Atlanta History Center
Atlanta History Center
4.5
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Founded in 1926, the Atlanta History Center is an all-inclusive thirty-three-acre destination featuring the Atlanta History Museum, one of the Southeast's largest history museums; three historic houses, including the 1928 Swan House; the Kenan Research Center; the Grand Overlook event space; a museum shop and acres of historic gardens and trails. In addition, the History Center operates the Margaret Mitchell House. Located in Midtown Atlanta, the two-acre campus features tours of the house and apartment where Margaret Mitchell wrote her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Gone With the Wind, an exhibit highlighting the life and times of Margaret Mitchell, a Gone with the Wind movie exhibit, and a museum shop.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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Address
Neighborhood: Buckhead
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568 within 3 miles
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386 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- frosty2015Cleveland, Ohio52 contributionsWell curated exhibitsWell curated exhibits on American history and we appreciated the balanced views of the Civil War. Very friendly staff. We stopped a few times to look for something and staff noticed and reached out to help (perhaps because we are an older couple). We spent the day there and could have spent another day. The Swan House is lovely. Look out for the beautiful hawks, which we saw flying outside the research center. The only problem we had was with a kiosk that had four viewing stations. The information on the screen changed quickly but a staff helped us navigate the touch screen exhibit, but it didn't slow it down. Parking is free. There is a café (closes at 3 p.m.) and a coffee vendor onsite.Visited March 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten March 30, 2024
- Ed HLansdale, Pennsylvania9 contributionsGreat visit, learned a lot about Atlanta history!Really enjoyed the Civil War exhibits and the Stone Mountain movie. Learned a lot of new information at the center. Great exhibits about Hank Aaron, Bobby Jones, and the Olympic Games. Also toured the Swan House, like taking a walk back in time. Great day all around! Definitely recommendVisited April 2024Traveled soloWritten April 27, 2024
- KarenJim76Clarence Center, New York57 contributionsGem of a museumExtraordinary museum about Atlanta and its prominent citizens, including an exceptional exhibition on the Civil War. The museum appears small but is quite substantial with very high quality artifacts and excellent written explanations. The film and docent talk about the Cyclorama was very informative and helped to bring the painting to life. The exhibits on the Atlanta Olympics, Hank Aaron and Bobby Jones highlighted, in a personal way, their impact not just on Atlanta but the world at large. For those interested in the Civil War, this exhibit could easily consume 2 or more hours. The Swan House was worth a short visit but if time is limited, we would recommend staying in the main museum. Conveniently located in the main building, Souper Jenny Cafe provided excellent fresh soups, salads and sandwiches at a reasonable cost.Visited April 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten April 30, 2024
- KevinMountain View, California292 contributionsBig museum with lots of information, great for history buffsWe spent 5 hours here and we still didn't get to read everything here; this museum is big with so much information. There are so many exhibits about the history of Atlanta; the Olympics, the Civil War, trains, and many others. The Civil War Cyclorama is amazing to look at; there are 15 minute presentations at the top of every hour. We also saw an exhibit dedicated to Hank Aaron, and being that my Dad is a MLB follower, he definitely had to visit this part of the museum. Don't forget that there is more than just the main building as well. Out through the back door you can go through the gardens to visit the historic Swan House and Smith Family Farm. It's literally like walking into a mansion frozen in time. The farmhouse has farm animals like chickens, turkeys, and sheep out to see too. We had lunch at the Souper Jenny cafe inside the center, and apparently it's popular because there are cars that park in the front just to eat there. It has a pretty good deal for $18, you get a choice of sandwich, a bowl of soup, a drink, a cookie, and an apple. It was a little cold and rainy the day we visited, so getting to eat some hot soup was nice. There's a lot to see here, highly recommended if you're into history and learning about the city of Atlanta.Visited April 2024Traveled with familyWritten May 1, 2024
