Warm and Inviting Museums a Winter Hit

ATLANTA, December 22, 2008 - Georgia's museums are warm havens for visitors during the cooler months, and no matter what it is you are interested in – painting or sculpture, natural history or Georgia's past – there is a museum in the state for you. With some world-renowned exhibitions currently visiting the state, there has never been a better time to head to one. Here are some museums and exhibits worth checking out this winter. A wealth of art galleries and collections are spread across Georgia's cities. The Columbus Museum is currently featuring four traveling exhibits along with its permanent collection of drawings, paintings, sculpture and decorative arts. See everything from American paintings to Native American ceramics, delicate Civil War-era firearms to bronze sculptures. Or, complete with planetarium, telescope, Mini-Zoo, fossils, sculptures, and restored buildings, the Macon Museum of Arts and Sciences is a must-see in central Georgia. It is also the only venue in the Southeast chosen to host the acclaimed exhibit National Geographic Maps: Tools for Adventure. The popular Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville is known for its expansive exhibitions such as the special exhibition opening on December 20. The Black West: Buffalo Soldiers, Black Cowboys & Untold Stories showcases the work of 16 contemporary African American artists and tells the story of the pivotal role Blacks played in developing the West. Another unique and edifying art museum can be found in southern Georgia. The Albany Museum of Art has more than 2,400 original works, including one of the largest collections of Sub-Saharan African Art in the southeastern U.S. Displayed in eight galleries, the collection also includes American and European pieces. Atlanta's High Museum of Art is one of the premier art museums in the South, with permanent collections in excess of 11,000 works, and unprecedented visiting exhibitions such as the High's landmark partnership with the Louvre in Paris. Current special exhibits include The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army, displaying more than 100 discoveries at the largest exhibit of its kind ever to come to the U.S.; Louvre Atlanta: The Louvre and the Masterpiece, featuring 91 works from all eight of the Musée du Louvre's collection areas and spanning 4,000 years; Medieval & Renaissance Treasures From the Victoria & Albert, containing work from such masters as Leonardo da Vinci and Donatello; and the just-opened The Treasure of Ulysses Davis, showcasing highly refined sculptures from the self-taught Savannah barber. Georgia also boasts museums inspired by its famous people, such as Pulitzer Prize winner Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone With The Wind. Not only was this book one of the most popular books of all time, it also inspired a film adaptation which became the highest-grossing film ever. Go to the Margaret Mitchell House & Museum in Atlanta and visit the apartment where the author penned her classic work. Enjoy a 60 to 90 minute docent-led tour that documents her life before, during and after Gone With The Wind was written. Then, take a short drive northwest to Marietta's Gone With The Wind museum, Scarlett on the Square, where experts and casual fans alike can enjoy an extensive collection of memorabilia. Highlights include the original Bengaline honeymoon gown worn by Vivien Leigh in the movie, and promotional pieces such as foreign film posters and collectibles. In Augusta, one will find The Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson. The museum highlights Wilson's formative years spent in Georgia and how the state later affected him as he served as President of the United States. Georgia's rich heritage is documented by history museums all over the state. The Georgia Museum of Natural History in Athens has fourteen different collections: Archaeology, Arthropod, Botany Herbarium, Economic Geology, Herpetology, Ichthyology, Invertebrate, Mammalogy, Mycological Herbarium, Ornithology, Paleontology, Pollen and Plant Microspore, Rocks and Minerals and Zooarchaeology, together containing more than 4,500,000 specimens. Special exhibits like the Discovery Room call to people of all ages. The Rome Area History Museum walks visitors through a timeline of human inhabitation of Georgia, starting with the Native Americans and early settlers, and continuing through the Civil War and the development of the Rome we see today. Established in 1937, the Augusta Museum of History has been a draw for more than seven decades. Spanning all of Augusta's inhabited history, from a 10,000-year-old projectile point to a 1914 locomotive, the museum focuses on famous natives and the historic city. A wildly popular Augusta soul artist is the focus of a featured exhibit currently at the museum: The Godfather of Soul, Mr. James Brown. Enjoy interactive exhibits, see rare personal items, and uncover new tunes at this classic attraction. Located in Milledgeville, Georgia's Old Capital Museum focuses on the history of middle Georgia. From early prehistory to the Civil War and Reconstruction, the ground floor of the Old State Capital Building is alive with Georgia's past. The building itself is a rare example of Gothic architecture in Georgia during the early 19th century, and for more than 60 years it served as the capital of the state. Visit the Atlanta History Center, with exhibitions, historic houses, and 33 acres of gardens. Permanent and traveling exhibits are impressive, covering a variety of topics from Georgia's Native Americans, to the Civil War, to the Centennial Olympic Games. The latest temporary exhibition, Jim Henson's Fantastic World, takes you on a journey inside the mind of the master puppeteer and Muppets creator. The state is also home to an impressive collection of one-of-a-kind museums. In LaGrange is the Explorations in Antiquity Center, an interfaith museum dedicated to making history come alive with authentic replicas of real discoveries from the ancient world. Experience the lives of the ancients through authentic homes, tombs, meals and artifacts. The Tubman African American Museum in Macon has grown from a local attraction in 1981 to a major collection of African American art, artifacts and documents, becoming the largest of its kind in the Southeast. Or, go to the National Prisoner of War Museum at the Andersonville Prison Site. Built at the location of Camp Sumter, the largest Confederate military prison of the Civil War, this museum was erected as a memorial to all American prisoners of war from every generation and conflict. A diverse selection of museums in every corner of the state invites you to head inside on chilly winter days for an amazing and educational experience. Visit www.exploregeorgia.org to find the most up-to-date information on museums and exhibitions. The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, video and music projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development.