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Atlanta History Center

The Atlanta History Center Brings History To Life

Atlanta History Center is one of the Southeast’s largest history museums. 📷: James Duckworth

The Atlanta History Center is an expansive 33-acre site in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta. It was founded in 1926 and has grown to become one of the largest historical organizations in the Southeastern United States. Visitors can see and explore a variety of award-winning exhibits, historic houses, gardens and more. The Atlanta History Center combines history and learning into one fun adventure.

The center’s museum features exhibits on the history of Atlanta and Georgia, and the research library and archives contain more than five million items, including manuscripts, photographs and books related to Southern history and culture.

The center is also home to several historic sites including the Swan House, a 1928 mansion that is open to the public for tours, and the Smith Family Farm, a restored antebellum farm that offers a glimpse into rural life in Georgia in the mid-19th century.

Atlanta Cyclorama
Cyclorama: The Big Picture is one of only two cycloramas in the United States. 📷: Melissa McAlpine

Reasons to Visit Atlanta History Center

  1. See award-winning exhibitions: The Atlanta History Center offers more than 20 onsite and online exhibitions about the people and cultures that have shaped the history of Atlanta. Explore exhibits on the Civil War, African American heritage and Southern folk art, plus a wing dedicated to the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta.
  2. Walk through gardens: The Atlanta History Center features 33 acres of gardens, wildlife trails and woodland areas. No other place in the city captures the array of landscapes that have shaped the city’s history.
  3. Tour historic houses: The Swan House at the Atlanta History Center was one of many Georgia-set locations used during the filming of the movie “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.” The Capitol Tour experience includes a guided tour through Swan House showcasing the rooms that were used during filming.
  4. View the Cyclorama: Cyclorama: The Big Picture, a fully restored cyclorama painting of The Battle of Atlanta, is on display at the Atlanta History Center. As one of only two cycloramas in the United States, it is one of America’s largest historic treasures.
  5. Attend programs and events: Throughout the year, the museum brings history to life through living history programs, lectures with award-winning authors, toddler programs, homeschool days, school tours, summer camps, music series, annual festivals and much more.
  6. Visit the Margaret Mitchell House: Atlanta History Center also operates the Margaret Mitchell House. Located in Midtown, the two-acre campus features tours of the apartment where Margaret Mitchell wrote her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Gone With the Wind,” an exhibit highlighting the life and times of Margaret Mitchell, a “Gone with the Wind” movie exhibit and a gift shop.
View of Smith Farm at Atlanta History Center
View of Smith Farm at Atlanta History Center. 📷: Atlanta History Center

Insider Tips

Know Before You Go

When is Atlanta History Center Open?

The Atlanta History Center is open during the following hours:
Tuesday – Sunday: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Historic houses open at 11 a.m.

How Much is Admission to Atlanta History Center?

Tickets to the Atlanta History Center can be purchased online. 

A General Admission ticket includes admission to the Atlanta History Museum; the Cyclorama: The Big Picture experience; three historic houses; Goizueta Gardens; and the Kenan Research Center. 

Admission to the Midtown Campus, which features Margaret Mitchell House, is included with General Admission if visited within nine days of visiting the Atlanta History Center.

Where is Atlanta History Center Located?

Atlanta History Center is located in Buckhead at:
130 West Paces Ferry Road NW
Atlanta, Ga. 30305.

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