Highlights include the exhibition, Jim Henson’s Fantastic World; lecture series with favorite authors such as Catherine Clinton, and annual programming including “Southern Music: Shaken & Stirred,” “Magic Mondays,” “Homeschool Days,” and “Sheep to Shawl”


ATLANTA, Georgia – Whether exploring the history of the Civil War through the award-winning exhibition Turning Point: The American Civil War, enjoying lectures by Peter W. Galbraith and Catherine Clinton, touring the award-winning Centennial Olympic Games Museum or discovering the traditions of Lunar New Year, the Atlanta History Center offers something for people of all ages throughout the year.

The Atlanta History Center is pleased to announce the new Kid’s Corner at the Atlanta History Center. Located in our Museum Atrium, this engaging space is especially designed for children and their parents to enjoy a variety of crafts and activities that supplement museum exhibits and special programs.

In addition, the Atlanta History Center presents the family visitor’s companion, History Rhymes. This unique hand held booklet has original illustrations and rhymes that allow families with young children to delight in exploring history and the Atlanta History Center’s offerings in a whole new way—a rhyming way. As families explore the different exhibits, grounds and homes that make up the Atlanta History Center, they’ll not only have a blast with the past, but learn a lot, too!

TRAVELING AND PERMANENT EXHIBITIONS

Jim Henson’s Fantastic World
(Goldstein Gallery)
On display through January 18, 2009

Featuring 100 original artworks, including drawings, cartoons and storyboards, this traveling exhibition gives fans of all ages a rare peek into the imagination and creative genius of this brilliant innovator and creator of Kermit, Big Bird, and other beloved characters. Television and movie props, select puppets, video clips, and rare photographs of Henson and his collaborators at work, highlight Henson’s “visual thinking” process that resulted in his elaborate imaginary worlds of unique characters, objects, environments, and even language and cultures.

This exhibit is included with general admission, and free to Atlanta History Center members. For more information on the exhibition or programming, please call 404.814.4000 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Support: Jim Henson’s Fantastic World was organized by The Jim Henson Legacy and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in cooperation with the Henson family, The Jim Henson Company, The Muppets Studio, LLC, and Sesame Workshop. This exhibition is made possible by The Biography Channel. Additional support provided by The Jane Henson Foundation and Cheryl Henson.

Local support provided by presenting Atlanta sponsors Macy’s Foundation and Georgia Public Broadcasting, with additional support from Cartoon Network and AGL Resources. Programming support provided by the Center for Puppetry Arts.

Norman Rockwell's Home for the Holidays
(Nicholson Gallery)
November 22, 2008 - February 15, 2009

During his forty-seven year affiliation with The Saturday Evening Post, Norman Rockwell was celebrated for his special holiday cover illustrations, which were commissioned to mark a full spectrum of annual events for an enthusiastic public, from Thanksgiving, Christmas and The New Year to Valentine's Day and April Fools' Day.

Throughout the decades, his holiday depictions shifted in subject and style, resulting in a broad range of imagery inspired by both the past and the present. This exhibition, featuring original Saturday Evening Post cover tearsheets, includes many of Norman Rockwell's most memorable and enduring holiday images.

This exhibit is included with general admission, and free to Atlanta History Center members. For more information, please call 404.814.4000 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Edward L. Daugherty, A Southern Landscape Architect: Exploring New Forms
(Kenan Research Center, Archives Gallery)
On display through October 10, 2009

Edward L. Daugherty, A Southern Landscape Architect: Exploring New Forms traces the seminal works in landscape architecture, urban planning, conservation, and historic preservation created by celebrated Atlanta landscape architect, Edward L. Daugherty. Throughout more than fifty years of continuous private practice as a landscape architect, Daugherty not only devoted both his time and talents to providing outstanding service to his clients but also to numerous public service projects that have had a beneficial impact on the landscape architectural profession and the physical environment in Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation.

This exhibit is free to the public and available to view Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm in the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center. For more information, please call 404.814.4000 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com .

Native Lands: Indians and Georgia
(Howell Gallery)
On display through Summer 2009

Native Lands: Indians and Georgia celebrates the state’s original inhabitants beginning with the Mississippian peoples and continuing with their descendants, the Creeks and the Cherokees. Long before the first European settlers came to what is now called Georgia, the Mississippian Indians developed complex societies on these lands – complete with art, music, ceremony, agriculture, architecture, and trade industries. The Creeks and Cherokees left landmarks and cultural legacies prior to their 1830s removal from the state on the Trail of Tears. Unlike most accounts, which stop with the Trail of Tears, Native Lands is a traveling exhibition that explores Indians’ recent history and their continuing connections to Georgia through the voices of contemporary Creeks and Cherokees. Highlights of the exhibit include a 1700s Creek town busk replica and an 1800s Cherokee family hearth scene showing the blending of native and European cultures.

This exhibit is included with general admission, and free to Atlanta History Center members. For more information, please call 404.814.4000 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Support: Native Lands: Indians and Georgia has been made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities, with additional support from The Noble Foundation and The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The original exhibition has been the recipient of several awards, including an Award of Merit from the American Association of State and Local History and the Curators’ Award from the Southeastern Museums Conference.

FAMILY AND ADULT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING
Programs and dates are subject to change.
Please call 404.814.4033 or 404.814.4082 to confirm program dates.

December 2008

A Candlelight Evening at Swan
Thursday, December 4, 2008

Join the Atlanta History Center’s Members Guild for a delightful evening featuring festive holiday décor at the historic Swan House, a holiday cocktail buffet, jazz trio, and caroling. Proceeds from Candlelight Evening, chaired by Lisa Fuller, support the Atlanta History Center’s exhibitions and educational programs. For more information, or to purchase tickets, please call 404.814.4103.

AHC Lecture: Tom Chaffin, The H. L. Hunley: The Secret Hope of the Confederacy
Saturday, December 6, 2008
2:00 pm

Tom Chaffin, Professor of History and Director/Editor of the James K. Polk Correspondence Project at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, discusses and signs his book, The H.L. Hunley: The Secret Hope of the Confederacy.

On the evening of February 17, 1864, the Confederacy’s H. L. Hunley sank the USS Housatonic and became the first submarine in world history to sink an enemy ship. Not until World War I—half a century later—would a submarine again accomplish such a feat. But the Hunley and her entire crew of eight also perished that moonlit night, vanishing beneath the cold Atlantic waters off Charleston, South Carolina. For generations, searchers prowled Charleston’s harbor looking for the Hunley and, as they hunted, the legends surrounding the boat and her demise grew.Since the submarine was located in 1995 and recovered five years later, those legends have only multiplied.

