Atlanta History Center: a Local Guide

The Atlanta History Center was one of the first places I visited when I came to Atlanta. I was a summer intern at an architecture firm. The Center served as an excellent guide to understand the city that I spent the summer exploring. Especially as an architect – history shapes our built environment. The context of events happening at the time of design and construction help me understand how the current city came to be.

Since that summer internship, I made Atlanta my permanent home. Over those years. I’ve returned to the Atlanta History Center many times. During each visit, I discover something new about my adopted city. Whether you a first time visitor to Atlanta or a life-long resident, you will enjoy visiting the Atlanta History Center! See below for my thoughts and recommendations on my favorite exhibits.

This guide covers the Atlanta History Center’s Main Campus in Buckhead.

Discounts on Admission to the Atlanta History Center

Free Days for All

Occasionally the Atlanta History Center offers free admission. They typically open their doors to celebrate MLK Jr. Day and Juneteenth. Plus, they often offer free admission to celebrate the opening of new exhibits. You must register in advance to secure your spot! Visit the Atlanta History Center website to check for opportunities or check out the list of events that are happening each month on the Atlanta & Beyond blog!

Free Visit with a Library Experience Pass

Another option for Georgia residents is to check out an Experience Pass from your Georgia Public Library. Check out an Atlanta History Center Family Pass which is good for 6 free admissions to the Center! The library does not allow you to place a hold on these passes. I recommend that you search the library locations to determine where a pass is available before you head to the library. Search the catalog for: Georgia Public Libraries Family Pass Atlanta History Center.

Military Discount & AAA/CAA Discount

Military personnel and one guest are entitled to discounted admission with a military ID. The Center also offers a small discount to AAA or CAA members.

Membership

If you live in the Atlanta area, then an Atlanta History Center Membership may be a great choice for you! The Center offers rotating exhibits and special events throughout the year. I think that a membership is a great idea if you are a family with young children!

Inside the Atlanta History Center

Allen Atrium

You enter into the Allen Atrium, which houses the Don and Neva Dixon Rountree Visual Vault. This is a rotating curated collection. The Atlanta History Center pulls items from their vast storage collection to create a rotating display.

Hungry?

If you are hungry and you need to take a break, you are in luck, because an outpost of Souper Jenny and Brash Coffee are available inside the Atlanta History Center. Souper Jenny is an Atlanta favorite. I eagerly stood in the long lines to enjoy the rotating soup menu for lunch when I worked at an architecture firm in Buckhead.

The Swan Coach House is another option that is open for lunch. However, I consider it as a special occasion venue. The special occasion may be that you are visiting Atlanta! I recommend that you make a reservation to eat here. I’ve celebrated lunches with the girls, bridal showers, and baby showers at the Swan Coach House.

Admission to the Atlanta History Center is not required to enjoy the restaurants onsite. Free parking is available in the deck on the property.

The Museum Shop

The Atlanta History Center includes a gift shop that is stocked with excellent books about Atlanta and Georgia. They have curated local items available for sale as well. Admission to the Center is not required to visit the Museum Shop.

Atlanta History Center: Inside Exhibits

The Atlanta History Center is a great place to visit on a rainy, hot or extra cold day with their vast inside exhibits. The Center hosts a few rotating exhibits in addition to their permanent collections.  Past exhibits are typically available to explore online.  The museum is extensive and you could easily spend the entire day here!

Gatheround: Stories of Atlanta

The cornerstone exhibit, Gatheround: Stories of Atlanta, shares the history of Atlanta. It does so through a combination of artifacts, images, photos, and stories about events, places, and culture. The exhibit begins during Native American times, moving through the Indian removal and Trail of Tears and quickly to the construction of the railroad, the Civil War, reconstruction, the New South and its streetcars, to the birth of the Civil Rights Movement, and beyond. 

The exhibit covered Atlantans at leisure and at work including the mills where children toiled along with their parents.  The story of the inception of interstates that Atlantans love and hate and highways that never came to be – the ones that Atlantans defeated to save and revitalize historic intown neighborhoods – including Inman Park. Which brings us around to present day and the Atlanta Beltline, which continues to transform the neighborhoods it touches.  Architecture, culinary traditions, as well as the impact Atlanta has had on the music scene are covered.

Cyclorama: the Big Picture

This painting in the round depicts the Civil War’s Battle of Atlanta. As an attraction, this painting made its home in Atlanta’s Grant Park. Zoo Atlanta has since taken over the building that was built specifically to house this painting. The Cyclorama is now part of the Atlanta History Center’s collection. I visited the Cyclorama in Grant Park, where we sat in risers that rotated as a narrator told the story of the Battle of Atlanta. A spotlight drew our attention to various aspects of the painting.

This exhibit helped me understand that the Cyclorama’s Battle of Atlanta that I saw previously was an attraction that was meant to entertain. Now that the painting is on display at the Atlanta History Center, it is presented as an artifact.  The exhibit shows the full history of the painting from its inception to how it came to be restored and housed at the Atlanta History Center. 

