Atlanta History Center facts for kids
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| Established | 1926 |
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| Location | 130 West Paces Ferry Road |
| Type | History |
| Accreditation | American Alliance of Museums |
| Owner | Atlanta Historical Society |
| Nearest parking | On site (no charge) |
The Atlanta History Center is a cool place to learn about history! It's a history museum and a research spot in the Buckhead area of Atlanta, Georgia.
This center started in 1926. It has a big campus with old gardens and historic houses. You can see places like Swan House and Smith Farm. There's also the Wood Family Cabin. The Atlanta History Center also has the Margaret Mitchell House & Museum in Midtown. It holds one of the biggest collections of Civil War items in the United States.
Contents
The Story of the Atlanta History Center
How It All Began: 1926 to 1940s
The Atlanta History Center officially started in 1926. It was first called the Atlanta Historical Society. Walter McElreath helped create it. Its main goal was to save old stories and items about Atlanta. They also wanted to study Atlanta's past.
The group met in people's homes at first. They slowly started collecting historical items. In 1927, they began publishing a newsletter called the Atlanta Historical Bulletin.
Around 1929, they got rooms at the A. G. Rhodes estate. This gave them more space. In 1936, the group got more organized. They rented rooms in the Atlanta Biltmore Hotel. Later, they moved to the Erlanger Theater Building. In 1940, they bought land for a permanent home. But World War II stopped all building plans.
Finding a Permanent Home: 1946 to 1980s
After the war, the society bought the Willis B. Jones home in 1946. They called it McElreath Hall. This new space helped them store and show their growing collection of photos and artifacts.
In 1965, Walter McElreath passed away. His estate gave a lot of money to the society. This helped them publish their bulletin regularly. The city was growing, and the old home needed a lot of care. So, the society looked for a new place.
In 1966, they bought a large 23-acre estate. This included the beautiful Swan House. Many people became interested and volunteered to help. In 1967, the Tullie Smith House was moved to the property. It replaced an old barn. Between 1972 and 1975, a main building was built. It was also named McElreath Hall.
Growing Collections and New Name: 1986 to Today
In 1986, the center received a huge gift. It was the DuBose Collection of Civil War items. This made their collection much bigger. In 1989, a new museum was built just for this collection.
In 1990, the Atlanta Historical Society changed its name. It became the Atlanta History Center. The new $15 million museum opened in 1993. It had five exhibits, including one about Atlanta's history. An $11 million expansion happened in 1996. This added two more permanent exhibits.
Later, the research library grew. The gardens were also redesigned. A new exhibit about golfer Bobby Jones was added.
The Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama
In 2014, the city of Atlanta decided to move the famous Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama to the Atlanta History Center. The Cyclorama is a giant 360-degree painting. It shows a battle from the Civil War. Along with the painting, the old Western & Atlantic locomotive, the Texas, also moved.
The museum built a special new area to house the huge painting. After careful work to fix it up, the Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama opened to visitors on February 22, 2019. It's a really cool way to see history come alive!
See also
- List of historical societies in Georgia (U.S. state)