Tom Chaffin’s books include Sea of Gray and Pathfinder. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Harper’s Magazine, Time, and other publications.

Admission is $5 for members and $10 for nonmembers. Reservations are required for all lectures. For more information or to purchase tickets, please call 404.814.4150.

Magic Mondays: Happy Holidays
Monday, December 8, 2008
10:30 – 11:30 am

Toddlers (18 months to 5 years old) love this fun program designed just for them! The museum, exhibitions, Tullie Smith Farm, and 33 acres of woodland trails and gardens provide the perfect backdrop for fun-filled educational activities. Join us on Mondays to meet new friends or see some familiar faces. Admission is free for adult members; $5 for children of members; $6 for nonmember adults; $5 for nonmember children. Group rates are available for groups of ten or more. For more information, please call 404.814.4110 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Support: Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.

History Live! Candlelight Nights
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
5:30 – 9:00 pm

Escape the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and enjoy the winter landscape of the Atlanta History Center at dusk as beautiful candlelit paths illuminate gardens, trails, and historic homes with holiday cheer. In conjunction with the traveling exhibition, Jim Henson’s Fantastic World, guests enjoy touring the exhibit as well as puppet making workshops by Center for Puppetry Arts, holiday performances by Piccadilly Puppets and Atlanta Boys Choir, and a special screening of Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas. Tickets are $10 for History Center adult members, $5 for member children; $15 for nonmember adults, $7 nonmember children. Reservations are strongly suggested. Please call 404.814.4150. For more information, please call 404.814.4000 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Support: Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council. Additional support provided by Big John’s Trees and Whole Foods-Buckhead.

Homeschool Day: Holidays in History
Friday, December 12, 2008
10:00 am - 2:00 pm

The Atlanta History Center offers special monthly programs for homeschool students and their families. Each month explores a different subject through exhibition tours and related crafts and activities. This month, experience how Christmas was celebrated in years past, from the 1860s Tullie Smith farm, to the
1930s Swan House, and more! Admission is $7 for nonmembers, $5 for children of members; and free for adult members. Discounted tickets are available for groups with ten or more children. For more information, or to make group reservations, please call 404.814.4018, or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Support: Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.

History Live! Candlelight Nights
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
5:30 – 9:00 pm

Escape the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and enjoy the winter landscape of the Atlanta History Center at dusk as beautiful candlelit paths illuminate gardens, trails, and historic homes with holiday cheer. In conjunction with the traveling exhibition, Jim Henson’s Fantastic World, guests enjoy touring the exhibit as well as puppet making workshops by Center for Puppetry Arts and holiday performances by Piccadilly Puppets. A special screening of Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas will be introduced by Craig Shemin, a former Jim Henson Company staff writer and muppet expert. Tickets are $10 for History Center adult members, $5 for member children; $15 for nonmember adults, $7 nonmember children. Reservations strongly suggested. Please call 404.814.4150. For more information, please call 404.814.4000 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Support: Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council. Additional support provided by Big John’s Trees and Whole Foods-Buckhead.

January 2009

History Live! Three Kings Day
Sunday, January 4, 2009
1:00 - 5:00 pm

The holiday festivities don't have to end in December! In January, the Atlanta History Center offers visitors a fun program celebrating the Hispanic holiday Dia de Reyes or Three Kings Day. Learn about
this tradition of our southern neighbors through storytelling, music, live performances, complimentary food and a whole lot of fun. This program is held in collaboration with the Mexican Consulate and the Instituto de Mexico. For more information, call 404.814.4000 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com. This program is free to members and the general public.

Support: Provided by Fulton County Arts Council, Mexican Consulate and the Instituto de Mexico.

Magic Mondays: Rubber Duckies
Monday, January 12, 2009
10:30 – 11:30 am

Toddlers (18 months to 5 years old) love this fun program designed just for them! The museum,
exhibitions, Tullie Smith Farm, and 33 acres of woodland trails and gardens provide the perfect backdrop for fun-filled educational activities. Children enjoy interactive activities in Jim Henson’s Fantastic World, as well as a variety of hands-on arts and crafts. Admission is free for adult members; $5 for children of members; $6 for nonmember adults; $5 for nonmember children. Group rates are available for groups of ten or more. For more information, please call 404.814.4110 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Support: Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.

Homeschool Day: Muppets™ and Masterpieces
Monday, January 12, 2009
1:00 - 4:00 pm

The Atlanta History Center offers special monthly programs for homeschool students and their families. Each month explores a different subject through exhibition tours and related crafts and activities. This
month, discover Jim Henson’s Fantastic World by touring this traveling exhibition and learning how to bring your own art to life! Admission is $7 for nonmembers, $5 for children of members; and free for adult members. Discounted tickets are available for groups with ten or more children. For more information, or to make group reservations, please call 404.814.4018 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Support: Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.

Livingston Lecture: Catherine Clinton, Mrs. Lincoln: A Life
Thursday, January 15, 2009
8:00 pm

As America honors the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth on February 12, 2009, the man widely viewed as the nation’s most important president will once again be in the limelight. But it is impossible to look at his achievements and his enduring significance without also acknowledging the integral contributions of his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln.

A serious reassessment of this complicated, controversial, and in many ways misunderstood, woman is long overdue, and in Mrs. Lincoln, the first biography in over twenty years, Clinton crafts a richly detailed portrait of this intriguing enigma and explores her essential role in her husband’s life and career. Packed with new research and penetrating analysis, Clinton studies Mrs. Lincoln from every angle, delving into her relationships, probing her personality, and placing her in a broader historical context. In addition, Clinton investigates the lingering questions that have surrounded the Lincolns for many years, particularly those about his sexuality, her mental health, and the strength of their bond.

Admission is $5 for members and $10 for nonmembers. Reservations are required for all lectures. For more information or to purchase tickets, please call 404.814.4150.

Support: The Livingston Lectures are made possible with generous funding from the Livingston Foundation of Atlanta.

History Live! Lunar New Year
Sunday, January 25, 2009
1:00 - 5:00 pm

Lunar New Year is one of the most celebrated holidays among Asian cultures. It is a time for new beginnings, festive family gatherings, ornate delicacies, and memory making. Enjoy a program of traditional music, dance, and other activities while meeting new people and learning the history and traditions of this lively and colorful celebration. This program is free to members; included in the cost of general admission for nonmembers. For more information about this program, please contact 404.814.4000 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Support: Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.

