lillian Webb Park in Norcross, are a lot of fun, and a great way to beat the Georgia heat.
Go Birding
Grab your binoculars and open your ears to seek out a kaleidoscope of birds that live and migrate in Georgia. From bald eagles to roseate spoonbills, brown thrashers to wild turkeys, hundreds of species can be seen and heard throughout the state. The great thing about birding is that you can do it anywhere outside! Pick a trail, park, forest or field, and let the fun begin.
To explore the fascinating species on the Georgia coast, you can follow the Colonial Coast Birding Trail to 17 stops from Savannah to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Download a checklist before your trip to see what you might find each season.
You can even go birding in Georgia's small towns! For a fun, free scavenger hunt, look for the quail sculptures hidden in downtown Thomasville. Find hints of their locations from the visitors center.
