Fernbank Museum Of Natural History
History
In the late 1800s, a nature-lover named Emily Harrison grew up in an area east of Atlanta which she called "Fernbank". Along with others, Harrison created a charter for Fernbank in 1938 and purchased the 70 acres (280,000 m) of woodland on which Fernbank Museum now stands. In 1964, the Fernbank trustees and the DeKalb County School System created Fernbank Science Center, which led to a desire to share Fernbank's resources with the general public.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Fernbank_interior.jpg/220px-Fernbank_interior.jpg)
Following master planning and designs by the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based architectural firm, Graham Gund Architects, ground was broken in 1989, and on October 5, 1992, Fernbank Museum of Natural History opened to the public. The new building is carefully located behind a row of historic houses, and features a glass-enclosed atrium overlooking Fernbank Forest. Fernbank Museum now stands on 65 acres (260,000 m) of the largest old-growth urban Piedmont forest in the country.
Exhibits
Fernbank Museum offers a variety of exhibits exploring many different natural history topics. Exhibits include:
- Fernbank NatureQuest
- Dinosaur Plaza
- Giants of the Mesozoic
- A Walk Through Time in Georgia
- Reflections of Culture
- Conveyed in Clay: Stories from St. Catherines Island
- Our Favorite Things
- World of Shells
- Fantastic Forces
- Sky High
- Star Gallery
- STEAM Lab
The museum also has an area where special exhibitions are cycled through. These exhibits tend to stay open to the public for 2–4 months each.
Outdoor exhibits
In 2016, the museum opened WildWoods, an accessible 10-acre area located directly behind the museum with trails and interactive exhibits. In 2016 Fernbank also opened access to the newly restored, 65-acre Fernbank Forest.
Giant screen theatre
Fernbank is home to the Rankin M. Smith, Sr. Giant Screen Theater. Formerly an IMAX theater, upgrades were completed in February 2017 including a digital 4K 3D laser-illuminated projection system.
Special programming
Fernbank puts on special activities for adults and children including camps, lectures, workshops, interactive conversations, family activity days, and storytelling.
One of Fernbank's most popular events, Fernbank After Dark runs the second Friday of each month and features hands-on educational activities, drinks, food and live music.
FYI Volunteer Program
Fernbank Museum offers a year-round volunteer program for teens aged 13–17. FYI (Fernbank Youth Interpreter) Volunteers interact with museum guests while working on educational carts throughout the museum, exploring a wide range of natural history topics, including Archaeology, Paleontology, Anatomy, and more.