- The_Coach55Ruislip, United Kingdom1,384 contributionsExcellent Overview of Local HistoryThe Atlanta History Center is situated around ten miles to the north of the Downtown area of Atlanta. I took the red MARTA train line from Peachtree Center to Buckhead then bus 110 for six stops southbound. It’s around half a mile on foot from there. There’s a large collection of exhibits pertaining to the history of Atlanta and the surrounding area. The advent of the railway in the growth of Atlanta is well documented from its previous incarnations as Terminus and Marthasville. The Civil War is nicely portrayed with the Battle of Atlanta in 1864 via the big painting in the Cyclorama, which is shown every hour. Some of the less salubrious events in the city’s history such as the race riots in 1906 and the lynching of Leo Frank in 1915 are sobering reminders of the past. On the positive side, there are some great displays from the Olympic Games of 1996. Admission fee is $27 and the museum is closed on Mondays.Visited July 2024Traveled soloWritten August 16, 2024
- Tim C15 contributionsAtlanta Now and ThenExcellent representation of Atlanta ...Old and New. Restored homes exhibit was amazing and the Civil War artifacts and Cyclorama art and movie experience was just incredible. Highly recommend this stop if you are curiois about one of Americas hippest cities.Visited August 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten August 28, 2024
- ValleyblueSacramento, California390 contributionsVery interesting and beautiful groundsThere's lots to see and do here. You should definitely wander through the grounds and gardens, see the historical houses, and don't miss the Cyclorama. There are cool exhibits about the Atlanta olympics and a lot of history. While perhaps not a "must see," it's definitely worth a visit.Visited September 2024Traveled with familyWritten September 19, 2024
- RchiappisiPort Charlotte, Florida10 contributionsGreat dayWe came up for an unexpected trip to evacuate from a hurricane and my daughter wanted to do something historical. We loved it. I had two 18 year olds and an 8 year old and everyone enjoyed there day. It was $27 per person and we definitely got our moneys worth!Visited October 2024Traveled with familyWritten October 12, 2024
- CharlieV2011Chicago, Illinois2,317 contributionsGreat Museum Experience!This museum has a ton of interesting exhibits and information to learn from. Visitors can easily spend over 3 hours here. Once tickets were purchased, I did a stroll through the beautiful gardens, then visited the Swan House, which was beautiful (I wrote a separate review for the Swan House). Then, I went inside and had coffee at the nice coffee shop and then visited the exhibits inside. Inside are great exhibits on the history of Atlanta and the Civil War. Lastly, there is a gift shop that sells nice souvenirs. I was greatly impressed on this museum and really enjoyed my visit!Visited November 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten November 28, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,473 reviews
Excellent
1,000
Very good
373
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71
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17
Terrible
12
HappyFamilyofnj4
Bridgewater, NJ21 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
Amazing educational and just all around wonderful!!! And visit the cafe. Food line from non museum folk was out the door (but moved) because it was amazing food!! Big selection of soup and healthy food. The attractions at the museum included many inside and outside. We were there four hours. We had to leave at closing so wished we came earlier to see everything!!
Written April 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen C
Renton, WA1,087 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
We only had time to visit the Swan House and are very glad there was a tour given by a very knowledgeable guide. He knew details about family members and their lifestyles as well as interior-design details. I wish the statues in the garden were cleaned up and the hours extended so out of towners can have more time to visit the museum. The family has deep roots in the city, so, it should be more accessible to everyone to learn about their history.
Written May 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SherMin
North Carolina27 contributions
Sep 2022
This museum is close to Buckhead and is a gem of a place to visit. We went with our family of 4 (2 teenagers). The exhibits are exceptional on the history of Atlanta and the Civil War. The Swan House is beautiful, and unlike other historical homes, it has a remarkable amount of period furniture, appliances, and decorative items. On the first Saturday of the month, Bank of America account holders get in free, too! BONUS!
Written September 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Keith O
Sebring, FL53 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
Hugely disappointed by our visit to this museum. Not all that much about the history or Atlanta, and an over focus on racism and social justice. Our visit started with a 10 minute or so video on Stone Mountain, and how the carvings of Confederate leaders is still protected by GA law, then proceeded to a display area, which was interesting. The Georgia cyclorama from years ago was restored and is on view there, and starts with an overlay presentation about…you guessed it..social justice. The Snow House was actually very interesting, but it alone was enough to save from a one star review. This museum is located in a VERY wealthy area of Atlanta, of course. I will not bother going here or recommending. It’s just too overfocused on one issue, and not the history.
