For kids and teens, the Atlanta Music Project gives free music lessons and instruments in neighborhoods that have few programs. re:imagine/ATL teaches young people film and media, and VOX ATL publishes writing and art by teens.
For art outdoors, walk the BeltLine, which has murals and sculpture along the trail, or look for the murals by Living Walls. The Atlanta Jazz Festival in Piedmont Park is free every Memorial Day weekend.
For shows, ask a theater about pay-what-you-can nights, or about ushering. Volunteer ushers usually see the show for free.
The John H. Harland Boys & Girls Club, also called T.I.E.S. (The Innovation & Expression Studio), is an arts-focused club for kids and teens ages 6 to 18 in Atlanta's West End. Kids come after school and in the summer to learn visual arts, performing arts, music and production, and cooking. It is part of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, which says no child is turned away because a family cannot pay.
Atlanta Ballet is a professional ballet company that presents live shows and teaches dance to children and adults. Its school offers beginner classes and advanced training, while community programs bring dance into schools and provide free performance tickets through local partner groups.
The High Museum of Art is Atlanta's major art museum on Peachtree Street, with historical and contemporary art, touring exhibitions, and family programs. Regular admission is $23.50 for ages 6 and up, but the museum offers free days, including the second Sunday of each month, a monthly Access for All day, and free admission for active and veteran military personnel with one guest. It is open Tuesday through Sunday and closed Mondays.
ARTS InCommunity is an Atlanta-area program of InCommunity that helps people with disabilities and other underserved groups visit museums, enjoy performances, and attend sporting events. Members pay an annual fee to request donated tickets through individual or agency memberships. It also helps cultural organizations make their spaces, websites, and exhibits more accessible.
The Alliance Theatre is a professional nonprofit theater at the Woodruff Arts Center in Midtown Atlanta. It stages plays and musicals, including shows for kids and families, and runs acting classes, drama camps and school programs. It also offers discounted and free tickets for some groups, including students, teachers, veterans and military families.
APEX is a museum in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood of Atlanta. It tells the history of African and African American people through exhibits, talks, films, and workshops. It also offers guided group tours, school field trips, traveling exhibits, and space to rent for events.
Callanwolde is a nonprofit arts center on a historic 12-acre estate in Atlanta. It offers art, dance, writing, pottery and wellness classes, summer camps, concerts and shows. It also runs free arts programs for Title I and Title III students, veterans and people with disabilities, and has financial aid for classes.
Fox Theatre is a historic performing arts venue in Midtown Atlanta that hosts plays, concerts, comedy, movies, and tours. Its Fox Gives programs bring free history lessons to elementary schools, help high school students explore arts careers, and fund the preservation of historic theatres.
The Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center in Midtown Atlanta includes Alliance Theatre, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and the High Museum of Art. It has plays, concerts, art shows, classes, and school programs. Families can also use a free play area for young children and get free museum entry on the second Sunday of each month.
Atlanta Music Project helps children and teens learn instruments, sing in choirs, and perform in concerts, with a focus on communities with fewer resources. It covers music tuition and provides instruments for many programs, though registration or after-school fees may apply. Students and alumni can also get college and career guidance and help paying for college.
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is Atlanta's professional symphony, playing more than 150 concerts a year at Symphony Hall in the Woodruff Arts Center. Besides regular concerts, it runs programs for children, families and students, free community events, and low-cost or free ticket programs.
Eyedrum Art and Music Gallery is an Atlanta community arts space that supports local and visiting artists. It hosts art exhibits, live music, film screenings, and drawing groups where people can make art and meet others.
King Plow Arts Center is a community of artists and creative businesses in a former factory in Atlanta. It offers studio and gallery spaces for lease or sale, plus spaces for private events and live performances. Individual businesses and venues handle their own activities and bookings.
The Metropolitan Library is a branch of the Fulton County Library System at 1332 Metropolitan Parkway. You can borrow books and movies, use computers and Wi-Fi, print and copy, and use study rooms. Staff can also point you to community help, voter registration, and classes and events for kids and adults.
Georgia Lawyers for the Arts is a nonprofit, started in 1975, that gives legal help to artists, makers, creators, nonprofits, inventors, and small businesses in Georgia. It runs legal clinics, workshops, and attorney referrals on topics like contracts, copyright, and trademarks. Clinics are for members and need an appointment.
The Clark Atlanta University Art Museum is an art museum on the Clark Atlanta University campus. It collects, protects, and shows art and objects that tell the story of African American history and culture. It puts on free exhibitions and public talks for the community.
Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, now known as Atlanta Contemporary, is a nonprofit art center with free exhibition admission. It offers family art activities, artist talks, tours, and support for working artists. As of October 5, 2026, its galleries are temporarily closed for installation, with new exhibitions starting October 22.
The Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs is the City of Atlanta's arts and culture office. It gives city grants to arts groups and artists, manages public art and city art spaces like Chastain Arts Center and Gallery 72, and runs the Atlanta Jazz Festival and a free field-trip program for Atlanta Public Schools students. You can take art classes, see free exhibits, or apply for a grant.
The Atlanta Preservation Center is a nonprofit that works to save Atlanta's old and important buildings, neighborhoods and landscapes. It teaches students about local history, runs a free summer camp for children, speaks up when historic places are in danger, and offers memberships.P. Grant Mansion.
The King Center in Atlanta is a living memorial to Dr., started by Coretta Scott King in 1968. You can visit the grounds and exhibits for free, use its archive, take nonviolence training, and join youth, school and volunteer programs.
