InUSA Tour Guide

Atlanta History Center

Atlanta History Museum. Exciting exhibitions tell the story of Atlanta's people from Indian settlements to the Olympic Games in this newest addition to the Atlanta History Center. The museum houses permanent exhibitions on Atlanta's history, the Civil War and Southern folk arts, as well as regularly changing exhibitions on topics relating to Georgia and the South. The building itself features native materials and is reminiscent of an early train station, evoking the city's beginnings as a transportation center.

Swan House. This elegant mansion is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and has become an Atlanta landmark. It was built in 1928 for the Inman family and designed by well-known Atlanta architect Philip Trammell Shutze. Edward H Inman, heir to a large cotton brokerage fortune amassed in the post-Civil War, New South era, was a wealthy Atlanta businessman with interests in real estate, transportation and banking. Original antiques and reproductions furnish Swan House, which shows the lifestyle of a wealthy Atlanta family in the 1930s.

Tullie Smith Farm. This typical Piedmont Georgia farm, now listed in the National Register of Historic Places, features a plantation-plain house furnished with antiques of the period and surrounded by authentic outbuildings - a kitchen, corncrib, dairy, log cabin and barn complete with sheep and chickens. Built around 1845 in DeKalb County for Robert Smith and moved to the Center in 1972, Tullie Smith Farm shows the kind of yeoman farm more common in the Atlanta area than the large plantations usually associated with the Deep South.

Gardens. 33 acres of beautiful gardens, woodlands and nature trails show the horticultural history of the Atlanta region. Gardens include the Quarry Garden, with native plants; the period gardens of Swan House and Tullie Smith Farm; Swan Woods Trail, labeled for nature study; the Garden for Peace; the Frank A Smith Rhododendron Garden, with dozens of species; and the Cherry-Sims Asian-American Garden, featuring plants grown in the southeastern US and their Asian counterparts. Paths lead through the woods and gardens to lovely natural features and memorable vistas.

Library/Archives. More than 3 million books, manuscripts, photographs, maps, prints and drawings offer an incomparable source of material about Atlanta and the South. The collections focus on the Civil War, civil rights, decorative arts, southern crafts, genealogy, horticulture, architecture and Gone With The Wind. A full-time reference staff is available to assist researchers.

For Children. There's a lot for younger visitors to enjoy at the Atlanta History Center. Touchable objects and interactive areas, as well as video and audio presentations, are part of most exhibitions. Tullie Smith Farm, with its craft demonstrations and farm animals, is a family favorite. Ask at the information desk for a free Treasure Hunt Game Card or Kids Guide to make your visit extra special.

Cafe and Gift Shop. Take a break in The Coca-Cola Cafe and bring home unique gifts from the Museum Shop.

HOURS: 10 AM to 5:30 PM Monday through Saturday, 12 to 5:30 Sunday.

ADMISSION: $7 adults, $5 seniors and students, $4 children 6-17, members and children under 6 free. Admission to Swan House and Tullie Smith Farm is $1 extra.

DIRECTIONS: Take I-75 north from Atlanta and exit east onto West Paces Ferry Rd.