Written September 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sally Caldwell G
10 contributions
May 2022
I was very disappointed in the Cyclorama exhibit at the history center. There was no info on how to view given at the ticket counter, in a handout or on the museum walls. There should be directions given such as "you need to have time to walk around and view the cyclorama and punch a lot of buttons to get the information on what you are viewing." The movie which they tell you at the ticket booth is shown at the top of each hour is only about the story of the Cyclorama being developed and its history, not the story of the battle. In its past location there was a 360 degree view and you were given the story of the Battle of Atlanta as you viewed the 3-D painting. Our docent spoke very softly , had no laser to point at scenes as in the past and we didn't even know she was there giving info about the painting until we went up the escalator right before the movie was to start. Sooo, Give yourself time to go around the scenes and punch all the buttons as you stand viewing and walking around it and enjoy the 12 minute movie as a "how did it get here".
Written May 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
travelwriter52
Clinton, SC3,643 contributions
Aug 2023
I've been here before but it has been years. I came to see what they did with the Cyclorama after they moved it from Grant Park. Must admit they did an excellent job. I also visited the Payne Olympic exhibit and the exhibit on Atlanta history. I skipped some exhibits because I didn't have a lot of time and I chose not to go outside to the gardens and other buildings because of the heat.
Written August 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2bostons2ppl
Tampa, FL80 contributions
Aug 2022 • Couples
We visited the Atlanta History Center and it was nice. The main center had some nice exhibits. The Cyclorama was good. They play a 12 minute video that goes over the history of the Cyclorama and it's changes which was very good. My only complaint was that they did not have any museum maps and instead refer you to just look for signs or use the QR code to bring up a map. I tried a couple of different locations for the QR code and neither worked. I've used QR codes before so I know how they work. I had to just bring up the map on my cell phone from their website. The signs were not very specific as to where to go to get to the other buildings though so it would be nice if they could improve that. I liked that the parking was free. They have a cafe located in the museum that seemed very busy with locals that sold a couple of premade sandwich options and soups. I was hoping to grab a quick lunch there but the turkey sandwich came with jalapeno mayo which is how I found out the sandwiches are pre made as I asked for it without and was told they couldn't do it. I passed on the soup since it August in Hotlanta. We went on a Friday and it wasn't very busy. There were lots of places to sit and rest.
Written August 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rhonda R.
Dahlonega, GA62 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
This place is really amazing if you like history, viewing artifacts, and reading about stuff. I went with teenagers who were mildly impressed but my husband and I loved it. We stayed about 3 and 1/2 hours and it was not enough time to see everything. First we went to the cyclorama. I highly recommend going to the presentation which includes a short video and a curator talking about the history of the painting and diorama. She will point stuff out that you might not notice on your own. Then we saw the train and the exhibits in the main gallery. I could have spent longer in the main gallery area because I like to read all of the stuff. Then we went to the Swan house in the back. Definitely spend time talking to the actor portraying the architect of the house. He is highly knowledgeable about the property. We quickly walked through the Smith Farm house at back and there is no signage out there so I don’t really know the significance of those buildings. Finally we went back into the main building and briefly walked through some of the other galleries. The entrances are deceiving and these galleries are actually huge spaces with several rooms. You could spend more hours there exploring these rooms. But we were tired and hungry by then so we decided to leave. Also included in the ticket price is entrance to Margaret Mitchell’s home. She wrote Gone With the Wind. Her house is not in the same grounds. You have to walk there. If you can’t get there the same day, your ticket is good for nine days after your purchase. We didn’t go so I can’t tell you about that.
Written January 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
40states30countries
Los Angeles, CA69 contributions
May 2022
I spent 6 hours here, including an hour in the cyclotron exhibit which included a live introduction followed by a video. The DuBose exhibit on the civil war is filled with artifacts collected by the DuBose family. Be sure to get the audio guide from the front desk. There is a very good short film about each year of the war.The Swan House is also on the grounds. This is an American palace built by the Inman family.
