Quick, how many metro Atlanta museums can you name? The High Museum of Art and Fernbank are easy ones. So are the Carter Center and the World of Coca-Cola. But what about MODA, the Breman, Tellus and Millennium Gate?
Beginning Saturday and running through May 1, you’ll have a chance to edify yourself. The first ATL Museum Week means 36 museums and historical sites invite you to check them out either with free admission or 2-for-1 deals (get coupons HERE).
The deals are being offered in conjunction with the four-day American Alliance of Museums annual meeting, which begins Sunday.
FREE ADMISSION
Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries. Chronicling the role of black artists in the history of American art. Collection includes works from Radcliffe Bailey, Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence and Henry O. Tanner. Details HERE or at 404.880.6102
David J. Sencer CDC Museum. Ever wonder how CDC scientists merge old-fashioned detective work with high-tech science to crack the cases of mystery diseases? You can find out at this Centers for Disease Control spot. Details HERE or 404.639.0830,
Georgia Museum of Art. The university museum at the University of Georgia and the official state museum of art. In Athens, of course, in the Performing and Visual Arts Complex on the East Campus. Details HERE or 706.542.4662.
The King Center. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change is a destination, resource center and archive with nearly a million documents associated with King’s life and work. Details HERE or at 404.526.8900.
Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site. A young boy grows up in a time of segregation and is moved by destiny into leadership of the modern civil rights movement. Come hear King’s story, visit the home where he was born and where he played as a child. Walk in his footsteps, and hear his voice in the church where he moved hearts and minds. Details HERE or at 404.331.5190.
Museum of History and Holocaust at Kennesaw State University. See exhibits and educational resources focused on World War II and the Holocaust in an effort to promote education and dialogue about the past and its significance today. Details HERE or at 470.578.2083.
Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking at Georgia Tech. An internationally renowned resource on the history of paper and paper technology with more than 2,000 books, and more than 10,000 watermarks, papers, tools, machines and manuscripts. Details HERE or at 404.894.7840.
Zuckerman Museum of Art at Kennesaw State University. Now showing are Pause, which focuses on contemporary ideas about portraiture by juxtaposing paintings from the permanent collection with cutting-edge contemporary works; Senior Capstone Exhibition IV; and From Earth and Fire: Works by Ruth Zuckerman. Details HERE or at 470.578.3223.
2-FOR-1 ADMISSION
Atlanta Botanical Garden. Explore more than 30 acres of botanical bliss next to Piedmont Park in Midtown, including the Fuqua Orchid Center, the Children’s Garden, the Sunflower Fountain, the Soggy Bog, the Edible Garden and the Canopy Walk in the trees. Details HERE or at 404.876.5859.
Atlanta Cyclorama & Civil War Museum. Sit at the center of a sweeping panorama of the Battle of Atlanta, fought July 22, 1864. See artifacts of the war displayed and a steam locomotive known as the Texas, made famous by the Great Locomotive Chase of 1862. Details HERE or at 404.658.7625.
Atlanta History Center. More than 30 acres in one of Atlanta’s most historic neighborhoods are ground zero for exhibitions, historic houses, gardens and interactive experiences. Now up: Slavery by Another Name: Paintings and Assemblages by Robert Claiborne Morris; Turning Point: The American Civil War, Shaping Traditions: Folk Arts in a Changing South; Centennial Olympic Games and Down the Fairway With Bobby Jones. Details HERE or at 404.814.4000.
Booth Western Art Museum. This Smithsonian Institution affiliate is a 120,000-sq. ft. facility in Cartersville and the only museum of its kind in the Southeast. Learn America’s story through contemporary Western artwork, a Presidential gallery, a Civil War art gallery and Sagebrush Ranch, an interactive children’s gallery. Details HERE or at 770.387.1300.
Braves Museum and Hall of Fame. Honors players, managers, coaches and others who’ve made an exceptional contribution to the Braves franchise. It traces the club’s early years in Boston (1871-1952), its era in Milwaukee (1953-1965), its move to Atlanta and much more. Details HERE or at 404.522.7630.
The Breman Museum. Home to the permanent exhibition Absence of Humanity: The Holocaust Years, 1933-1945, a gallery dedicated to Southern Jewish history and one that houses traveling and rotating exhibitions. Details HERE or at 678.222.3700.
Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. A fine arts center on 12 acres of sculptured lawns and formal gardens. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Details HERE or at 404.872.5338.
Center for Puppetry Arts. See the museum before it closes for good May 24 and, come the fall, is replaced by a new one. See more than 350 puppets from Asia, Europe, Africa and North America, including Pigs in Space from “The Muppet Show,” a Skeksis from The Dark Crystal and Wayland Flowers’ saucy, infamous Madame. Details HERE or at 404.873.3089.
College Football Hall of Fame. This 94,000-sq. ft. addition to downtown opened last fall with something for fans and non-fans alike. Every college team in the nation is represented, along with bands, mascots, cheerleaders and lots of interactive things to do. Admission gets you “credentials” that will personalize every exhibit in the Hall for your favorite team. Details HERE or at 404.880.4800.
Delta Flight Museum. Home to some of the airline industry’s historic jewels, including a first-of-its-kind aircraft that pioneered the sophisticated planes we fly on today. You’ll also see the cockpit from the first Convair 880-22, once the world’s fastest airliner; a nose-to-wing section of the first L-1011 TriStar that served as a Hollywood movie set; and the airline’s beloved “Spirit of Delta,” a huge 1980s-era Boeing 767. Details HERE or at 404.715.7886.
Fernbank Museum of Natural History. Go face to face (or face to claw) with a T-Rex skeleton. Stroll through time as you learn about the natural history of Georgia. Details HERE or at 404.929.6300.
