The best museums in Atlanta

Auburn Avenue is a treasure. Here you can see the actual home where Dr. King was born, then head to the neighborhood’s Fire Station no. 6 to learn about how this historically Black neighborhood shaped Dr. King’s childhood. About a block away, you’ll find Dr. and Mrs. King’s crypt on the grounds of the Martin Luther King Center for Nonviolent Social Change. There are exhibits on his family members, as well as other notable figures from history, including social reformer Mahatma Gandhi. It’s an incredibly moving site, and an important cultural landmark for learning about Dr. King.

Address: 450 Auburn Avenue, NE Atlanta, GA 30312

Opening hours: Daily 9am-5pm

Price: Free

The High Museum of Art in Midtown is a sleek, all-white building whose architecture is as much a work of art as the exhibits inside. The collection itself ranges from French art of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to touring exhibitions that feature work from Picasso and other prominent art figures. The museum also hosts monthly events like Friday Jazz and High Frequency Fridays where adults can enjoy the art after hours with music and cocktails.

Address: 1280 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

Opening hours: Tue-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm

Price: $23.50, special exhibitions extra

You’re never too old to love dinosaurs, but there’s much more to Fernbank than the fossil-filled gallery (which features a 47-foot-long Giganotosaurus). There’s also a four-story 3D IMAX theater, 75 acres of walking trails, canopies and outdoor exhibits within the Wildwoods and Fernbank Forest, and of course, adult programming (like the Fernbank After Dark events, where science meets live music and cocktails).

Address: 767 Clifton Rd N E, Atlanta, GA 30307

Opening hours: Daily 10am-5pm

Price: Weekdays $25.95 Adults, $24.95 Seniors, $23.95 Kids 3-12; Weekends $27.95 Adults, $26.95 Seniors, $25.95 Kids

As Atlanta’s historic West End community faces gentrification, it has never been more important to remind new residents of the heritage and culture they are joining. Hammonds House, with its endearing single-family home exterior, takes an updated, action-based approach to fine African-American art through exhibits inside the house and field trips that challenge visitors to take their ideas out to the community. It’s a great place to see new works from African-descended artists from around the world, as well as an excuse to grab a drink while conversing about new books from Black authors, discussing modern pan-Africanism and diving even deeper into Atlanta’s historically Black neighborhood.

Address: 503 Peeples St SW, Atlanta, GA 30310

Opening hours: Thu-Sat 11am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm

Price: $15 Adult, $7 Seniors/Artists/Educators, $5 Students (w/ID), Free Kids

AHC has always been a place where Atlanta’s past and present meet, with events and exhibits that cover the city’s unique cultural contributions that range from barbecue, folk art and golf. There’s also the actual museum, where you can see a replica of the barbershop that helped build the fortune of Atlanta’s first Black millionaire Alonzo Herndon, as well as 32 acres of gardens and walking trails. You can even record your own submission to StoryCorps on NPR, which means you might make a bit of history for yourself while here.

Address: 130 W Paces Ferry Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30305

Opening hours: Tue-Sun 9am-4pm

Price: $27 Adult, $24 Kids

Georgia native Jimmy Carter is celebrated throughout 24,000 square feet of this museum. The grounds and modernist building are both impressive, and inside you’ll find interactive exhibits covering President Carter’s life before, during and after his time in the White House. His Nobel Peace Prize is on display, too, with exhibits dedicated to his charitable work.

Address: 441 John Lewis Freedom Pkwy NE, Atlanta, GA 30307

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 9:30am-4:30pm

Price: $12 Adult, $10 Seniors/Military/Students, Free Kids

This gleaming museum chronicles the history of Coca-Cola, as well as the soda industry itself. Coca-Cola is king—and ubiquitous—in Atlanta, considering that was Coke’s birthplace in 1886 (it’s also where the brand’s global corporate headquarters is based). The World of Coca-Cola is totally overwhelming, in a fun, fizzy, hyper-commercialized sort of way; you’ll find replicas of soda fountains, a pop-culture museum, 4-D theater displays, and DIY beverage fountains that dispense flavors from around the world. Feeling thirsty? There are over 100 beverages available, including the classics and limited editions.

Address: 121 Baker St NW, Atlanta, GA 30313

Opening hours: Mon-Thu 10am-5pm, Fri-Sun 10am-6pm

Price: $23-$27.95 Adults, $21-$25.95 Seniors, $19-$23.95 Kids

The NCCHR presents the Civil Rights Movement and its Atlanta roots as a progressive and ongoing project. With three permanent exhibits representing the fight for equality both here in the U.S. and on a global scale, the institution has a clean, open-air layout and design. Neon signage is incorporated on segregation displays, bold colors capture the spirit of standing up for justice and interactive portions salute activism in the face of danger. All these factors contribute to providing brutal but necessary honesty about how much work remains.