February 2009

Southern Music: Shaken & Stirred: “Soul Stirrin’ Sounds”
Thursday, February 5, 2009; Friday, February 6, 2009
Doors open 6:00 pm; Concert 7:30 pm

The Atlanta History Center announces our newest endeavor, Southern Music: Shaken & Stirred. This new music series is designed to showcase a variety of popular music genres including Soul, Southern Rock, Jazz Fusion, and Blues. Each concert features a roster of both up and coming artists and local legends that are among the best in their fields and whose music is deeply rooted in the South. February’s concert features “Soul Stirrin’ Sounds” performances by three singer and songwriters Anthony David, John West, and Kyshona Armstrong.

Delicious food as well as assorted adult libations and spirits are available for purchase. Enjoy one or many evenings of this concert series, held the first Thursday and Friday of the month, February - May. Thursday concerts are $20 for members, $25 for nonmembers. Friday concerts are $25 for members, $35 for nonmembers. Other pricing options are available including season tickets and reserved tables for 10. Reservations are required. Please call 404.814.4150. For more information, please call 404.814.4000 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com for more information on the performers.

Support: Southern Music: Shaken & Stirred is supported by Delta Air Lines.

Fridays in February; Special School Programs
Each Friday in February
10:00 am -1:00 pm

Join us on Fridays in February to celebrate Black History Month. This program has been specially designed for students to learn about the significant impact and achievements of African Americans.

Each Friday explores a different time period:

February 6 - A Day in the Life of a Slave
February 13- From Slave to Soldier: The African American Experience during the Civil War
February 20- Early Fight for Civil Rights: The African American Experience Leading up to the Civil Rights Movement February 27 - The Civil Rights Movement Admission for these programs is $7 per person. One chaperone is admitted free per 5 students. For more information on these programs or to make a reservation, please call 404.814.4110. Details are also available online at AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Magic Mondays: Be Mine
Monday, February 9, 2009
10:30 – 11:30 am

Toddlers (18 months to 5 years old) love this fun program designed just for them! The museum, exhibitions, Tullie Smith Farm, and 33 acres of woodland trails and gardens provide the perfect backdrop for fun-filled educational activities. Join us on Mondays to meet new friends or see some familiar faces.

Admission is free for adult members; $5 for children of members; $6 for nonmember adults; $5 for nonmember children. Group rates are available for groups of ten or more. For more information, please call 404.814.4110 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Support: Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.

Homeschool Day: Great American Presidents
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
1:00 - 4:00 pm

The Atlanta History Center offers special monthly programs for homeschool students and their families. Each month explores a different subject through exhibition tours and related crafts and activities. This month, learn about the lives and legacies of some of America’s greatest presidents. Admission is $7 for
nonmembers, $5 for children of members; and free for adult members. Discounted tickets are available for groups with ten or more children. For more information, or to make group reservations, please call nonmembers, $5 for children of members; and free for adult members. Discounted tickets are available for groups with ten or more children. For more information, or to make group reservations, please call 404.814.4018, or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Support: Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.

Aiken Lecture: Douglas R. Egerton, Death or Liberty: African Americans and Revolutionary America
Thursday, February 12, 2009
8:00 pm

Douglas R. Egerton discusses and signs his new book, Death or Liberty, a sweeping chronicle of African American history stretching from Britain's 1763 victory in the Seven Years' War to the election of slaveholder Thomas Jefferson as president in 1800. Canvassing every colony and state, as well as incorporating the wider Atlantic world, Death or Liberty offers a lively and comprehensive account of African Americans and the Revolutionary era in America.

Douglas R. Egerton is Professor of History at LeMoyne College. His books include Gabriel's Rebellion: The Virginia Slave Conspiracies of 1800 and 1802 and He Shall Go Out Free: The Lives of Denmark Vesey.

Admission is $5 for members and $10 for nonmembers. Reservations are required for all lectures. For more information or to purchase tickets, please call 404.814.4150.

Support: The Aiken Lectures are made possible with generous funding from the trust of Lucy Rucker Aiken.

March 2009

Southern Music: Shaken & Stirred: “Whiskey Women”
Thursday, March 5, 2009 and Friday, March 6, 2009
Doors open 6:00 pm; Concert 7:30 pm

The Atlanta History Center announces our newest endeavor, Southern Music: Shaken & Stirred. This new music series is designed to showcase a variety of popular music genres including Soul, Southern Rock, Jazz Fusion, and Blues. Each concert features a roster of both up and coming artists and local legends that are among the best in their fields and whose music is deeply rooted in the South.
In March, get up and dance with “Whiskey Women”. Enjoy three great performances from Michelle Malone, Blue Mother Tupelo, and Little Country Giants.

Delicious food as well as assorted adult libations and spirits are available for purchase. Enjoy one or many evenings of this concert series, held the first Thursday and Friday of the month, February - May. Thursday concerts are $20 for members, $25 for nonmembers. Friday concerts are $25 for members, $35 for nonmembers. Other pricing options are available including season tickets and reserved tables for 10. Reservations are required. Please call 404.814.4150. For more information, please call 404.814.4000 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com for more information on the performers.

Support: Southern Music: Shaken & Stirred is supported by Delta Air Lines.

Magic Mondays: Egg Hunt
Monday, March 9, 2009
10:30 – 11:30 am

Toddlers (18 months to 5 years old) love this fun program designed just for them! The museum, exhibitions, Tullie Smith Farm, and 33 acres of woodland trails and gardens provide the perfect backdrop for fun-filled educational activities. Join us on Mondays to meet new friends or see some familiar faces.

Admission is free for adult members; $5 for children of members; $6 for nonmember adults; $5 for nonmember children. Group rates are available for groups of ten or more. For more information, please call 404.814.4110 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Support: Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council

Homeschool Day: Her Story
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
1:00 - 4:00 pm

The Atlanta History Center offers special monthly programs for homeschool students and their families. Each month explores a different subject through exhibition tours and related crafts and activities. In honor of women’s history month, explore the important role women have played in shaping our nation. Admission is $7 for nonmembers, $5 for children of members; and free for adult members. Discounted tickets are available for groups with ten or more children. For more information, or to make group reservations, please call 404.814.4018, or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Support: Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.

Family History Research: City Directories and School Yearbooks
Saturday, March 14, 2009
10:00 am - Noon

Join Atlanta History Center staff genealogist Mike Brubaker as he helps family historians discover new resources for genealogy research. For anyone searching for missing ancestors, city directories and school yearbooks can be valuable resources. This program provides suggestions and discussions about different sources and where to search in Atlanta and Georgia for those elusive ancestors.

