Centennial Olympic Park (centennialpark.com) is usually open from mid-November until the end of January for ice skating, and is Atlanta's only outdoor skating rink. Non-skaters can watch the fun and games from the arena's observation seating and enjoy the seasonal music while the skaters use up energy beneath the arena's theatrical lighting. Bring your own skates or rent a pair at the arena.
Stone Mountain Park (stonemountainpark.com) is open for activities throughout the year, but from mid-December the park's Snow Mountain (snowmountainpark.com) opens up. Snow Mountain is a mass of machine-generated snow and a heap of fun activities. Try out the tubing runs, engage in a snowball fight, build a snowman and toast marshmallows at the Snofire Point. Or just relax and watch all the fun from a table on the Snodeck. You'll find plenty of Hotspots dotted around the mountain where you can get a warming hot chocolate or coffee.
When the Atlanta Falcons NFL football team (atlantafalcons.com) plays at home, it's time to get on down to the Georgia Dome (gadome.com) to enjoy a good game of football. The Falcons have won the divisional title four times -- the last time was in 2010, and they finished as runner-up to the Denver Broncos in 1999. Atlanta hosted the Super Bowl in 1994 and 2000. Whether you're a football fan or not, this is an exciting outdoor activity that's not to be missed.
One great outdoor activity that is an option year round, winter included, is a visit to Zoo Atlanta (zooatlanta.org). The only two days that the zoo is closed are Thanksgiving and Christmas; otherwise the gates open at 9:30 a.m. every day. The zoo is home to 40 mammalian species, as well as a collection of reptiles, amphibians and birds. Once named as one of the 10 worst zoos in the nation, Zoo Atlanta has undergone a complete renovation and redevelopment and is well worth a visit in its new livery.
