A Capitol Museum staff member discusses art in the building with a tour group
Overview
The Georgia Capitol Museum seeks to preserve and interpret the history of the Capitol itself as well as the events that have taken place within its walls. To fulfill this purpose, the Museum maintains and exhibits significant artifacts, including historic flags, artwork and material culture related to the Capitol and Georgia history, within the State Capitol.
The museum is free and a great complement to a guided or self-guided tour. Scavenger hunts also provide a focused tour of the displays and create a wonderful opportunity to introduce our youngest visitors to Georgia and its history.
Exhibits showcase the building and interpret events that have shaped Georgia's history. Popular displays include models of both Miss Freedom and the Capitol Dome, Governors' artifacts and dioramas depicting Georgia's climate regions: mountains, piedmont, plain, swamp and coast. While the exhibits are located on the fourth floor, memorials and artwork can be found throughout the building and grounds.
Usage Note: Users may download images of collection objects from the Virtual Vault for personal or educational use. Please see links below. Students may include images in reports, for instance, and teachers may use the images in the classroom. The following credit line must be included with the image: Courtesy of the Georgia Capitol Museum.
Ordering: To order reproductions and apply for permission to publish, please contact the Georgia Capitol Museum. Refer to an image by the collection name and Object ID (e.g. Capitol Art Collection 2010.23.0001)
Contact: Georgia Capitol Museum, Karin Johnston Dalton at kjohnsto@uga.edu
History of the Georgia Capitol Museum
In 1889, the Georgia General Assembly revived the office of state geologist and directed it “to collect, analyze, and classify specimens of minerals, plants and soils.” The collections were to illustrate Georgia’s rich and diverse scientific and economic resources. In 1895, Governor William Yates Atkinson designated the corridors of the fourth floor of the Capitol as temporary quarters to house the museum.
In 1955, the General Assembly created the Georgia State Museum of Science and Industry, a new division in the Office of Secretary of State. Following the transfer from the Department of Mines and Mining, the state museum’s collections increased and broadened in scope.
Funding for the Capitol’s restoration provided for improvement in the museum’s exhibitions. In 1994, the Commission on the Preservation of the Georgia State Capitol was charged to provide advice and guidance for the care, conservation, and exhibition of the collection in the Georgia Capitol Museum, officially renamed in 1997. The updated design allowed the interpretation of the Atlanta Capitol—its history, construction, and uses—to be exhibited with a fresh approach. In addition, the Hall of Valor was created on the first floor, displaying historic flags in a professionally controlled environment. More recently, two interactive displays on Civil and Human Rights and Agriculture have been included on the fourth floor.
In 2011, with the passage of S.B. 190, the General Assembly authorized transfer of the Georgia Capitol Museum from the Office of the Secretary of State and the Georgia Archives to the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, specifically the University of Georgia Libraries. In January 2013, the University Librarian transferred management of all GCM activities and staff to the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, a department of the University of Georgia Libraries.