Admission is $10 for members and $15 for non-members. Reservations are strongly suggested. Please call 404.814.4150. For more information, please call 404.814.4041 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

History Live! Citizens & Soldiers: Life During the Civil War
Sunday, March 15, 2009
12:00 – 5:00 PM

The Civil War ravaged America between 1861 and 1865 and changed the lives of ordinary citizens and exceptional soldiers. Enjoy guided tours of Turning Point: The American Civil War and discover stories of Confederate and Federal soldiers, along with the heartaches and hopes of loved ones at home, from the beginning of the crisis through the time of rebuilding. At Tullie Smith Farm, living history interpreters delve into African American experiences during the Civil War, speak about the lives of Confederate and Union soldiers, and explore the daily lives of women and children. Be sure to visit to the Atlanta History Center’s new panel exhibition, Slave Life at the Smith Farm.

This program is free to members; included in the cost of general admission for nonmembers. For more information about this program, please contact 404.814.4000 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Support: Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.

Elson Lecture: Barry Strauss, The Spartacus War
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
8:00 PM

In Barry Strauss’ new book The Spartacus War he tells the real story of this figure so many have come to know as a Hollywood hero and revolutionary icon. He presents a Spartacus for our times—with parallels of insurgency and counter-insurgency between then and president-day wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Though Spartacus’ rebel army of 60,000 slave soldiers finally went down in defeat after holding antiquity’s greatest military power at bay for almost two years his appeal has endured as a leader who struck a great blow for freedom and against oppression.

Barry Strauss is professor of history and classics at Cornell University. He has been interviewed numerous times on television for A&E, the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, the National Geographic Channel, the BBC and PBS.

Admission is $5 for members and $10 for nonmembers. Reservations are required for all lectures. For more information or to purchase tickets, please call 404.814.4150.

Support: The Elson Lectures are made possible with generous funding from Ambassador and Mrs. Edward Elson. The Elson Lectures feature scholarly addresses by our nation's prominent historians.


April 2009

Southern Music: Shaken & Stirred: “Mixed & Infused”
Thursday, April 2, 2009 and Friday, April 3, 2009
Doors open 6:00 pm; Concert 7:30 pm

The Atlanta History Center announces our newest endeavor, Southern Music: Shaken & Stirred. This new music series is designed to showcase a variety of popular music genres including Soul, Southern Rock, Jazz Fusion, and Blues. Each concert features a roster of both up and coming artists and local legends that are among the best in their fields and whose music is deeply rooted in the South.
In April, grab your dancing shoes and join us for something new and refreshing when bands Ancient Harmony, Omega Love, and East Coast Dirt get “Mixed & Fused.”

Delicious food as well as assorted adult libations and spirits are available for purchase. Enjoy one or many evenings of this concert series, held the first Thursday and Friday of the month, February - May. Thursday concerts are $20 for members, $25 for nonmembers. Friday concerts are $25 for members, $35 for nonmembers. Other pricing options are available including season tickets and reserved tables for 10. Reservations are required. Please call 404.814.4150. For more information, please call 404.814.4000 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com for more information on the performers.

Support: Southern Music: Shaken & Stirred is supported by Delta Air Lines.

History Live! Sheep to Shawl
Saturday, April 11, 2009
10:30 am– 4:30 pm

As the weather warms up, our sheep at Tullie Smith Farm are ready to shed their heavy coats. See as the sheep’s wool is washed, carded, spun, dyed, and woven into a beautiful shawl. Take a tour of the 1860 Tullie Smith Farm house and learn about nineteenth-century farm life with demonstrations of blacksmithing, candle dipping, and open hearth cooking in our detached kitchen. Listen to old time music as you tour the gardens. Girl Scouts can purchase a special patch at this event.

This program is free to members; included in the cost of general admission for nonmembers. For more information about this program, please contact 404.814.4000 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Support: Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.

Magic Mondays: Home Sweet Home
Monday, April 13, 2009
10:30 – 11:30 am

Toddlers (18 months to 5 years old) love this fun program designed just for them! The museum, exhibitions, Tullie Smith Farm, and 33 acres of woodland trails and gardens provide the perfect backdrop for fun-filled educational activities. Join us on Mondays to meet new friends or see some familiar faces.

Admission is free for adult members; $5 for children of members; $6 for nonmember adults; $5 for nonmember children. Group rates are available for groups of ten or more. For more information, please call 404.814.4110 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Support: Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.

Homeschool Day: Fighting for Freedom
Thursday, April 16, 2009
1:00 - 4:00 pm

The Atlanta History Center offers special monthly programs for homeschool students and their families. Each month explores a different subject through exhibition tours and related crafts and activities. This month, examine some of the military milestones that helped shape America. Admission is $7 for nonmembers, $5 for children of members; and free for adult members. Discounted tickets are available for groups with ten or more children. For more information, or to make group reservations, please call 404.814.4018 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Support: Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.

Swan House Ball
Saturday, April 25, 2009
7:00 pm

Elegant, intimate and exclusive, the annual Swan House Ball is the Atlanta History Center’s largest fundraiser and one of the premier social events for Atlanta’s civic, corporate, and social leaders. Swan
House Ball 2009 recognizes honorary chairman Jack Sawyer for his continuous involvement in
supporting Atlanta’s businesses and cultural organizations. Funds raised from Swan House Ball 2009 benefit the educational programs at the Atlanta History Center.

Guests to Swan House Ball 2009, themed “A Midsummer’s Night Dream,” begin their evening against the enchanting backdrop of the historic Swan House at the Atlanta History Center with cocktails provided by DIAGEO followed by dinner from Bold American in the elegant Grand Overlook. Following dinner, guests conclude their evening in the Allen Atrium to the sounds of Liquid Pleasure.

Swan House Ball 2009 is chaired by Kay Quigley and Cindy Voyles. Honorary chair is Jack Sawyer, Jr. and Keith Mason is this year’s patron chair. Host Committee Chairmen are Sacha and Mark Taylor, and Jane and Daniel Skinner. Bo and Eileen DuBose are chairmen for the Ladies and Gentlemen’s Committee and the Corporate Committee is represented by Karen Spielgel, Marcia Cohn, and Bill Voyles.

For more information on sponsorship opportunities, or tickets, please call 404.814.4102.

Livingston Lecture: Winston Groom, Vicksburg,1863
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
8:00 PM

In Vicksburg, 1863, Winston Groom re-creates this epic campaign. As the culmination of the battle for the West, Vicksburg was the climax of a long and bloody two-year grind that began when Lincoln chose Grant, then seen as a mediocre general with a drinking problem, to take the Union Navy down the Mississippi from Cairo, Illinois. As Groom recounts this landmark battle, he also brings the characters to life. We see Grant in all his grim determination and his struggles with alcohol, Sherman's feistiness and talents for war, and a host of less talented generals on the Union side; we see the pride and intransigence of Confederate leaders from Jefferson Davis to Joe Johnston to John Pemberton, the general who took the blame for losing Vicksburg.