Address: 100 Ivan Allen Jr Blvd NW, Atlanta, GA 30313

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm

Price: $26-$28 Adult, $20-$22 Kids, $21-$23 Seniors/Military/Students

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Shaped like two-thirds of a football and conveniently located downtown between Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Centennial Olympic Park, the CFHOF is where proud fans of undergraduate Gridiron games flock. Beginning at The Quad, you can register and watch your favorite team’s official helmet glow along a wall of more than 760 schools. Then test your talents on the 45-yard indoor playing field where you can kick field goals, practice throwing and run an obstacle course while learning more about any inductee you pick through augmented reality.

Address: 250 Marietta St NW, Atlanta, GA 30313

Opening hours: Wed-Mon 10am-5pm

Price: $38 Adults, $27 Kids

Rapper T.I. opened this museum as a physical salute to Atlanta’s street hip-hop sounds and the release of his 10th album, Dime Trap, in September 2018. Since then, thousands of visitors have come by to see the museum’s walk-through exhibits dedicated to pioneers of the now-world-famous “trap” genre, including an all-pink area setup (there’s a matching old-school Chevrolet in there) for 2 Chainz, a kitchen with scattered drug paraphernalia for Gucci Mane, a jail cell replica outlined with paintings of rappers who’ve served time and even an “Escape The Trap” challenge where you have to navigate your way out of a “trap house.”

Address: 630 Travis St NW, Atlanta, GA 30318

Opening hours: Wed-Fri 4-9pm, Sat noon-8pm, Sun noon-6pm; Escape room Mon-Fri 4-9pm, Sat noon-8pm, Sun 12:30-6pm

Price: $33.30, Escape room (includes museum) $45

Airplanes never get old—at least in a city that serves as Delta’s headquarters. Just down the street from the world’s busiest airport, you can visit hangars full of history. Get hands-on and test your skills on the flight simulator or see how the experience of flying Delta jets has changed (and continues to evolve) through exhibits that highlight the company’s service during events like Atlanta’s 1996 Olympics. You can also see 12 beautifully maintained and meticulously restored aircrafts, including a Waco 125 propeller plane (the only one in existence) and a gleaming silver Douglas DC-3.

Address: 1220 Woolman Pl, Hapeville, GA 30354

Opening hours: Daily 9am-3pm

Price: $20 Adult, $15 Kids

The world’s first Waffle House (WH) opened in Atlanta suburb Avondale Estates. Today, with more than 1,900 locations across America, the brick-and-mortar building still stands, and you can book a tour led by WH employees who will show you the original restaurant as well as memorabilia in the adjacent building. Browse through menus, or take a look at dishware, silverware and uniforms from the era. You can request private tours for ten people via its website. If you leave this spot craving your own plate of smothered, covered hashbrowns, there’s a WaHo right down the street. 

Address: 2719 E College Ave, Decatur, GA 30030

Opening hours: Wednesdays by appointment only

Price: Free

This museum comes with a stiff security check—it is on the premises of Atlanta’s Federal Reserve Bank, after all. Once you make it in, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the sneak peek of how federal banks operate. You’ll see employees counting large bills and futuristic robots rolling bankrolls of money up and down the hall. It’s all behind the thickest glass wall, but it’s probably the closest you'll get to seeing the action in progress. Before you leave, pick up a packet (or two) of shredded dollar bills, the museum’s parting gift is money that no longer made the cut.

Address: 1000 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

Opening hours: Tue-Thu by appointment only

Price: Free

If you make it to this exquisitely decorated home-turned-museum, you’re in the know; most Atlanta residents haven’t heard of this hometown gem. This classical Beaux-Arts mansion in the shadow of Mercedes Benz stadium is on the National Register of Historic Places. Alonzo Herndon, whose life is immortalized at the Atlanta History Center, was one of the first Black millionaires in the U.S. He built this Atlanta home in 1910 for his wife, and now that the house is owned by a foundation, anyone can come inside and ogle at it. The museum’s hours vary, so it’s best to call ahead and confirm they’re open when you want to visit. Museum employees say they’re staffed the most for tours on Friday and Saturday.

Address: 587 University Pl NW, Atlanta, GA 30314

Opening hours: Tue & Thu 10am-4pm

Price: $10 Adults, $7 Seniors/Military/Students

It wouldn’t be art if it didn’t have a POV, and this museum in Atlanta's West Midtown neighborhood is at its best, highlighting work that gives it to us straight. Experience every kind of medium, from sculpture to oil paintings and improvised live music, all with a clear theme from each artist. Atlanta Contemporary focuses on commissioning new work from artists that haven’t had a large-scale exhibit in the southeast. Even better, the museum offers free admission. Don’t miss their tiny downstairs exhibit across from the gift shop—whatever is on display during your visit will feel like a hidden bonus.

Address: 535 Means St NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30318

Opening hours: Thu-Fri 11am-8pm, Sat-Sun 11am-6pm

Price: Free