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Atlanta Cyclorama & Civil War Museum facts for kids
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Cyclorama of the Battle of Atlanta
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Atlanta former Cyclorama building
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 Location in Atlanta
Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Location in the United States
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| Location | Atlanta, Georgia |
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| Built | 1885 |
| Architect | American Cyclorama Co.; John Francis Downing |
| Visitation | 54,489 (2014) |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000274 |
| Added to NRHP | December 9, 1971 |
The Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum was a special museum in Atlanta, Georgia. Its main attraction was the Atlanta Cyclorama. This is a huge, round painting that shows the Battle of Atlanta from the American Civil War.
As of August 2025, the Cyclorama painting is at the Atlanta History Center. The old building where it used to be is now called Savanna Hall. It is used by Zoo Atlanta.
A Giant Painting's Story
The Atlanta Cyclorama is a massive, circular painting. It was first made in 1885 to travel around and show people in the North. It highlighted Union (Northern) officers.
In 1891, a man named Paul Atkinson bought the painting. He moved it to Atlanta. He wanted to change the story it told. He had parts repainted to make the Battle of Atlanta look like a Confederate (Southern) victory. For example, he changed captured Confederate soldiers into defeated Union soldiers.
Visitors would enter the painting from below. They would sit in the middle of the huge circle. The center slowly turned, letting everyone see the entire battle scene. This painting was once the largest oil painting in the world. If unrolled, it would be about 49 feet tall and 358 feet long. It weighed 10,000 pounds!
For many years, people who had lived through the Civil War, or their families, would tell the story of the painting. Later, a recorded story was added. Famous actors like Victor Jory and Shepperd Strudwick lent their voices to describe the battle.
Civil War Museum Exhibits
The museum also had many other interesting things. It displayed pictures and items from the Civil War. One famous exhibit was the Texas locomotive. This steam train chased another captured train called The General. This event was known as the Great Locomotive Chase.
This exciting chase even inspired movies! It was shown in the 1927 film The General. Later, Disney made a movie about it in 1956 called The Great Locomotive Chase.
Before seeing the painting, visitors could watch a short film. This film was about the Atlanta Campaign, which was a series of battles. The famous actor James Earl Jones narrated this 14-minute film.
The Cyclorama painting itself has a cool feature. There's a three-dimensional scene, called a diorama, in front of the painting. It makes the battle look even more real. There's a fun story about actor Clark Gable and this diorama. When his movie Gone with the Wind premiered, he visited the Cyclorama. He supposedly joked that the painting would be even better if he were in it. So, the museum added his face to one of the sculptures of a dying soldier in the diorama!
Moving to a New Home
In 2014, officials in Atlanta decided to move the Cyclorama. They wanted to move it to the Atlanta History Center in Buckhead. This idea came up after another famous round painting, the Gettysburg Cyclorama, was restored.
Experts thought it would cost at least $8 million to restore the Atlanta painting. Many options were considered for its new home. The Atlanta History Center was chosen because a local couple offered $10 million to help with the project. In total, over $35 million was raised for the move and restoration.
The Cyclorama closed to the public on June 30, 2015, to get ready for its big move. The History Center started building a new 23,000-square-foot home for it. During construction, the painting was carefully restored. Parts that had been removed long ago were even put back!
After the new building was finished, the painting and diorama were moved. Restoration continued there, sometimes even while visitors watched. The old Cyclorama building in Grant Park was given to Zoo Atlanta. They now use it for offices and events.
The beautifully restored Cyclorama reopened in April 2019 at the Atlanta History Center.