Winston Groom is the author of fourteen previous books, including Patriotic Fire, Shrouds of Glory, Forrest Gump, and Conversations with the Enemy, which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. He lives in Point Clear, Alabama, and Cashiers, North Carolina.

Support: The Livingston Lectures are made possible with generous funding from the Livingston Foundation of Atlanta.


May 2009

Southern Music: Shaken & Stirred: “Straight Up Blues”
Thursday, May 7, 2009 and Friday, May 8, 2009
Doors open 6:00 pm; Concert 7:30 pm

The Atlanta History Center announces our newest endeavor, Southern Music: Shaken & Stirred. This new music series is designed to showcase a variety of popular music genres including Soul, Southern Rock, Jazz Fusion, and Blues. Each concert features a roster of both up and coming artists and local legends that are among the best in their fields and whose music is deeply rooted in the South.

In May, join us for some “Straight up Blues” when performers Francine Reed with Java Monkey, Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck, and Nick Edelstein take the stage.

Delicious food as well as assorted adult libations and spirits are available for purchase. Enjoy one or many evenings of this concert series, held the first Thursday and Friday of the month, February - May. Thursday concerts are $20 for members, $25 for nonmembers. Friday concerts are $25 for members, $35 for nonmembers. Other pricing options are available including season tickets and reserved tables for 10. Reservations are required. Please call 404.814.4150. For more information, please call 404.814.4000 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com for more information on the performers.

Support: Southern Music: Shaken & Stirred is supported by Delta Air Lines.

Magic Mondays: Buds, Blossoms, & Butterflies
Monday, May 11, 2009
10:30 – 11:30 am

Toddlers (18 months to 5 years old) love this fun program designed just for them! The museum, exhibitions, Tullie Smith Farm, and 33 acres of woodland trails and gardens provide the perfect backdrop for fun-filled educational activities. Join us on Mondays to meet new friends or see some familiar faces.

Admission is free for adult members; $5 for children of members; $6 for nonmember adults; $5 for nonmember children. Group rates are available for groups of ten or more. For more information, please call 404.814.4110 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Support: Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.

Homeschool Day: History in Bloom
Friday, May 15, 2009
1:00 - 4:00 pm

The Atlanta History Center offers special monthly programs for homeschool students and their families. Each month explores a different subject through exhibition tours and related crafts and activities. This month, discover how plants were used by different cultures and how gardens have changed over time. Admission is $7 for nonmembers, $5 for children of members; and free for adult members. Discounted tickets are available for groups with ten or more children. For more information, or to make group reservations, please call 404.814.4018 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Support: Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.

History Live! Veterans’ Remembrance Day
Sunday, May 24, 2009
12:00 – 5:00 PM

The Atlanta History Center honors the contributions of veterans of World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, and today's conflicts. Spend a day in the company of veterans and hear their real stories of wartime through personal accounts and memorabilia. Living history interpreters share their authentic dress, equipment, and vehicles as men and women represent soldiers of the various wars.
This program is free to members; included in the cost of general admission for nonmembers. For more information about this program, please contact 404.814.4000 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Support: Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.

June 2009

Southern Music: Shaken & Stirred: “Soul Stirrin’ Sounds”
Thursday, June 4, 2009; Friday, June 5, 2009
Doors open 6:00 PM; Concert 7:30 PM


The Atlanta History Center announces our newest endeavor, Southern Music: Shaken & Stirred. This new music series is designed to showcase a variety of popular music genres including Soul, Southern Rock, Jazz Fusion, and Blues. Each concert features a roster of both up and coming artists and local legends that are among the best in their fields and whose music is deeply rooted in the South. June’s concert features “Soul Stirrin’ Sounds” performances by three singer and songwriters Anthony David, John West, and Kyshona Armstrong.

Delicious food as well as assorted adult libations and spirits are available for purchase. Enjoy one or many evenings of this concert series, held the first Thursday and Friday of the month, March - June. Thursday concerts are $20 for members, $25 for nonmembers. Friday concerts are $25 for members, $35 for nonmembers. Other pricing options are available including season tickets and reserved tables for 10. Reservations are required. Please call 404.814.4150. For more information, please call 404.814.4000 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com for more information on the performers.

Support: Southern Music: Shaken & Stirred is supported by Delta Air Lines.


Summer Camp 2009

This summer, dive into history at the Atlanta History Center with exciting and enriching activities.
Every week has a new theme, so choose your favorites and join us.

Camp weeks run June 1-July 31; camp is not scheduled week of June 27-July 5. Camp registrations begin December 15, 2008. To register your camper, please call 404.814.4016. For more information on our 2009 schedule, please visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Family History Research: Searching Military Records, from the Civil War to World War I
Saturday, June 6, 2009
10:00 am - Noon

Join Atlanta History Center staff genealogist Mike Brubaker as he helps family historians discover new resources to use in your genealogy search. Military records are incredibly abundant, yet difficult to search. This Atlanta History Center program will provide advice and tips on where and how to find records for our veteran ancestors.

Admission is $10 for members and $15 for non-members. Reservations are suggested, please call 404.814.4150. For more information, please call 404.814.4041 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Teachers’ Course: Southeastern Indians
June 15 – 19, 2009

Explore key moments in Native American history and culture - focusing on the Southeastern United States. The Southeastern Indians Teacher Institute is being offered in conjunction with the Atlanta History Center’s Native Lands: Indians and Georgia exhibit.

The exhibit celebrates the state’s original inhabitants beginning with the Mississippian people and continuing with their descendants, the Creeks and the Cherokees. Unlike most accounts, which stop with the Trail of Tears, Native Lands explores Indians’ recent history and their continuing connections to Georgia through the voices of contemporary Creeks and Cherokees.

Teachers earn 3 Professional Learning Units. For more information, or to register, please call 404.814.4110.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Signature Exhibitions, Historic Homes, Gardens & Kenan Research Center

Metropolitan Frontiers
(Atlanta History Center)

Indian settlements, cotton fields, railroads, the Civil War, Gone With the Wind, the Civil Rights Movement, CNN, the 1996 Olympic Games — Atlanta’s emergence as a metropolis has been a story of growth, change and renewal. The regenerative story of Atlanta is told in this award-winning exhibition through rare objects, hundreds of historic photographs, antique clothing, original documents, and video presentations and special areas for hands‑on exploration. Highlights include an 1879 log cabin relocated from Moore’s Mill Road; an entire 1894 “shotgun” house relocated from southwest Atlanta; an 1898 horse‑drawn fire engine with a steam‑driven pump used by the Atlanta fire department in the city’s tragic 1917 fire; a 1920 Hanson car built in Atlanta, one of only two known to exist; Gone With the Wind memorabilia; video presentations on the Civil Rights Movement and more. The exhibition also points visitors to historic sites in the city (including some at the History Center itself) for further exploration.

