News

Southern Museum Welcomes the New Addition of the Education Center

08/25/08

KENNESAW, Ga. – The Southern Museum’s state-of-the-art Education Center will hold its grand opening to the public Saturday, September 27 from 1 PM to 5 PM with a free family fun day!

“We’ve spent months preparing our new Education Center for this grand opening,” Director of Curriculum and Educational Initiatives Jennifer Legates revealed. “The employees and volunteers of the Southern Museum are so proud of this accomplishment, and we invite the surrounding communities to come and share in the celebration with us!”

The new Education Center will bring history to life for its visitors by offering plenty of interactive and hands-on activities like a telegraph station, a locomotive cab simulator where children can get a chance to ‘drive’ a train and an authentic replica of downtown Kennesaw in the 1800s.

The free grand opening event will include fun crafts and activities for children, including short programs, story time, planned outdoor games every hour beginning at 1:30 PM and fun coloring, puzzle and activity sheets. Also taking place will be a signal corps demonstration on the Museum’s front lawn, a railroad flag-signaling program and living history and weapons firing demonstrations every hour.

The winners of the art contest, a special competition that will help commemorate the grand opening, will be announced, with the winning entries on display.

Additionally, the Kennesaw Museum Foundation will be selling raffle tickets for an opportunity to win a Yamaha bass fishing boat valued at over $60,000. Proceeds from the raffle go to benefit the Education Center.

“We’re incredibly grateful to Yamaha for their generous donation,” Jeff Drobney, Kennesaw Director of Recreation and Culture, stated. “The Education Center will greatly benefit from the proceeds of this raffle!”

For more information on the Education Center and its grand opening, contact the Southern Museum at 770-427-2117, ext 3174 or programs@southernmuseum.org.

A Smithsonian Institution affiliate, the Southern Museum features collections of rare Civil War weapons, uniforms, and other personal items; an exciting exhibit about The Great Locomotive Chase, including a short movie; and a full-scale replica of a locomotive factory that helped rebuild the South after the war.

The Southern Museum is located 20 miles north of Atlanta, off I-75 at exit 273. Admission is $7.50 for adults, $6.50 for seniors, $5.50 for children ages 4-12 and free for children 3 and under.