17 Useful Tips To Enjoy Skyline Park at Ponce City Market (Video)

Our family explored Skyline Park at The Roof at Pounce City Market and had a blast!

Skyline Park has vintage amusements, games, mini golf, drinks and food for the whole family to enjoy! I scoured the web for the 411 but couldn’t find anything to help families with what to expect, so we hope our bullet list of info gets you excited about taking the kids (or going on a date night). It’s worth a visit when you’re in Atlanta, Georgia or nearby.

COOLEST PLACES TO STAY NEAR PONCE CITY MARKET

• Best with a Spa. Loews Atlanta Hotel is centrally located in downtown Atlanta and is only 1.2 miles from Ponce City Market. This 4-star hotel features a restaurant, modern fitness center, a spa, and spacious guests rooms. Guests can enjoy charcuterie and cheese as well as small plates at Saltwood, the Loews on-site restaurant. Exhale Spa offers pampering services.

• Best Rooftop Bar. Hotel Clermont Atlanta, by Oliver, features an on-site restaurant, a rooftop bar, beautifully appointed rooms, and a history that cannot be beat. This awesome hotel is only 0.3 miles from Ponce City Market.

• Best for Playful Creatives. The Darwin Hotel has a hundred-ish rooms that are all a little different, a lobby that’s more local gallery than business center, and a courtyard cocktail bar that’s essentially the Old Fourth Ward’s three-season living room. It’s beautiful and you’ll love it. Only 0.4 miles from Ponce City Market.

GETTING TO SKYLINE PARK AT THE ROOF

• You pay to park at Ponce City Market. Use your smart phone to scan the LAZGo QR code you’ll find on signage throughout the parking areas or text PARKPCM to 53242. No app download required! You can also pay at the on-foot stations located near key exit points. We stayed 4 hours for about $9.
  
• Head to the right side of PCM to get to Skyline Park. You’ll see a huge neon sign that says ROOF! (You can see a pic below.) This is where to pay to enter.
  
• We paid $15 per adult, $7 for kids under 12, and kids under 3 are FREE for daily admission. They also sell a child’s all-access ticket for $22 that includes admission plus game play. Want to visit more than once? Annual passes are also available.
  
• You pay for the day and get a wristband that allows you to come and go as you please, so don’t miss the opportunity to eat a great lunch in the Food Hall.
  
• Hours are as follows.
  • Monday 3pm-10pm
  • Tuesday 3pm-10pm
  • Wednesday 3pm-10pm
  • Thursday 3pm-11pm
  • Friday 3pm–12am (21+ after 5pm)
  • Saturday 11am–12am (21+ after 5pm)
  • Sunday 11am-10pm

• Once you get your wristband, you’ll ride the elevator to the roof. Don’t forget to look UP as you ride!

ON THE ROOF

• Once you are on the roof, it isn’t necessary to pay for anything else UNLESS you want to play the games. You can walk around and enjoy the view, watch others being silly at putt-putt or riding the tower. There are several great photo ops! If you DO want to play the games or putt-putt then see the fees below.
  
• We decided to play putt-putt, which was incredibly fun (and a little challenging). It was $8 for adults, $5 for kids and the 3 yo was FREE. Prices go up after 4pm. Their Coney Island style boardwalk includes mini golf, horse derby race, basketball, skee ball, and goblet toss.
  
• We purchased a game card that allowed us to play some of the old-school arcade games, ride the slide and ride Heege Tower for an incredible view. Skee ball was $2, the ring toss game was 24 rings for $5, and the (awesome!!) slide was $1 a ride. Cards are re-fillable (cash or credit).
  
• There is a bar with several clever drinks, beer and wine. We had a frozen whiskey drink with mint and peaches that was very refreshing; it ran about $12.
  
• Snacks on the roof include pretzels, frozen bananas, cotton candy, and other old-fashioned favorites.
  
• Nine Mile Station offers craft beers from local and distant breweries. You can also order a variety of wines, liquors and classic cocktails. See more information about this below!
  
• On a Saturday afternoon there were dozens and dozens of kids – tons of fun for families! Go early to beat the heat and the crowds.

HISTORY

• On the place that Pounce City Market stands was once an amusement park. Skyline Park pays homage to that festive time.
  
• In 1923, the amusement park was shut down and in 1926 the Sears building was built as a distribution center.
  
• The building is one of the tallest all-brick buildings in the south.
  
• Ponce de Leon, on which PCM sits, is named for the explorer who was seeking the Fountain of Youth. The spring under the building that he found is still tapped and stored in a water container inside the flagged tower of the building, and it is used by the building today. (Alas, no youthful powers spring forth.)

NINE MILE STATION

Nine Mile Station is worth a visit while at Ponce City Market’s Skyline Park! 

Located in the heart of Atlanta on the top floor of Ponce City Market, 9 Mile Station is a sleek indoor-outdoor space offering sweeping unobstructed views of Atlanta’s skylines spanning from Buckhead to Downtown. 9 Mile Station serves craft beers from near and far, classically prepared cocktails, and delicious, shareable American grill food.

The food menu allows groups of all sizes to enjoy a delicious, sharable experience while seated at a communal table.

Noteworthy starters include Truffle Rosemary Fries and a Meat & Cheese plate that includes chef-curated meats, cheese, nuts, fruit spreads, and sourdough. Guests can also choose from entrees like Lemon Pepper Salmon or a Dry Aged Pork Chop.

Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday 11am – 3pm, and offers amazing menu items like Biscuits & Gravy, French Toast, Crab Cake Benedict, and so much more. See their full brunch menu here.

Nine Mile Station’s beverage program celebrates beer. The 12 taps will rotate often, allowing guests to sample a variety of styles craft beers from near and far. Additionally, the bar carries a full assortment of liquors and classically prepared cocktails. Guests can also enjoy an assortment of champagnes and sparkling wines from the “sparkling bar.”

Additional Lunch Note: There are dozens of places to eat inside Ponce City Market – and they are all fantastic. Don’t let the crowd get to you…eating here is part of the experience. We ate at Guy Wong’s newest restaurant, Ton Ton featuring Japanese ramen. It was HEAVENLY! I highly recommend it!

Bottom Line: If you are content to head to the roof for the view and a soda, then it won’t break the bank. If you want to experience it all, then for a family of 2 adults and 2 kiddos you are going to spend $100 or more, plus lunch, for a few hours of excitement. It isn’t cheap, but it sure is FUN!

I highly recommend it as a “special occasion” experience that you have to do at least once. I am anxious to go back once more on a date night and experience the view at night.

WHERE TO STAY NEAR POUNCE CITY MARKET

MORE INFORMATION FOR YOUR ATLANTA VISIT

• YOUR GEORGIA VACATION
• ATLANTA: 53+ Things To Do in Atlanta You Should Not Miss (From Locals in the Know)
• GEORGIA AQUARIUM: Georgia Aquarium: Atlanta’s Beloved Attraction Lives Up to the Hype
• DATE NIGHT: It’s Date Night Atlanta: 50+ Ideas for Romance and Fun
• SUMMER: 65+ Best Kid-Friendly Things To Do This Summer in Atlanta