Support: The exhibition is funded in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and by the Georgia Council for the Arts and the Georgia Humanities Council through the Georgia Folklife Program.

Turning Point: The American Civil War
(Atlanta History Center, DuBose Gallery)

The Civil War was a turning point in American history. The war completed the formation of the United States, ended slavery, defined the basic role of the federal government and set the young nation on a path toward expanding democratic freedoms for all Americans. At 9,200 square feet, Turning Point is the largest Civil War exhibition in the southeast telling the story of the war from start to finish and beyond. Included are over 1,400 original Union and Confederate artifacts, plus photographs, dioramas, videos and interactive components covering the causes of the war, soldiers’ lives, wartime manufacturing, the home front and the bloody, decisive campaigns of 1864. A final section encourages guests to search for the consequences and meaning of the war, which claimed 670,000 American lives – more than the combined number of Americans killed in all other wars combined from the Revolutionary War through Vietnam. The heart of the exhibit is the renowned DuBose Civil War Collection, one of the largest collections of Civil War memorabilia in the world. On display from the DuBose collection, Thomas Swift Dickey Civil War Ordnance collection and private collections are the Confederate States flag that flew over Atlanta at the time of its capture, a Union supply wagon used by Sherman’s army, Gen. Patrick Cleburne’s sword, the logbooks of the CSS Shenandoah, the diary of a Union soldier who died at Andersonville prison, uniforms from both armies, firearms, artillery, soldiers’ personal items, letters, diaries, medical equipment, civilian clothing, veterans’ memorabilia and much more.

Turning Point audio tours are now available. The audio tour is free for members, $4 for nonmembers, and can be picked up at the Atlanta History Museum Admissions Desk.

Support: The DuBose Gallery is made possible by a gift from Mrs. Beverly M. DuBose Jr. The exhibition is also sponsored by an anonymous donor and Mr. and Mrs. W. Barrett Howell. Installation of Turning Point: The American Civil War was supported by Balentine & Company.

Shaping Traditions: Folk Arts in a Changing South
(Atlanta History Center, Goizueta Folklife Gallery)

Shaping Traditions: Folk Arts in a Changing South traces the unique and evolving attributes of Southern folk culture through antique and contemporary objects as well as oral and musical traditions. The exhibition demonstrates how people have relied on tradition to meet their needs and how utility can combine with inspiration to create art out of everyday life. Developed from the Atlanta History Center's John A. Burrison Folklife Collection, the exhibit features more than 500 examples of handcrafted pottery, woodwork, basketry, weaving, quilting and metalwork, along with the life stories of several master folk artists. Highlighted artists include the Meaders and Hewell families of potters, chair maker Walter
Shelnut, Cherokee basket maker Lucille Lossiah, the Reeves family of basket makers, story quilter Harriet Powers and blacksmith Philip Simmons.

Support: Shaping Traditions: Folk Arts in a Changing South and the Goizueta Folklife Gallery are made possible by a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Roberto C. Goizueta in memory of their son, Carlos Alberto Goizueta. This exhibition is sponsored in part by grants from Ford Motor Company, the Woodward Fund and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Down the Fairway with Bobby Jones
(Atlanta History Center)

From the phenomenal story of golf legend Robert Tyre “Bobby” Jones Jr. to the rolling green fairways of Augusta National and the Masters, Georgia has led the way in the development of golf as one of the nation’s best-loved sports. Down the Fairway with Bobby Jones traces Georgia’s involvement in golf from course development and tournament play to the introduction of women into the game and the integration of public courses. At the center of the exhibition is the story of the man considered to be the most important golfer in the history of the sport – Bobby Jones. Photographs and personal artifacts follow his life through his incomparable number of tournament wins, family ties, successful business career and ongoing dedication to golf. Other sections, including “Early History of the Game,” “Age of the Amateur” and “The Modern Era,” feature unique items such as a 1840s feathery ball, golf clubs from the 18th century, replicas of Jones’ four Grand Slam trophies, rule books from St. Andrews in Scotland, golf clothing and shoes, a coveted Masters’ green jacket, original papers from desegregation proceedings, scorecards, badges and junior golf artifacts. The Georgia Association of Museums and Galleries recognized Down the Fairway with Bobby Jones as the best permanent exhibition in Georgia.

Publications: Considerable Passions: Golf, the Masters and the Legacy of Bobby Jones, and Bobby Jones and the Quest for the Grand Slam by Dr. Catherine M. Lewis, Atlanta History Center curator.

Philip Trammell Shutze: Atlanta Classicist, Connoisseur, and Collector
(Atlanta History Center – Swan House)

One of Atlanta’s foremost architects of residential and commercial buildings in the 20th century, Philip Trammel Shutze, was also renowned for his distinctive collection of decorative arts – ceramics, silver, furniture, rugs and paintings – reflecting his keen eye for beauty and scholarly approach to collecting. Built in 1928 and now part of the Atlanta History Center, the Swan House is perhaps Shutze’s best-known residential design. The Atlanta History Center was the recipient of Shutze’s estate after his death in 1982, and, as Shutze stipulated, Swan House became home for his collection of decorative arts. In May 2004, the $5.45 million restoration project, designed to bring the Swan House back to its original historical appearance, was completed. As a result, Philip Trammell Shutze: Atlanta Classicist, Connoisseur, and Collector, opened in a new 2,400-square-foot exhibition gallery in Swan House in December 2005. This exhibit features pieces from Shutze’s personal collection, which includes more
than 1,000 objects and features eighteenth and nineteenth-century Chinese Export, eighteenth-century Meissen, and English pottery and porcelain of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Tullie Smith Farm
(Atlanta History Center)

Set among Piedmont woods and gardens on the Atlanta History Center’s campus, the fully restored Tullie Smith Farm brings surroundings and culture from the mid-nineteenth century to life. Tullie Smith Farm consists of a plantation-plain farmhouse, a separate open-hearth kitchen, a blacksmith shop, a smokehouse, a double corncrib and a slave cabin. A barn, complete with animals, as well as traditional vegetable, herb and flower gardens, complete the farm. The Tullie Smith farmhouse is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is a favorite place to learn about and enjoy a taste of life in Atlanta before the Civil War. Guided tours of Tullie Smith Farm are available daily.

