The Western & Atlantic Railroad locomotive Texas, restored to its ca. 1886 appearance, anchors the Atlanta History Center’s railroads exhibit—Locomotion: Railroads and the Making of Atlanta. Founded as a railroad terminus, today Atlanta is the largest metropolitan area in the Southeast.
Choices
The Atlanta History Center’s railroads exhibit occupies a prominent, but relatively small, portion of its main building. Admission covers the cost of all of the History Center’s exhibits, as well as three historic houses and 33 acres of gardens on the site. Plan to spend at least 2 hours here.
When to go
The Atlanta History Center is open year-round but is closed Mondays as well as major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.
Good to know
The Texas is one of two remaining participants in a Civil War episode known as the Great Locomotive Chase. The History Center includes a brief retelling of this story but emphasizes the broader history of railroads in the city and their local and regional impact. The History Center’s archives contain a collection of railroad materials, including Southern Railway’s corporate records and photographs.
Worth doing
For over 100 years, the Texas has been displayed with the Battle of Atlanta, a large panoramic cyclorama painting completed in 1886. An epic retelling of the July 1864 Civil War battle on the scale of a modern IMAX theatre, the painting was moved to the History Center from Atlanta’s Grant Park neighborhood in 2017. Now restored, the painting and an accompanying film are available for viewing.
Don’t miss
The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw, Ga., houses the General, the other remaining participant in the Great Locomotive Chase. It’s located 22 miles north in Kennesaw, directly up Interstate 75
Getting there
Located in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood, between I-75 and Peachtree Road. About 45 minutes from the Atlanta airport by car. A bus stop is a short walk away. Amtrak’s Crescent also serves the city.
Location: 130 West Paces Ferry Road NW, Atlanta, GA
Phone: 404-814-4000
Website: atlantahistorycenter.com
E-mail: info@atlantahistorycenter.com
