Atlanta History Center unveils major new Civil War exhibit

ATLANTA, Ga. - Just days after the nation celebrated its 250th anniversary, Atlanta History Center is unveiling a new exhibit dedicated to one of the country’s most tumultuous chapters.

"More Perfect Union: The American Civil War Era" opened to the public Friday, July 10th, replacing the Center’s previous Civil War exhibit, "Turning Point: The American Civil War," which ran for more than three decades. But more than just replacing the previous exhibit, curators say "More Perfect Union" expands the conversation surrounding the Civil War, broadening its scope to explore the social conditions that fueled the war and how the period continues to influence our lives today. 

Included throughout the exhibit are items from Atlanta History Center’s vast collection of Civil War artifacts, including an original copy of the Frederick Douglass speech "What to a Slave is the Fourth of July?" and the Confederate flag that flew over Atlanta at the time of the city’s surrender. "More Perfect Union: The American Civil War Era" takes over the renovated DuBose Gallery at the Center’s Buckhead campus, and will eventually be joined by a second phase, called "Hard Hand of War: Soldiers, Weapons, and Mass Production" and set to open in the winter.

"More Perfect Union: The American Civil War Era" is included in the price of admission to Atlanta History Center’s Buckhead campus, which is located at 130 West Paces Ferry Road Northwest. Tickets are $31 for adults ($35 on the weekends) and $27 for youth ages 4 to 12 ($31 on the weekend). Click here for more information.

This morning on Good Day Atlanta, we got an exclusive first look at the new exhibit — click the video player in this article to check it out.

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