Museums & Galleries in Marietta

The curators of the Marietta Museum of History honor the heritage of Marietta and Cobb Counties with educational events, rotating exhibits, and four specialized galleries that focus on different facets of Marietta tradition: home life, general history, the military, and the Civil War Union Raiders. Since 2000, museum staffers have hosted more than 90,000 visitors, guiding groups past Native American artifacts and antiquated industrial machinery in the General History gallery and navigating a 15.5-acre aviation park filled with civilian and military aircraft manufactured in Marietta. Guns, shells, and uniforms line the cases in the Military gallery, which elucidates the stories of the Civil War, World Wars I and II, and Vietnam, among others. The museum’s special exhibits rotate several times a year, with themes such as Y’All Come Eat: Exploration of Southern Food Ways, which features the nation’s largest display of antebellum macaroni costumes. Visitors can drop by Monday–Saturday, or pick up a membership to receive a newsletter and special invitations.

In 1848, railway workers embarked on a project to open up trade between the Midwest and East Coast by digging a 1,477-foot tunnel through the base of the Chetoogeta Mountain. Around them, the town of Tunnel Hill sprouted up, as well as Clisby Austin's antebellum-style home, which would go on to serve as a hospital and the headquarters of William Sherman during the Civil War. Train cars eventually outgrew the tunnel, leading to the construction of a larger, parallel tunnel and the retirement of the Western & Atlantic Railroad Tunnel in 1928.

Today, visitors can take a step back in time by walking though the restored tunnel's stone arches or gleaning factual tidbits at the Heritage Center Museum. Civil War reenactments bring the grassy fields to life, as the Federals and Confederates engage in battle and hoop-skirted civilians struggle to stitch up the field's time-space wormhole.

Blue Mark Studios thrives inside the refurbished halls of century-old St. James Church by regularly hosting exhibitions of newly discovered artists from around the U.S. In addition to traditional art exhibitions, Blue Mark's resident artists load the studio's calendar of events with countless openings, fashion shows, dance parties, and art lessons. They craft their works in private studios on the premises, ranging from ceramics to visual FX and 3D media. They often sell their pieces to people wishing to display art in their home or on their bumper.

Confined to plutonium-powered DeLoreans and unwieldy telephone booths, time travel is a dangerous and mischief-baiting activity. Instead, let history repeat itself as often as you can stand it with today’s Groupon: $42 gets two adults and up to four children or grandchildren (under 18) a yearlong family membership to the Fernbank Museum of Natural History (an $85 value). Individuals can purchase solo museum membership, including admission and member benefits for one person, for $30 (a $60 value).

The day's admission for two includes the self-guided audio tour, allowing you to explore the museum at your own pace. The Friend Membership guarantees admission for one or two adults for one year (including complimentary use of audio tours), Member Day Special Exhibition previews, a subscription to the museum e-newsletter, a 10% discount in the museum bookshop, two one-time guest passes, and free or discounted admission to museum workshops, lectures, and films. The Family Membership includes admission for two adults and their children, as well as all of the Friend Membership benefits plus family-oriented extras, such as advance notice of children's programs, four tickets to each Emory Chamber Choir performance, and discounted priority registration for Camp Carlos.

When the Center for Puppetry Arts opened its doors in 1978, Jim Henson and Kermit the Frog were on hand to cut the ribbon. Fittingly, one of its first major exhibitions, The Art of the Muppets in 1981, attracted more than 50,000 attendees. Since then, the center has matured into a multifaceted complex equal parts museum, performance center, and hub for working artists.