Atlanta has museums to satisfy everyone from the aspiring numismatist to the puppet fancier to the seasoned airplane pilot. Here are six museums to experience in Atlanta, whether you’re a native, a transplant or just passing through:
Delta Flight Museum
The sky’s the limit with this Atlanta museum. Delta Air Lines, which has had its headquarters in Atlanta since 1941, has been a major contributor to the city’s reputation as an air transportation hub.
Housed in a hangar built in 1941 (that was once the largest hangar in Southeast), the recently renovated Delta Flight Museum brings to life the story of Delta’s growth from a small fleet of crop dusters in the Mississippi Delta region to a major international passenger airline. The museum is home to both interactive exhibits and vintage plane exhibits that explore the future of aviation.
The museum also houses the only Boeing 737 full-motion flight simulator in the U.S. open to the public, for an additional fee.
Wren’s Nest
It was a wren’s nest in the mailbox more than 120 years ago that gave this sprawling Queen Anne Victorian home its popular name.
The home once belonged to author Joel Candler Harris who was most noted for his Uncle Remus stories. The stories were based on the African-American folklore he heard growing up in Eatonton, Georgia. Lesser known was his work as a career newsman and assistant editor for the Atlanta Constitution.
Located in the Historic West End, the Wren’s Nest is Atlanta’s oldest house museum and, according to its website, one of the few remaining Queen Anne Victorian homes in Atlanta. The museum, which opened in 1913, host tours throughout the house that contain many of its original furnishings.
On Saturdays at 1 p.m., a rotating cadre of storytellers brings to life many of same stories that people have enjoyed for more than a century.
David J. Sencer CDC Museum
Named for former CDC director Dr. David J. Sencer, the museum has interactive exhibits dedicated to telling the story of the CDC while highlighting key missions of the organization center, including prevention, detection and public health.
Note: Government ID is required for entry. Vehicles will be searched.
Center for Puppetry Arts
In 1978, Kermit the Frog and Jim Henson were in Atlanta to cut the ceremonial ribbon for this nationally acclaimed museum. 38 years later, the museum is proving that “it’s more than marionettes” with an exhibit that showcases many of the iconic puppets Jim Henson’s collection.
In addition to the Jim Henson collection, the newly-renovated museum houses the Global Collection, which showcases puppets and puppetry traditions from around the world.
Robert C. Williams Paper Museum
Even in a digital era full of screens, the average American still consumes approximately 675 pounds of paper a year, according the the Robert C. Williams Paper Museum.
Located on Georgia Tech’s campus, the museum uses early paper-making artifacts including stamps, watermarks and hand tools to trace the history of paper from its early history and into the to present. In addition to the origin of paper, the museum hosts exhibits on environmental issues, paper making and a rotating gallery of featured exhibits.
Atlanta Monetary Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
You don’t have to be a numismatist – or coin collector – to enjoy this Atlanta museum.
The Atlanta Monetary Museum has interactive and multimedia exhibits that trace the history of money from bartering to currency.
Visitors to the museum can learn about the Fed’s role in payment services, regulation and monetary policy before taking a trip to the cash processing center and where money is counted, sorted and shredded daily.
