The Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta is an easy and exciting day trip from Cumming.  The museum has a lot to offer for all age groups and something for all interests.  The museum is an especially wonderful place to visit if you are from out-of state and from other countries, as it offers a detailed account of Georgia and its history. 

Upon entering the museum, you are greeted by Fernbank’s two largest guests, the Giganotosaurus and Argentinosaurus who have called the museum home since 2001, along with the other members of the permanent exhibit, Giants of the Mesozoic.  “The Fernbank Museum is the first museum in the world to collectively assemble the world’s largest dinosaurs” in this permanent exhibit.  Adults and children alike will be amazed at the powerful and enormous size of the creatures.

The museum also offers a wonderful take on Georgia’s history through the permanent exhibit of ‘A Walk Through Time in Georgia’.  For adults, the exhibit details the many landforms found in Georgia, educates visitors on the Piedmont Region, The Appalachian Mountains and the Ridge and Valley.  This exhibit also walks you through the Cumberland Plateau, The Ruling Dinosaurs who once occupied Georgia, the many birds and mammals of Georgia, The Coastal Plain, The Okefenokee Swamp, the Marshlands, and the Coast and Barrier Islands.

For children, the exhibit includes two discovery rooms called The Martha H. Ellis Discovery Rooms.  These rooms consists of The Coca-Cola Georgia Adventure room structured for children 6 to 9 years old and Fantasy Forest for children 3 to 5 years of age.

While the Georgia Adventure room is designed to take children to places resembling Oconee Camp, Georgia Adventure Terrarium, Jekyll Island Pier, Okefenokee Swamp, Turkey Mountain, Cohutta Cave and  the Atlanta Cityscape, the Fantasy Forest offers  play areas designed to take children to imaginary places like Shadow Cave, Groovy Grove, Farmer Giggler’s Garden, Shady Swamp and Hide and See Maze.

The museum offers many more permanent and temporary exhibits like The Star Gallery, Sensing Nature, Fossil Floors, The Naturalist Center, The World of Shells and the fantastic IMAX® Theater.

From now until January 2009, the IMAX® Theater is showing a fantastic film called Antarctica.  Antarctica is a must see for all ages as it details the importance of Antarctica to the entire worlds existence, weather and future with regards to Global Warming.  It provides viewers with a timeline of historical events of the continent, along with the many discovery that have shaped how scientist determine the effects of Global Warming on weather and the future of mother earth.

Fernbank Museum of Natural History details:

Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

Hours are extended from 5:30 to 10 p.m. every Friday for martinis & IMAX®.  The event includes live music, hourly IMAX® films, a dinner menu and full bar (except in December) 

Prices: Museum admission: Adults, $15; Students and Seniors, $14; Children 12 and under, $13 (children under 2 are admitted free).
IMAX® admission: Adults, $13; Students and Seniors, $12; Children 12 and under, $11.

Value pass: Adults, $23; Students and Seniors, $21; Children 12 and under,$19.

Address:  Clifton Road, Atlanta, Georgia  

Telephone: 404.929.6400

Directions: From North Atlanta, go south on I-75/I-85/GA 400 to downtown Atlanta. Take exit 248C Freedom Parkway (GA 10 East).  Go 1.7 miles to Ponce de Leon Avenue and turn right.  Go 1.7 miles to Clifton Road and turn left.  Go 1/10 mile to the Museum entrance and turn right.