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ATLANTA · GA

12 best museums in Atlanta

Civil rights, Southern history, and an unusually strong puppetry museum anchor Atlanta's collection. The High Museum holds the city's main art institution.

Updated Apr 2026 · 9 min read · 12 museums ·11 bookable ·1 free
Atlanta · 12 results

Atlanta’s museum scene is concentrated in three areas. Downtown, the Pemberton Place complex puts the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, World of Coca-Cola, and the Children’s Museum next to the Georgia Aquarium on a single plaza. Midtown holds the High Museum, the Center for Puppetry Arts, and the Museum of Design Atlanta. Buckhead and the eastern neighborhoods hold the Atlanta History Center, Fernbank, and the Carter Library.

The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is the museum most distinctive to Atlanta — its lunch-counter sit-in simulator is genuinely demanding and unmatched as a physical-empathy exhibit. The Center for Puppetry Arts holds the world’s largest Jim Henson collection, donated by Henson personally.

The full directory of every Atlanta-area museum (35+) is at the bottom of this page.

The ranking

  1. High Museum of Art

    High Museum of Art

    Art · Midtown, in the Woodruff Arts Center

    Richard Meier's white modernist building. Strong American and African collections.

    4.7 / 5
    6,222 Google reviews
    $19
    general admission
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  2. World of Coca-Cola

    World of Coca-Cola

    Specialized · Pemberton Place, downtown

    The Coca-Cola Company's official brand museum. Tasting room with 100+ flavors.

    Family favorite
    4.4 / 5
    37,118 Google reviews
    $19
    general admission
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  3. Fernbank Museum

    Fernbank Museum

    Natural History · Druid Hills, near Emory University

    Argentinosaurus and Giganotosaurus mounts in the Atrium. Plus 75 acres of forest.

    Family favorite
    4.5 / 5
    9,101 Google reviews
    $27
    general admission
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  4. PHOTO

    APEX Museum

    History · Sweet Auburn, near the MLK National Historic Site

    African American Panoramic Experience. On Auburn Avenue, the historic Sweet Auburn district.

    4.7 / 5
    633 Google reviews
    $8
    general admission
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  5. Museum of Design Atlanta

    Museum of Design Atlanta

    Specialized · Midtown, opposite the High Museum

    The only US museum dedicated entirely to design. Across the street from the High.

    4.4 / 5
    522 Google reviews
    $13
    general admission
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  6. Children's Museum of Atlanta

    Children's Museum of Atlanta

    Children · Centennial Olympic Park, downtown

    Hands-on exhibits for children under 8, on Centennial Olympic Park.

    Family favorite
    4.4 / 5
    3,297 Google reviews
    $17
    general admission
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