1928 Swan House
(Atlanta History Center)

Traditionally known as one of the most photographed places in Atlanta, Swan House is an elegant, classically styled mansion located on the Atlanta History Center campus off historic West Paces Ferry Road. Built in 1928 for the Edward H. Inman family, heirs to a cotton brokerage fortune, the mansion was designed by distinguished Atlanta architect, Philip Trammell Shutze. Guided tours of Swan House are available daily and show the lifestyle of a wealthy Atlanta family in the early twentieth century. Swan House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and has undergone complete restoration to both the exterior and interior. The $5.45 million restoration project, designed to bring the house back to
its original historical appearance, was completed and awarded the Excellence in Restoration award through the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. Tours now include five rooms previously not open to the public. The final result is a careful restoration of an Atlanta landmark.

Swan House audio tours are now available. Swan House audio tours are free of charge and can be picked up at the Swan House.

Margaret Mitchell House & Museum
(Atlanta History Center, Midtown)

Atlanta is now home to one of the country’s most significant historical and cultural centers through the merger of the Margaret Mitchell House & Museum with the Atlanta History Center. As a result, the History Center, located on a 33-acre campus in Buckhead, has assumed operation of the Margaret Mitchell House & Museum. Founded in 1990, the Margaret Mitchell House & Museum is a two-acre site in the heart of Midtown Atlanta with four properties, including the house and apartment where Margaret Mitchell wrote her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Gone With the Wind between 1926 and 1929; a visitors center and exhibition gallery; a Gone With the Wind movie museum; and a museum shop. Tours of the exhibits tell the story of Margaret Mitchell beyond the book and movie, including her journalism career, philanthropy and family history. The MMH&M also operates The Center for Southern Literature, which presents weekly literary lectures and writing workshops for children and adults. For more information, please call 404.814.4101 or visit qwtw.org.

Historic Gardens at the Atlanta History Center
(Atlanta History Center)

Thirty-three acres of enchanting gardens, woodlands, nature trails and grounds showcase the horticultural history of the Atlanta region. Visitors may stroll through any of the six featured gardens while on campus. Located just behind the Atlanta History Center, the Mary Howard Gilbert Memorial Quarry Garden highlights native plants and wildflowers and is home to a stream, pond and crossing bridge. The Tullie Smith Farm Gardens include a vegetable garden, slave’s garden, flower yard, grape arbor, fruit orchard and field crop area, all featuring rare heritage varieties of plants grown in the mid-nineteenth-century. Swan Woods Trail, a half-mile forested trail weaving around the Swan House, presents a natural Piedmont habitat and is labeled for nature study. The Swan House grounds include a formal boxwood garden and classical statuary as well as landscaping featuring Italian-style cascading fountains and terraced lawns. Contemporary design and shady landscapes in the Frank A. Smith Memorial Rhododendron Garden feature dozens of species of rhododendrons and azaleas. The Cherry- Sims Asian-American Garden features species from the southeastern United States and their Asian counterparts, as well as a gazebo for rest and reflection. The Historic Gardens at the Atlanta History Center are open daily and accessible with general admission.

Centennial Olympic Games Museum
(Atlanta History Center, Fentener van Vlissingen Family Wing)
Opened July 2006

The 1996 Centennial Olympic Games changed Atlanta forever. In a spectacular collection of multimedia presentations, artifacts, images and interactive displays, the Centennial Olympic Games Museum at the Atlanta History Center houses one of the most significant exhibitions on Olympic sport and history in the world. Displays of original memorabilia, including posters, medals and the only complete collection of Olympic torches in the country, which date back to the 1936 Berlin Games, tell the story of the modern Olympics since 1896. A collection of treasured artifacts including athletes’ uniforms, costumes and props from the Olympic Games ceremonies, venue drawings, commemorative game pins and medals capture the excitement of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. A special area focuses on the 16 days of competition in Atlanta where visitors learn about the Olympic Village, the sports venues, Opening and Closing ceremonies, the Cultural Olympiad, Centennial Olympic Park, souvenir madness, visiting dignitaries, the tragic day of terrorism, and so much more. And an accompanying video salutes the more than 47,000 volunteers that made the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games possible. In the middle of the exhibition, a soaring space two-stories high is surrounded by five large columns modeled after the light towers at Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park. Between the columns, a series of flat screens play The
Centennial Olympic Games Experience, a stirring multimedia presentation that captures the spirit and emotion of the Atlanta Games. The interactive Sports Lab on the second level invites children and adults to test their strength and skill against those of the world’s greatest athletes. An assisted long jump allows visitors to safely jump off from a starting line to a “sand track” over eight meters away and side-by-side sculls provide the experience of racing against an Olympic record while mastering the rhythm of rowing. In the cycling recreation, visitors mount a stationary bike and get a feel for the skill and stamina required to cycle a mountain bike up a steep hill. After exploring the exhibition, visitors can test their Olympic knowledge in an interactive game, before standing on the victory platform as their name appears on a scoreboard.

The Centennial Olympic Games Museum is a permanent exhibition at the Atlanta History Center. Since its inception, the exhibition has received two prominent awards. In 2007, the Georgia Association of Museums & Galleries honored the Centennial Olympic Games Museum with a best exhibition award. In 2006, Atlanta Magazine awarded the Centennial Olympic Games Museum “Best New Interactive Exhibit” in their “Best of Atlanta 2006” issue.

Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center
(Atlanta History Center, McElreath Hall)

In 1926, a group of civic-minded Atlantans led by attorney Walter McElreath founded the Atlanta Historical Society, now known as the Atlanta History Center. The Kenan Research Center’s archives and special libraries collections comprise the research component of the organization’s study, exhibition, education and public program activities. Housed in McElreath Hall on the Atlanta History Center campus, the holdings contain resources for the study of Atlanta and Southern regional history and culture, including 34,000 volumes and 15,000 cubic feet of historic photographs, prints, maps and architectural drawings, business records, private papers and documents, as well as 7,700 microfilm rolls of newspapers, Atlanta city directories and census records. Admission to the Kenan Research Center is free to the public, attracting such researchers as genealogists, educators, scholars, historic preservationists, print and broadcast media, popular and academic authors and students from grade school to postgraduate studies. The Research Center staff answers more than 13,000 reference requests a year, assisting private individuals, nonprofit institutions and commercial firms. Through the research facilities, individuals and media can purchase copies of historic photographs, prints, maps, and other archival images. Terminus, the Research Center public access catalog, can be accessed online at AtlantaHistoryCenter.com Researchers can quickly find information due to the expanded space and division of rooms devoted to special interests including:

Decorative Arts: The Philip T. Shutze and Harvey M. Smith collections of design and decorative arts resources.

Genealogy: The genealogy and family history collections contain resources for tracing family history throughout Georgia and the South.

Military History: The Beverly M. DuBose Jr. and Thomas S. Dickey resources on the Civil War and military ordnance.

Southern Gardens: The Cherokee Garden Library composed of publications and rare books on gardening, botany, landscape design and agriculture.

