Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:130 West Paces Ferry Rd.
Atlanta, Georgia
Tel:
(404) 814-4000
Come be educated at one of America's premier history museums. From the Olympics to printing methods, and folk music to black history, this diverse collection of artifacts and exhibits is a true tribute to the rich history and culture of Georgia and the American South.
The Atlanta History Museum consists of 12 exhibits, historic houses and gardens. At the Centennial Olympic Museum visitors can peruse artifacts and test their Olympic knowledge, while at the Civil War exhibit you can see 1400 artifacts - one of the largest collections in the world. The Folk Arts exhibit chronicles the development of Southern folk, oral and musical art, as all of the displays are enhanced by hands-on discovery areas and informative videos. Popular items here that kids will also enjoy include an entire 1890s shotgun house, a fire engine that was used in Atlanta's great fire of 1917, a rare 1920 Hanson Six touring car and a model of Atlanta's most complex interstate intersection, known locally as "Spaghetti Junction." Check out Swan House while you're here too, which is known for its offbeat furnishings. Dining options include the Coca-Cola Cafe, a 1950s soda shop, and Chick-fil-A.
The Atlanta History Center is located at 130 West Paces Ferry Road in the heart of the uptown Buckhead district north of downtown Atlanta, and is accessible by Marta Route #23 & #38. Plan to spend the better part of a day here, and call ahead about lectures, films, festivals and other events that take place at the one-of-a-kind, Atlanta History Museum.
From Atlanta History Center - Georgia:
The 14 founders of the Atlanta History Center could not have envisioned their future impact when in 1926 they formed what was then known as the Atlanta Historical Society. Beginning as a group of civic-minded Atlantans – led by prominent attorney Walter McElreath and meeting in each other's homes, collecting early manuscripts and photos, and publishing research bulletins to "arouse in the citizens and friends of Atlanta an interest in history" – it has turned into a primary source of Atlanta, regional and national history.