Fernbank Museum of Natural History

Address:767 Clifton Rd., NE
Atlanta, Georgia
Tel: (404) 929-6300

Explore the largest museum of natural sciences in the American Southeast! Stand at the feet of the world's largest dinosaurs, immersed in a predator-versus-prey clash.

In 2000, the Fernbank Museum of Natural History became the only place in the world to display a complete mounted skeleton of Argentinosaurus, the largest dinosaur ever found, and today, the permanent exhibit, "Giants of the Mesozoic," features the 90-foot-long plant-eater as it defends its nest of eggs against the 45-foot-long Giganotosaurus.

The museum building is a 3-story, sky-lit Great Hall with spiral staircases, lofty columns, and windows revealing the woodlands beyond. The museum's signature exhibition, "A Walk through Time in Georgia," tells all about Georgia's natural history and the development of our planet, and 16 galleries combine with theaters and dioramas to explain the story. Children will enjoy Fantasy Forest, which engages 3-to-5 year olds in colorful and playful activities to explain camouflage, pollination and nature, as well as the IMAX films which boast an immense screen that puts you right in the middle of all the action. Other attractions include a wetlands exhibit, a dramatically colorful living coral reef aquarium, a unique shell display, a gemstone collection, and the McClatchey Collection of jewelry and textiles from the old Silk Road countries.

If looking for a bite to eat, there's a restaurant overlooking Fernbank Forest with outdoor patio seating, so why not take a break during your visit and enjoy a sandwich or salad?

To get to the Fernbank Museum of Natural History using the Marta bus system, board Bus #2, which runs east to west on Ponce de Leon Avenue, and ask the driver to drop you at the corner of Clifton Road. Walk north on Clifton Road, and the museum will be the first drive on your right.

Fernbank Museum of Natural History grew out of a forest and the dream of Emily Harrison, a young girl who loved it. Growing up in the late 1800s, Emily Harrison often played in the forest surrounding her home just east of Atlanta. Emily was a naturalist and thrived on learning about the plants and animals around her. One of Emily's favorite spots in the forest was a creek bank covered with a variety of ferns. She was the first to call the area "Fernbank," the name which records indicate was publicly recognized in the late 1880s.