Atlanta's Fernbank Natural History Museum is a great place to learn about science with your kids. Home of the largest dinosaur replicas in the world, Fernbank has hands-on learning, special exhibits, children's programs, IMAX movies, and a new NatureQuest children's center opening in mid-March 2011. Fernbank is an affordable birthday party venue, and the family membership is the best museum membership deal in Atlanta.
Address
767 Clifton Road, N.E. Atlanta, GA 30307
Phone
404.929.6300
Location, Directions and Parking
Fernbank is located at the corner of Clifton Road and Ponce de Leon Avenue, near Emory University, the Carter Center, and the Fernbank Science Center.
The museum's website lists detailed directions. Parking is free.
Hours
Monday - Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: Noon - 5:00 p.m.
Admission
Adults: $15; Students and Seniors (62+): $14; Children 3-12: $13; Children under 2: free
Admission is also included with the purchase of an Atlanta CityPASS.
Admission with IMAX
Adults: $23; Students and Seniors (62+): $21; Children 3-12: $19; Children under 2: free
Membership
For $85, get a tax-deductible family membership that includes free museum admission, $8 IMAX tickets, a 10% discount in the museum gift store and cafe, and free admission to the Fernbank Science Center. Your membership also gets you reciprocal admission benefits to 300 science museums around the country.
Fernbank's museum membership is particularly flexible - it includes two adults and four children, but you only need to name one adult, so the other adult can be a spouse, friend, or grandparent. If you have fewer than four children, you can use your membership to get free tickets for a friend's children as well.
About Fernbank Natural History Museum
- Permanent Exhibitions
Fernbank is rightly known for its dinosaurs: the first thing you see when you enter the atrium is a three-story battle between a Giganotosaurus and an Argentinosaurus. For hands-on fun, the "Sensing Nature" exhibit allows children to experiment with how their senses help them perceive the world. "A Walk Through Time in Georgia" has sixteen galleries of realistic dioramas that simultaneously demonstrate the earth's development and Georgia's unique geographic regions.
Look up to see the Star Gallery on the lower level: a recreation of the nighttime sky, with 542 stars twinkling in many constellations. Look down: Fernbank's tile floors are made of limestone with fossils from 150 million years ago.
- Special Exhibitions
Fernbank has special exhibitions several times each year with topics such as natural disasters, polar bears and penguins, and geckos. These exhibits tend to be very child-friendly, with interactive kiosks, play areas, and games.
- Children's Programs
Throughout the year, Fernbank hosts family and children's programs to coincide with the opening of new exhibitions, holidays, or IMAX movies. The events are usually included in the museum price.
- IMAX Movies
Watch IMAX films on a screen five feet high! There are always several to choose from and at least one that will appeal to children. Tickets are not included in general admission prices.
- NatureQuest Children's Center
Fernbank's old children's centers have been replaced by NatureQuest - a new exhibit opening in March 2011. Kids can explore natural habitats in the midst of trees and a virtual river.