Fernbank Science Center. Experience the exhibit hall, planetarium, observatory, compost garden and library. Details HERE or at 678.874.7102.
Georgia Aquarium (deal good Monday, May 1 only). Six permanent galleries are divided into 60 exhibits, with everything from belugas to spider crabs and jellyfish to sea turtles. You might even be able to pet live stingrays in the interactive displays. Details HERE or at 404.581.4000.
Hammonds House Museum. Found on a quiet residential street in the historic West End and dedicated to exploring the cultural diversity and legacy of artists of African descent. The permanent collection features more than 350 works dating from the mid-19th century by artists from America, Africa, and the Caribbean: Romare Bearden, Robert S. Duncanson, Benny Andrews, Sam Gilliam, Richard Hunt, Hale Woodruff and James Van Der Zee, among them. Details HERE or at 404.612.0500.
High Museum of Art. Atlanta’s art oasis is a cool, white spiral in the midst of manic Midtown. Designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Meier (architects for the Getty in Los Angeles), the building houses artwork from Impressionist paintings to modern furniture, folk art face jugs to sweeping sculptures. Work by Georgia O’Keeffe, Mary Cassatt, Nellie Mae Rowe, Monet and many more are on permanent display. The Museum Gift Shop is one of the coolest places in town to browse and buy. Details HERE or at 404-733-4400.
Historic Oakland Cemetery. An example of the “rural garden” cemetery movement of the 19th century. This rambling 6-acre green space serves as a historic cemetery and public park. Atlantans once took Sunday carriage rides through Oakland; visitors now meander on foot through lush gardens and memorial monuments in distinct architecture styles. Visit the graves of such famed figures as the Inman family, Hoke Smith, Maynard Jackson and Margaret Mitchell. Details HERE or at 404.688.2107.
Imagine It! The Children’s Museum of Atlanta. This bright and colorful oasis gives kids the power to play with interactive exhibits and group activities from painting to crafts. Four permanent exhibits focus on healthy eating, being active, creativity and problem-solving. A traveling exhibit changes three times a year. Details HERE or at 404.659.5437.
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum. Step into the world of our 39th president. Venture into an exact replica of the Oval Office and explore a permanent exhibit of Jimmy Carter’s life and political career. Make sure to check out the acres of gorgeous grounds, which are full of trees and include two lakes. Details HERE or at 404.865.7100.
Margaret Mitchell House. Look into the life of the “Gone With the Wind” author and revisit Atlanta in 1939 for the three-day gala that surrounded the premiere of the movie made from her novel. A guided tour takes you through the house Mitchell called “The Dump” and includes information on her career as a columnist for The Atlanta Journal. Details HERE or at 404.249.7015.
Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University. The largest ancient art collection in the Southeast lives here, including objects from ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, the Near East, Africa and the ancient Americas. The collections are housed in a Michael Graves-designed building. Details HERE or at 404.727.4282.
Millennium Gate Museum. Also known as “The Gate.” This triumphal arch and Georgia history museum is found on 17th Street in Atlantic Station. The monument celebrates peaceful accomplishment, with special attention paid to Georgia’s history and people. Details HERE or at 404.881.0900.
Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia. Also known as MOCA GA. Collects and archives significant, contemporary works by Georgia artists. Hundreds of artists are part of the collection including Benny Andrews, Radcliffe Bailey, Howard Finster, Kojo Griffin, Amy Landesburg, Nellie Mae Rowe and Deanna Sirlin. Details HERE or at 404.367.8700.
Museum of Design Atlanta. Also known as MODA. Shows how design impacts our everyday lives in more than 5,000 square feet worth of galleries. Look for rotating exhibitions that dig into architecture, electronic media, fashion, furniture, graphic design, industrial design and interior design. Previous exhibits have looked at Ebony magazine, gaming, paper clips and bubble wrap and skateboard art, to name a few. Details HERE or at 404.979.6455.
Oglethorpe University Museum of Art. Presents three major and several smaller exhibitions each year, featuring work that is international, representational, figurative and spiritual. The Georgia Watercolor Society National Exhibition runs through Thursday, as do Azadi va Edalat: Stories Retold by Contemporary Iranian Women Artists and Time Is an Illusion: Revisiting Einstein’s Theories of Relativity. Details HERE or at 404.364.8555.
Spelman College Museum of Fine Art. On view through May 16 is Maren Hassinger … Dreaming. Hassinger, a sculptor and performance artist, is director of the Rinehart School of Sculpture at the Maryland Institute and College of Art. The permanent exhibit includes artwork from Faith Ringgold, Jacob Lawrence, Nancy Elizabeth Prophet, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Hale Woodruff and many others. Details HERE or at 404.270.5607.
Tellus Science Museum. This 120,000-sq. ft. museum in Cartersville tries to open minds and ignite a passion for science. Tellus features four main galleries: The Weinman Mineral Gallery, The Fossil Gallery, Science in Motion and The Collins Family My Big Backyard. It also has a 120-seat digital planetarium and an observatory with a state-of-the-art 20-inch telescope. Details HERE or at 770.606.5700.
World of Coca-Cola. Travel through pop history solo or on a guided tour, complete with a 3-D movie experience in moving seats and exhibits that detail the brand’s 400 products. Sip Cokes and other soft drinks from around the world in the tasting room, with more than 60 varieties. Details HERE or at 404.676.5151.
The Wren’s Nest. Named for wrens who made a nest in the mailbox 120 years ago. The museum is dedicated to preserving the legacy of Joel Chandler Harris (the Uncle Remus stories) and the heritage of African-American folklore through storytelling. Storytelling happens every Saturday at 1 p.m. Details HERE or at 404.753.7735.