Written May 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bradley B
10 contributions
Jan 2020
I am an Atlanta native, as were both my parents. It's a town that's always been a huckster's paradise, so it's always raced after the fastest buck (dollar), often to the detriment of the things that made it unique.
The Cyclorama was always an exception to me: absolutely authentic, a rarity, and always on my itinerary for people visiting from out of town, especially of from an entirely different region and/or culture.
When I heard it was to be relocated to the Atlanta History Center, my heart sank, because I was afraid of "what might happen to it" during the move. I couldn't imagine a more successful fate for this masterpiece (or maybe just call it "object of wonder").
Everything that made the old venue and experience worthwhile has been preserved and increased many-fold: actual preservation actions, how you view the piece, the surrounding support materials and exhibits, the "movie" that accompanies the cyclorama, everything.
This is a MUST-SEE in Atlanta, worth your time in so many ways. Have a bit at Super Jenny's while you're there, but budget between 2-3 hours for the entire complex, especially if you plan to go see Tullie Smith House and The Swan House.
The Cyclorama was always an exception to me: absolutely authentic, a rarity, and always on my itinerary for people visiting from out of town, especially of from an entirely different region and/or culture.
When I heard it was to be relocated to the Atlanta History Center, my heart sank, because I was afraid of "what might happen to it" during the move. I couldn't imagine a more successful fate for this masterpiece (or maybe just call it "object of wonder").
Everything that made the old venue and experience worthwhile has been preserved and increased many-fold: actual preservation actions, how you view the piece, the surrounding support materials and exhibits, the "movie" that accompanies the cyclorama, everything.
This is a MUST-SEE in Atlanta, worth your time in so many ways. Have a bit at Super Jenny's while you're there, but budget between 2-3 hours for the entire complex, especially if you plan to go see Tullie Smith House and The Swan House.
Written February 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Does general admission include entrance to the smith house / farm and the swan house?
how many hours would you dedicate to visiting the whole complex?
Written August 14, 2019
Atlanta History Center
Atlanta, Georgia
Greetings from the Atlanta History Center! The Margaret Mitchell House in Midtown require a separate admissions ticket (adults: $18.50; youth: $14.50; kids 0-3: free). You can purchase online or at the location.
Written September 6, 2024
Do you have to buy tickets in advance or can I purchase them when we get there?
Written June 18, 2019
You can purchase when you get there. We bought in advance, because we were not sure of how busy it would be, and it saved us from standing in line.
Written June 18, 2019
If you be a combined ticket, is it possible to visit the Atlanta History Center and Margaret Mitchell House on consecutive days or does it have to be on the same day?
Written April 21, 2019
I believe we were given a 5 day period to visit both. We did not go to Margaret Mitchell's house but from what I understand it is actually just an apartment within a house and you only visit the apartment as the rest of the house is residential properties. For us it was not worth it.
Written April 22, 2019
Is it free to visit Swan House directly without getting admission from Atlanta History Center?
Written March 13, 2019
Is there plenty of parking close to the museum and a place to drop people off at? Also, are there plenty of places to sit inside the museum? My mother has Authritis and has trouble walking long distances.
Written March 10, 2019
Plenty of parking (they have a garage and you can drop off a person at the door or close by).
Written April 27, 2019
Do you have to do a tour to see the outside of the swan house?
Written September 22, 2018
You do not. However, the inside and the history is very interesting, and the people there to answer question take on the role of the architect, and others, and it was one of the more enjoyable house tours we have ever experienced. You are free to wander and can engage them as much or as little as you like. But I recommend asking the architect a question, as he has tons of knowledge and insight to share. In either case, enjoy!
Written September 22, 2018

A Tripadvisor member
Southside, Alabama
There is an All-inclusive tickets that includes the Atlanta History Museum, Smith Family Farm, Swan House, and the Margaret Mitchell House.
Adults: $21.50 Seniors (65+): $18.00 Students (13+): $18.00 Youth (4-12): $9.00 Child (0-3): Free
Written March 31, 2018
There a some ramps but there are elevators in the building. Sorry for the delay in response. The building is old but they are current with codes.
Written April 22, 2017
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