Atlanta History Center050

Take the kids for a bit of time traveling at the Atlanta History Center, where you can explore award-winning exhibitions in the Atlanta History Museum, a two-story facility with 30,000 square feet of exhibition space, a 118-seat theater, a museum shop, the Coca-Cola Cafe, and classrooms.

The museum's four permanent signature exhibits offer insights into Atlanta's boom from a rough-and-tumble railroad town into an international city; 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 US history, including viewpoints from both the Confederate and Union armies.

The Centennial Olympic Games Museum (on site) boasts one of the most extensive collections of Olympic sport memorabilia and history in the country. Multimedia presentations, artifacts, images, and interactive displays tell the story of the most elite athletic competition in the world. The full story of the Atlanta Olympic Games also is explored and interpreted - including how the city won the Games, how the Games changed Atlanta, a day-by-day chronology, heroes and special moments, event-specific results and records, the global context of the Games, and their legacy. Through the use of thirteen interactive computer kiosks and an "Olympic Mania" trivia game, each visitor can create a personal experience while tracking his or her score based on a series of questions on Olympic sport and history. Personal scores are revealed on a scoreboard at the end of the exhibition as the participant stands on a victory platform from the Olympic Games.

General admission includes the Museum proper, and also entry to the gardens and tours of the two Historic Homes.

The Swan House, a mansion on the National Register of Historic Homes, is available for tours on a daily basis. Older children might find this interesting, as it offers information about life in the 1920s and 1930s, and a revolving exhibition of items from Atlanta architect Philip Trammell Shutze's collection.

The Tullie Smith Farm is really the best bet for kids. This circa 1840s house is set in farm complex where costumed interpreters lead tours of the house and perform everyday activities typical of nineteenth-century rural Georgia, including open-hearth cooking, animal care, blacksmithing, basket weaving, candle making, quilting, spinning, weaving, and other craft demonstrations. 30-minute tours are available, and reservations can be made at the Museum desk. Gardens surround all the buildings, offering a reflection of native Georgia foliage, and a great place for a little romp, if needed.

Birthday parties are available for children ages four to 12. Call 404.814.4032 for details. Summer history camps enable children to explore the past and the environment with exciting and enriching activities. Each week of summer has a different theme.

Memberships are available for individuals and for families. The Center is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.