Exhibitions

See the broader story of the Civil War era, before, during, and after the war, through deeply researched narratives, new technology, and never-before-seen artifacts.

Explore every corner of our 33 acre campus with our centennial exhibition! Discover the stories that put Atlanta on the map.

Goizueta Children’s Experience is back with a new look but always  designed with young learners in mind.

Celebrate our Centennial with Joy to the City: Atlanta Smiles at the Camera, a temporary exhibition from our expansive historic photography collection to highlight captured moments of joy and delight within the city of Atlanta. On view from October 2026 to Summer 2027.

Exile from Georgia: The Cherokee and Muscogee Trails of Tears tells the story of two nations forced to leave their land and homes in the early 19^th century and make a harrowing journey to an unknown place and unknown future.

The Hard Hand of War: Soldiers, Weapons, and Mass Production will be a dramatic armory-style installation focused on the battlefield experience featuring weapons, uniforms, military gear, and personal items from soldiers on both sides of the conflict.

World War II was the most significant event of the 20th century, transforming the world and the lives of all who survived. 

Cemetery ghosts, death omens, haunted houses – oral tradition is full of stories that scare and delight in equal measure, especially in the American South.

Atlanta History Center’s John Burrison Georgia Folklore Archive is a collection of oral histories taken in the 1960s and 1970s  of Georgia Residents, covering everything from how to make a birdhouse out of gourds to what it was like to be a Black teenager during Reconstruction. Because the archive was focused on folklore, many of the stories Burrison and his students recorded feature ghosts, superstitions, and other spooky tales.

Founded in 1985, Atlanta-based Ichiban Records played a pivotal role in shaping Southern hip-hop, nurturing iconic artists, and fostering a distinctive sound. The label, led by visionary John Abbey, was a crucible for talent like MC Shy-D and Kilo. Despite challenges, including a risky partnership with EMI and internal issues, Ichiban’s impact on the music industry, especially in nurturing local talent and promoting diversity, is undeniable. The story is a compelling narrative of ambition, innovation and the complexities of the music business.

A pink pig and a renegade cow. A movie prop and a Coke bottle. A Pulitzer Prize–winning book and a Nobel Prize–winning icon. How do you tell the story of Atlanta in 50 objects?

Atlanta History Center records, preserves, and makes accessible the stories of men and women who did serve as well as the civilians who supported them. Their stories allow future generations to hear directly from those who lived through our nation’s conflicts to better appreciate the realities and the sacrifices of war.

This online exhibition explores the African American struggle for full citizenship and racial equality that unfolded in the 50 years following the Civil War.

Between 1964 and 1975, nearly 3,500,000 men and women served in the United States armed forces in Southeast Asia. Each of them has a story to tell. Each story is unique.

“The Color Line: The Problem of the Centuries” explores the historic marginalization of Black Atlanta, fostering awareness and inspiring action for our community’s future.

Founded by Cherokee Garden Club of Atlanta in 1975, Cherokee Garden Library is named for the original state floral emblem of Georgia, the Cherokee rose (Rosa laevigata) and is one of the special collection libraries of Kenan Research Center.

Explore the history of Bagley Park, and its beloved mayor, William Bagley, through the personal collection of his granddaughter, Elon Butts Osby.

Atlanta History Center is home to one of the nation’s most comprehensive collections of Civil War memorabilia including a growing number of rare objects identified specifically with African American USCT soldiers and regiments such as a canteen, swords, a rifle, brass drum, knapsack, Bible, badges, a Medal of Honor, and a USCT flag.