Today's guest blogger knows a thing or two about finding kid-friendly fun in her hometown of Atlanta. Mary Jo DiLonardo covers family and education for Atlanta magazine, blogs about parenting in The Mommy Diaries, and is the author of Fodor’s Around Atlanta with Kids (60 Great Things to Do Together). Here are five of her favorite freebies in the Big Peach:

Capitol Museum: You wouldn’t think a state capitol would promise much besides stiff politicians and lots of staid portraits, but head to downtown Atlanta to the fourth floor of the golden-domed Georgia State Capitol building. Amid the rocks and minerals on display at the Capitol Museum are truly amazing finds such as a two-headed calf and a two-headed snake. Sure, you can pore over the cases of mounted wildlife native to Georgia, American Indian artifacts, and the Six Flags roller coaster wheel, but I guarantee your kids will want to keep staring at the cow and the snake.

Historic Oakland Cemetery: You can celebrate Halloween all year round at Atlanta’s oldest resting place, home to legions of Confederate soldiers, old ATL families, and many historic figures such as Margaret Mitchell, the author of “Gone with the Wind,” and golfer Bobby Jones. Kids just think the monuments and headstones are cool (groundskeepers discourage rubbings, BTW). Look for the final resting place of “Tweet,” a pet mockingbird who died in 1874. People still leave the little guy notes and flowers.

The King Center: For older kids who have studied the Civil Rights Movement, there’s no excuse to miss this moving tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. You can pay respects at King’s memorial, hear his speeches, watch his videos, tour Ebenezer Baptist Church where he preached, and even visit his home on Auburn Avenue. Everything is free and everything will give you goose bumps.

Local Parks: Metro Atlanta is brimming with great parks. If you want to stay in town, head to Piedmont Park,where dogs chase Frisbees and there’s always a colorful swath of interesting locals. If you want to get away from it all, my family’s personal favorites are Amicalola Falls, offering the tallest waterfalls east of the Rocky Mountains, and Red Top Mountain, where you’re more than likely guaranteed to see a deer or two meandering.

Atlanta State Farmers Market: If your kid doesn’t have a loving relationship with broccoli, change that by visiting this giant outdoor supermarket. At an impressive 150 acres, it’s one of the largest such entities on the planet offering everything from monstrous branches of sugarcane to huge sacks of peanuts and unshelled beans bigger than your children. It’s so fun to see things you’ve never seen at your grocery store and the sounds of all the music and languages from all the cultures of all the vendors make the whole trip an international adventure.