The Peachtree Corners, Georgia, area has a wealth of fabulous museums to visit with your whole family. Whether you’re interested in railroad history, fine arts, or social change, enjoy exploring these five museums in our area.
Southeastern Railway Museum
Kids of all ages will get a kick out of exploring the various railroad cars on exhibit at the Southeastern Railway Museum. You can climb on and see inside locomotives, cabooses, freight cars, passenger cars, and baggage cars to get a sense of what railroad life is like.
To get the most out of your visit to the Southeastern Railway Museum, take a guided tour where you get to ride aboard a historic train car. Not only will you learn details about the railroad industry and how trains affected the development of the Atlanta, Georgia, area, but you’ll have a pleasant train ride with splendid views.
Location: 3595 Buford Highway in Duluth.
Contact: 770-476-2013.
Fees: Adults: $18, seniors (65 and up): $15, children (2 through 12): $12.
Days and times: Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Hudgens Center for Art & Learning
The Hudgens Center for Art & Learning has exposed the local community to fine arts, arts enrichment classes, and community outreach programs for over 35 years. You can see rotating art exhibits from local artists and guest curators. As you wander through the Hudgens Center for Art & Learning, you’ll pass through the Fowler Gallery, Kistner Atrium, Georgia Gallery, and the Kids Zone.
Step outside, and you’ll be mesmerized by the beauty of the Weeks Sculpture Garden filled with a rotating selection of sculptures in peaceful garden settings. Kids and adults can take classes, including pottery, acrylic painting, and calligraphy. Check the center’s website often to sign up for special events like Family Day, Art and Therapy, and Patio Paint and Sip.
After a day spent at the Hudgens Center for Art & Learning, enjoy dining at any of these ethnic restaurants near Duluth.
Location: 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Building 300 in Duluth.
Contact: 770-623-6002.
Fees: Free.
Days and times: Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Barrington Hall
Step back in time when you visit the grand Barrington Hall in Roswell. This majestic home, built in 1830, is one of three historic homes you can visit from the original colony of Roswell. As you tour this magnificent home, you can see what life was like for the wealthy who lived here. As you enter Barrington Hall, you’ll see lavish furnishings, artifacts, and stunning woodwork created by talented craft workers of the time.
You can take a self-guided or guided tour of the grounds to walk through the beautiful gardens with boxwoods, flowers, and shrubs that gardeners of the 1800s enjoyed planting. If you have time, you can finish your historical homes tour by stopping at Bulloch Hall on Bulloch Ave. and Smith Plantation on Alpharetta St. Each of these homes has unique features, and prices and times are the same for each of the historic homes.
Location: 535 Barrington Drive in Roswell.
Contact: 770-640-3855.
Fees: Adults 13 and up: $8, children 6 to 12: $6, children 5 and under: free.
Days and times for self-guided tours: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. through 4 p.m., and Sunday, 1 p.m. through 4 p.m.
Days and times for guided tours: Tuesday through Saturday, 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and Sunday, 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, known as the King Center, is a living memorial expressing the values and goals of the late Martin Luther King, Jr. At the King Center, visitors can stop at Freedom Hall to see exhibits, photographs, and documents of Dr. King, including several of his famous and most profound speeches. You can also see special events at Freedom Hall and works of art from around the world. Educational workshops include Nonviolence365 training using Dr. King’s philosophy and methodology to create positive social change through education and nonviolence.
Outside the center, you can pay your respects to Dr. King and Mrs. Coretta Scott King at their crypt made from Georgia marble. As you wrap up your visit to the King Center, stop by the Eternal Flame exhibit that honors Dr. King’s vision for world peace, justice, and equity for all humans. After your tour, stop by the bookstore to pick up empowering books such as “It Starts With Me,” “I Have a Dream,” or “A Testament of Hope.”
Location: 449 Auburn Ave. NE in Atlanta.
Contact: 402-526-8900.
Fees: Free.
Days and times: Sunday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
High Museum of Art
The High Museum of Art is one of the premier art museums in the Southeast, housing over 18,000 works of art from around the world. You’ll find an extensive collection of 19th and 20th-century American fine and decorative arts along with works from artists from the American south.
This museum is proud of its growing collection of African art, holdings of European paintings, and a vast collection of modern and contemporary art. The High Museum of Art holds special events throughout the year, including Toddler Thursdays and Toddler Saturdays where youngsters use their imaginations to create themed art projects.
Location: 1280 Peachtree St. NE in Atlanta.
Contact: 404-733-4400.
Fees: General admission: $16.50, children under 6: free, members (with a 12-month $48 membership fee): free.
Days and times: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. through 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon through 5 p.m.
Each of these museums in the Peachtree Corners, Georgia, area offers visitors a unique perspective on arts, history, and education. Which museum does your family enjoy visiting the most? Is there a special museum that we missed here? If you have a recommendation, let our team at Crème de la Crème of Peachtree Corners (Norcross) know. We always enjoy learning about interesting museums in our area.