Special events facilities at the Kenan Research Center include the Woodruff Auditorium, a theater-style auditorium seating 400, and the Draper Members Room, perfect for a 120-person seated dinner.

ABOUT THE ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER:

Founded as the Atlanta Historical Society in 1926, the Atlanta History Center is proud to offer historical perspectives for all ages, integrating history, education and life-enrichment programs at its campus located in Atlanta’s Buckhead district. As a historical and educational venue specializing in southern
history and culture, the Atlanta History Center offerings include the 30,000-square-foot Atlanta History Museum, featuring four signature exhibitions, and three galleries for traveling exhibitions. Signature exhibitions focus on key events, places and people in southern history, featuring an up-close examination of Atlanta’s boom from a rough-and-tumble railroad town into an international city; the variety and value of southern folk arts; the triumphs of Georgia’s golf great, Bobby Jones; and a detailed, year-by-year account of the American Civil War, one of the nation’s largest and best exhibitions on this turning point in U.S. history, including viewpoints from both the Confederate and Union armies. A must see: housed in the Fentener van Vlissingnen Family Wing at the Atlanta History Center, the Centennial Olympic Games Museum is one of the most significant exhibitions on Olympic sport and history in the world.

Also located on the Atlanta History Center’s grounds are two historic houses listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The elegant 1928 Swan House mansion offers visitors a look at the way one of Atlanta’s most prominent families lived and entertained during the 1920s. The rustic 1845 Tullie Smith Farm, complete with examples of seven pre-Civil war buildings, brings the daily activities and challenges of Georgia’s Piedmont-region pioneers to life. Visitors can discover plant and animal life natural to the area through six featured gardens and nature trails. The Kenan Research Center, also on the Atlanta History Center campus, contains manuscript and photo collections and is open for public research. Specialty areas include the Civil War, genealogy, decorative arts, African American history and horticulture. For convenience, the Atlanta History Center offers a Museum Shop for gift needs as well as the Swan Coach House restaurant, the Coca-Cola Café and a picnic area for meals and snacks.

In addition, the History Center operates the Margaret Mitchell House & Museum. Located in Midtown Atlanta, the 2-acre campus features four properties, including the house and apartment where Margaret Mitchell wrote her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Gone With the Wind; a visitors center and exhibition gallery; a Gone With the Wind movie museum; and a museum shop. For more information, visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

ADMISSION/HOURS:

The all-inclusive general admission allows access to the Atlanta History Center, including the Atlanta History Museum, the Centennial Olympic Games Museum at the Atlanta History Center, the 1845 Tullie Smith Farm, the 1928 Swan House, and 33 acres of gardens. General admission is $15 for adults, $12 for students 13+ and seniors 65+, $10 for youth 4–12 and free for children 3 and under and Atlanta History Center members. The Atlanta History Center is open Monday – Saturday, 10 am – 5:30 pm and Sunday, Noon – 5:30 pm (ticket sales stop at 4:30 pm daily).

The Atlanta History Center is proud to be a CityPass destination. Purchase a CityPass on site and receive admission to six famous Atlanta attractions for one low price! For more information, please visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

The Atlanta History Center is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, the Atlanta History Center is open Noon – 5:30 pm on Martin Luther King Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and Columbus Day.

The Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center is open Wednesday – Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm. The Research Center is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

MEMBERSHIP:
Members play a crucial role in supporting Atlanta's history. Become a member and receive unlimited free admission, experience exclusive sneak previews, engage in the real stories of the South, and enjoy a host of additional privileges. Our memberships accommodate individuals, couples and families. For more information, please call 404.814.4101 or email to Membership@AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

MUSEUM SHOP:
Located in the Atlanta History Museum, the items in the Museum Shop reflect the collections of signature and traveling exhibitions and gardens, as well as items relevant to southern history. Purchases help to support future exhibitions, educational programs and archival preservation efforts.

GROUP TOURS:
Specialized guided tours and self-guided tours are available for groups of 15 or more adults or ten or more children. To schedule a school group tour, or for more information about school groups, please call 404.814.4110.

ACCESSIBILITY:
The Atlanta History Center and McElreath Hall are accessible to people with disabilities. Paved and unpaved pathways through the Atlanta History Center's Gardens lead to Swan House and Tullie Smith Farm. Large print reading materials are available for some exhibitions in the Atlanta History Center. Video presentations at the Atlanta History Center are subtitled in English. Visitor maps are available in English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
One of the most valuable components of the Atlanta History Center experience, volunteer docents bring the collections and signature offerings to life for visitors. Men and women, 18 years and up, of all backgrounds, guide school groups, local visitors and tourists every day through the Swan House, the Tullie Smith Farm and the Atlanta History Center. Other volunteer opportunities include assisting at
the admissions desk or in the Museum Shop, hosting various special events and helping in the membership office. As preparation, volunteers are given hands-on training and attend enrichment sessions. If you would like more information about Atlanta History Center volunteers, please call 404.814.4115.

FACILITY RENTAL:
The Atlanta History Center is available for wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners, Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations, corporate meetings and special events. For additional information on available space, including the 6,400-square-foot Grand Overlook, please 404.814.4088 or email Rdefoe@AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

DIRECTIONS TO THE MUSEUM:

By car:
Going north on I-75 from downtown Atlanta, exit at West Paces Ferry Road and turn left at the end of the ramp onto Northside Parkway. Turn right at the next intersection onto West Paces Ferry Road. Going south on I-75 from Marietta, exit at West Paces Ferry Road and turn left at the end of the ramp onto West Paces Ferry Road. On West Paces Ferry Road, continue east for 2.6 miles. The Atlanta History Center entrance is on the right.

By public transportation:
In celebration of the opening of Benjamin Franklin: In Search of A Better World, MARTA adds a new stop on Bus Route #38 at the History Center. Route #38 offers hourly service Monday – Saturday, 5:30 AM – 8:30 PM to the History Center via Pharr Road, Slaton Drive and East Andrews Drive. Route #38 will no longer operate on Peachtree and Roswell Roads between Pharr Road and East Andrews Drive. Customers in this area will continue to be served by Routes #23 and #110 and can access the newly aligned Route #38 at the closest intersecting point. From the MARTA Buckhead Financial Center or Lenox rail stations, take bus #23 south to the intersection of Peachtree and West Paces Ferry Roads. Walk west on West Paces Ferry Road past the second traffic light (Slaton Drive) to the main entrance.

PARKING:
Access to the Atlanta History Center’s parking deck is free for all guests. The deck is located near the West Paces Ferry Road and Andrews Drive entrances. Reserved handicapped parking spaces are located at the front entrance to the Atlanta History Center, near the West Paces Ferry Road entrance.

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