Museum Facts | Southern Museum

Fun Facts

$5.6 million facility
Built new building around the Civil War-era locomotive, the General to avoid moving it
Museum is 12x the original size
50,000 sq. ft. Museum
3,500 sq. ft. traveling exhibit gallery
Items in all the collections number above 50,000
Value of the building and collections exceeds $12 million
Three permanent collections:
- The Great Locomotive Chase
- Railroads: Lifelines of the Civil War
- Glover Machine Works: Casting a New South
Smithsonian Institution & Other Distinctive Exhibits

On April 12, 1862, James J. Andrews and a band of Union spies stole the locomotive, the General, from under the watchful eyes of guards at nearby Camp McDonald while passengers and crew were eating breakfast at the Lacy Hotel, in what is now downtown Kennesaw.
Union participants in the raid were among the first to receive the newly created Medal of Honor from the US Congress; the Museum has one of these rare medals on display.
Andrews’ Raid became the subject of two popular movies: The General starring Buster Keaton and Walt Disney’s The Great Locomotive Chase starring Fess Parker.
On April 14, 1962 the General retraced its historic run from Kennesaw (Big Shanty) to Chattanooga, TN.
On April 12, 1972 the General was officially enshrined in her permanent home in Kennesaw – just 100 yards from the spot where she was originally stolen.
The locomotive is housed in a former cotton gin that has now been renovated to make a fitting home for this famous Civil War exhibit.

Depicts the vital role railroads played in the Civil War.
Encompasses the extensive James A. Liesendahl Collection that features weaponry, personal items, musical instruments and other items that were used by soldiers during the Civil War.
The George Wray and Family Collection features rare Confederate uniforms and weapons, including a Whitworth sharpshooter’s rifle, a uniform from the Georgia Military Institute, and a one-of-a-kind Type I Richmond Depot pattern jacket.

Described by the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC as “the single most important collection of its kind.”
Features the only full-scale, belt-driven locomotive assembly line in the country.
Includes two original Glover steam locomotives, machines and patterns used in building locomotives, a film and a vast array of the Glover’s personal and business records and documentation.

The Jolley Education Center offers children and adults 8,000 sq. ft. of room to explore and play.
Send out an SOS. You can tap out messages in Morse Code at the two telegraph stations.
Ever wish you could drive a train? You can in the Jolley Education Center. Check out the diesel simulator!
Find out about the different jobs people held on the railroad.
Our 19th century village replica lets you “shop” for dry goods and try on old fashioned clothes.
The Merci Boxcar could carry 40 men or 8 horses during World Wars 1 & II.
Younger children can assemble a “pillow” train in the Pre-K Room.

After a rigorous application process, the Museum became a member of the prestigious Smithsonian Affiliations program in October of 2001.
The Museum hosts exhibits from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), offers lectures by Smithsonian historians, and features Smithsonian artifacts within its permanent collections.
The Museum plans to host traveling exhibits from other sources, as well.