One of the state's major family attractions, Six Flags provides a great day's entertainment. Arrive early (at least 30 min. before opening), note where you've parked in the vast lot, and take 10 minutes or so to plan out your show and ride schedule.

The park's various areas have themes centered around different regions, from southern (Cotton States, Confederate, Georgia, Lickskillet, and Promenade) and European (France, Britain, Spain) to American (U.S.A.) and Gotham City (featuring Batman The Ride). Costumed Looney Tune characters (Sylvester, Daffy Duck, and others) roam the park greeting kids (check out the gazebo in the Promenade section to meet that wascally wabbit Bugs Bunny). Summertime is busy in the park's water-themed venue, Skull Island, a Caribbean pirate adventure, with six slides and a spewing volcano among other watery playground treats.

Thrill rides include several additional watery options, such as Splashwater Falls (a plummet down a soaring 50-ft. waterfall), a log flume, and Thunder River (a simulated white-water rafting adventure). White-knuckle coasters include the Georgia Scorcher (one of the Southeast's tallest and fastest stand-up roller coasters), Ninja (the "black belt" of roller coasters, turning riders upside down five times and offering thrilling loops, dives, and corkscrew turns), the Georgia Cyclone (a classic wooden coaster with 11 dramatic drops, patterned after Coney Island's famous thrill ride), the Great American Scream Machine (another classic wooden coaster), and Mind Bender (a triple-looper). Other highlights are Batman The Ride (a twisting roller coaster with ski-lift-like seats), Great Gasp (a 20-story parachute jump), Riverview Carousel (a merry-go-round from the early 1900s), and Free Fall (ever wonder what it would be like to fall off a 10-story building?). A less dizzying adventure is Monster Mansion, a Disney-esque boat ride through an antebellum mansion haunted by more than 100 animated monsters. And there's much, much more.

Shows vary from year to year, but they usually include a major musical revue, a country-music show, a golden-oldies show, thrill cinema adventures on a 180-degree screen, and an animated character show. In addition, headliners such as SheDaisy and John Michael Montgomery play the 8,072-seat (with lawn seating for 4,000) Southern Star Amphitheatre.

There are restaurants and snack bars throughout the park, though you might consider bringing a picnic.