Locomotion: Railroads and the Making of Atlanta

The locomotive, the Texas, is at the center of the exhibit, Locomotion: Railroads and the Making of Atlanta, at the Atlanta History Center.  The Texas was made famous for its participation in the Great Locomotive Chase in 1862.  When a union spy, James J. Andrews and his men stole the locomotive, the General, in Big Shanty (now known as Kennesaw). Commandeered by William A. Fuller and Anthony Murphy, the Texas gave chase in reverse.  While these engines normally operated at a speed of 15-mph, this chase reached top speeds of 50-mph!  The Texas caught the General near Ringold, Georgia. 

The General is on display at the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History in Kennesaw. Andrews’ Raiders, who were caught, were executed by the Confederacy near Oakland Cemetery.  They were awarded Medal of Honor by the US government posthumously.  This event had no impact on the outcome of the Civil War, however it is great story.  Its most famous telling was by Walt Disney in 1956 in its film, The Great Locomotive Chase. 

Atlanta ’96: Shaping an Olympic and Paralympic City

This exhibit tells the story of Atlanta and the 1996 Olympics.  It begins with winning the bid for the Olympic Games in 1990.  I did not come to Atlanta until years after the games were over, but I often think about how the infrastructure for the games shaped and changed the city.  How did the games improve neighborhoods? How did they hurt neighborhoods?  What was gained?  What was lost? As a high-schooler, my husband worked the games as a summer job.  He can tell you how to get pole vaults onto a bus – and that it was really the pole vaulters themselves who did the work.  They taught him how it was done. 

Atlanta employed local architecture and engineering firms rather than hiring “starchitects” to design Olympic venues.  This benefited the community because these individuals designed new spaces for their home. Most permanent Olympic structures continue to benefit the city.  Atlanta is now seen as a host for major sporting events such as the Super Bowl, the NCAA Final Four, the NBA All Stars game, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Turning Point: The American Civil War

The American Civil War was a sad, but necessary step in our nation’s history.  It is important to remember this war and the events associated with it. We must not sweep this portion of our history under the rug.  The Battle of Atlanta happened right here in the heart of the city.  I drive past the historical marker that states, “The Battle of Atlanta Began Here” every week returning from the grocery store. 

This exhibit walks you through a timeline of the Civil War and includes stories from soldiers and civilians.  The exhibit uses photographs, dioramas, videos and original artifacts to illustrate these stories.  As with most wars, the Civil War was a war of resources.  When the Confederate States withdrew from the Union, the majority of the manufacturing facilities, railroads, and population lived in the north.  The US military rose to the occasion and by 1865, they boasted the largest navy and the best equipped army in the world.  After the Union army captured the mighty Mississippi, it turned to the next transportation hub: Atlanta and its railroads. 

The Battle of Atlanta began on July 22, 1964.  It carried on until September 2, 1864, when Atlanta was captured by Union forces.  As he retreated, Confederate General John Bell Hood destroyed all southern resources.  The news of the destruction caused by the retreating Confederates spread across the United States and helped to secure the re-election of President Lincoln.  These events cemented the outcome of the Civil War and liberated roughly 4 million people from the bonds of slavery. 

Fair Play: The Bobby Jones Story

This exhibit is for all the golfers! Golfer, Bobby Jones, was born in the LP Grant Mansion in Atlanta’s Grant Park neighborhood.  He learned to play golf on the course now known as the Eastlake Golf Club.  This exhibit shares the story of the man who popularized golf during the Great Depression.  He became an American hero when he won the “Grand Slam” in 1930. This term term created by journalist, OB Keeler, to describe Jones’s accomplishment.  Jones took home trophies from the US Open, the US Amateur, the Open Championship and the Amateur Championship in a single year. 

The exhibit includes replicas of the trophies from these tournaments. You will see Jones’s green jacket from the Master’s. Plus the first set of matched irons that Jones helped Spaulding design is on display.  At the end of 1930, Jones announced his retirement.  He lived in Atlanta for the rest of his life. He practiced as an attorney at his father’s law firm, which is now known as Alston & Bird.  Jones is buried at Oakland Cemetery where he continues to be honored by fans who leave golf balls at his tombstone. 

Native Lands: Native Americans and Georgia

In Georgia, we do not have to go back that many generations to get back to a time when the land belonged to Native Americans – particularly in North Georgia.  Native American Mounds and sites related to Native American history that are available to visit across Georgia.

The Native Lands exhibit tells the story of the Mississippians who lived in Georgia from roughly 900 until the 1500s.  They lived in towns near rivers and creeks and built huge earthen mounds.  This civilization grew their own food and crafted beautiful goods for daily use and for trading.  In the 1500s, Europeans came to America and exposed the Mississippians to new diseases and warfare.  The Mississippian society collapsed. 

