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Atlanta History Center

130 West Paces Ferry Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30305 · Atlanta, GA

Why you should go…

Thirty-three acres in Buckhead hold one of the Southeast's largest history museums, and the showstopper is the Battle of Atlanta cyclorama, a restored 1886 painting, longer than a football field, that wraps 360 degrees around you. Beyond the galleries, wander the 1928 Swan House mansion (a Hunger Games filming location), the Smith Farm, an 1860s-era farmstead anchored by Atlanta's oldest surviving farmhouse, and the Texas, the locomotive of Great Locomotive Chase fame. Gardens and woodland trails stitch the campus together.

  • #history
  • #cyclorama
  • #swan house
  • #buckhead
  • #gardens

Good to know

General museums guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Check the special exhibition separately

    Touring shows usually carry their own ticket and their own opening hours, listed apart from general admission.

  • Look for the free window

    Many museums run community days, member evenings, or discounted late openings. It is worth a look before you pay full price.

  • Travel light through the door

    Large bags and backpacks often have to go to a coat check, and lines for it move slowly at opening.

  • Weekday mornings beat weekend afternoons

    School groups clear out by early afternoon midweek, while weekends stay busy from late morning on.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Atlanta History Center, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Theatre & Events
    Family favorite

    Center for Puppetry Arts

    Under $25

    Where Jim Henson's Muppets live on, puppet shows, a world-class puppetry museum, and build-your-own workshops in Midtown.

    3.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Theatre & Events

  • Museums
    Rainy-Day Pick

    High Museum of Art

    Under $25

    The Southeast's leading art museum, Richard Meier's gleaming white building is a masterpiece before you even step inside.

    3.6 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Date Night

    Atlanta Botanical Garden

    $25–$50

    Stroll a treetop canopy walk, meet the giant Earth Goddess and wander orchid houses in Midtown's 30-acre urban oasis.

    3.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    Piedmont Park

    Free

    Midtown's 200-acre lawn with the classic skyline-over-lake view, big festivals, a Saturday Green Market, and BeltLine access.

    4.0 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Museums
    History buff

    Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum

    Under $25

    Step into a replica Oval Office and see a Nobel Peace Prize at the 39th president's hilltop museum with skyline views.

    5.5 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Family Favorite

    Children's Museum of Atlanta

    Under $25

    An interactive children's museum in Centennial Olympic Park with hands on exhibits for ages 0 to 8.

    5.5 mi awayMore like this