Survivors reorganized into the Cherokee Nation, who lived in independent villages where they grew crops and hunted game.   The Muscogee was a separate group that emerged.  This exhibit explores the history of both groups. 

Goizueta Children’s Experience

The Goizueta Children’s Experience is the newest permanent addition to the Atlanta History Center’s inside exhibits. This exhibit debuted in January 2025. The exhibit focuses on Atlanta’s landmarks and history. It is geared towards children who ranch in age from 1-8 years old.

Atlanta History Center: Outside Exhibits & Historic Houses

On a beautiful day, the outside exhibits at the Atlanta History Center are the place to be. These exhibits are especially entertaining – and educational – for young children. My kids had a blast exploring the grounds of the Atlanta History Center – especially the Tullie Smith Farm.

Tullie Smith Farm

The buildings that make up the Tullie Smith historic farm were moved to this site. The exhibit shows what a slaveholding farm would have looked like near Atlanta in the 1860s. Sometimes, the farm hosts special exhibitions where reenactors will be working on the farm or historic children’s toys are available in the yard of the farmhouse. I love the concept of the guest room that is only accessible from the front porch. This space was used to accommodate travelers. It provided privacy to guests passing through and safety to the residents of the house. Almost like today’s AirBnBs!

This was always my children’s favorite outdoor exhibit at the Atlanta History Center. They loved to explore the farmhouse itself, the barn with its sheep, goats, and chickens, other outbuildings, and the gardens.

Shutze: The Swan House

The Swan House is one of architect Philip Trammell Shutze’s masterpieces. The great Georgia Classicist designed this home for Edward and Emily Inman. Shutze was inspired by classical English and Italian country houses when he designed the Swan House. The home includes sweeping formal spaces for the Inman family as well as hidden spaces for the staff who served them. All of these spaces are open to tour today. You will be amazed by the plumbing that the Inman’s had in the house dating from 1928! And you will develop a good understanding of how the house ran and how various members of the household moved through it.

The Swan House is a must visit to all ages. Be sure to look for the swans! There is one in almost every room. Young adults will recognize it from film and television shows such as The Hunger Games series. Young children will enjoy seeing the children’s room and toys. The Atlanta Historical Society (now the Atlanta History Center) bought the Swan House and most of its belongings for its headquarters in 1966 following the death of Emily Inman.

Don’t miss the exhibit on architect Philip Trammell Shutze’s personal collections in the basement!

The Log Cabin

This log cabin likely dates from the early 1800s. It’s original location was a piece of property that the State of Georgia received from the Creek nation in 1821. The cabin was discovered in 1996 inside a Victorian house on Hollywood Road in Atlanta. The log cabin was excavated from the house and reassembled in North Carolina. Since 2014, this cabin has made the Atlanta History Center its home.

It is fun to explore this log cabin, which sits in a meadow. It is an excellent view into the rustic life of an American settler on the frontier.

Goizueta Gardens

The historic houses discussed above make their home in the Atlanta History Center’s Goizueta Gardens. This breathtaking collection of specialized gardens is a wonderful place to go for a stroll. They are a lot of fun to explore with children too! Just outside the main museum, you will find Olguita’s Garden. This is a formal ornamental garden. Venture beyond this point and through the Quarry Garden. Bridges provide views of the native plans in this valley landscape.

The Swan House itself is surrounded by formal Italian-style gardens. These formal gardens frame the view of the Swan House from Andrews Drive. Be sure to look up at the Swan House and see it how the architect intended. Don’t miss the rhododendrons and the Asian Garden, which includes azaleas, hydrangeas, and Japanese maples.

Beyond the Log Cabin, you will can explore the Swan Woods which include an experimental chestnut orchard.

Playhouses

If you are visiting with little ones, look for the two children’s playhouses set in the gardens. The first one is located near the main building. The Victorian playhouse is near the Swan House. Young visitors will enjoy exploring these tiny houses!

Visiting the Atlanta History Center

The Atlanta History Center is an excellent introduction to Atlanta and its history for visitors and it offers in depth history on Atlanta’s neighborhoods, residents, and culture that will fascinated those who call it home. I highly recommend it to everyone.

Getting There

The best way to get to the main campus of the Atlanta History Center is to drive. If you drive yourself, there is a free parking deck on site, to the right of the main entrance.

There is a second location of the Atlanta History Center: the Margaret Mitchell House, which is located in Midtown. This campus requires a separate admission and offers onsite parking. The Margaret Mitchell House is easily accessible from the Midtown MARTA Station.

How much time do I need?

To truly see all the exhibits, it would be easy to spend the entire day here. Use the best weather to explore the grounds outside. Grab lunch at one of the on-site restaurants or walk to a nearby restaurant in Buckhead. I recommend that you spend a minimum of two and a half hours at the Center, however you will not be able to explore everything. The Atlanta History Center offers an excellent planner to help you make sure that you hit everything that interests you!

Are you planning a visit to the Atlanta History Center or have you been recently? Let me know what you thought in the comments!

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