Many sizable Atlanta attractions such as the Fernbank Museum of Natural History and the High Museum of Art have dedicated areas for young kids. For decades, the Atlanta History Center board had pondered the same, but other priorities kept intervening. Then, the Goizueta Foundation stepped in to help make it happen.
This month, the Goizueta Children’s Experience featuring nods to Atlanta’s historical roots opened in a 5,000-square-foot space targeting toddlers to 8 year olds.
Among the highlights is a mini Fox Theatre with multiple backdrops, a microphone for kids to sing or emcee, a ticket booth and a control panel with sound and lighting effects. There’s also a Varsity-themed area where kids can press buttons and try to guess what food-related smells emanate, be it bacon, French fries or the signature Varsity Orange.
There are multiple touch screen games, a classroom-style area to draw and build things, a dance floor, a time machine playground, and open areas for kids to just scurry about. Little ones can grab an Izzy mascot stuffed animal in the History Mystery area to learn about from the 1996 Olympics.
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com
“We’ve wanted to reach this younger cohort for a long time,” said Sheffield Hale, president and CEO of the Atlanta History Center since 2012. “We have some outdoor areas that kids love, but we finally had the right idea with the right donor at the right time for a permanent indoor space.”
Until now, the center has marketed itself to school systems for educational field trips for fourth graders and up, bringing in 40,000 students a year. Beginning next month, they can now fashion programs from kindergarten through third grade. And they hope to draw families with smaller children who might otherwise have opted to spend more of their entertainment dollars at Zoo Atlanta, the Georgia Aquarium and Fernbank.
“We want parents to be able to connect kids with iconic landmarks they see in real life,” said Pola Changnon, chief content officer for the Atlanta History Center. “They can say, ‘That’s where grandma lives,’ or ‘That’s where we saw a Braves game.’”
The Children’s Experience takes over a Goizueta-sponsored space previously focused on Southern culture that had been at the Atlanta History Center since it opened in 1993. In 2022, Hale said he “suggested a children’s experience as something we really needed, and it was an area the Goizueta Foundation was focused on. It became kismet.”
Founded by the late Robert C. Goizueta, who helmed the Coca-Cola Company for 16 years, the foundation is dedicated to helping children succeed through education.
Hale wouldn’t say how much the Goizueta Foundation provided to build the attraction, but regular funding going forward will allow the center to revamp and update the space every year with a different theme. The first year is focused on the “Our Great Big City.” In the future, they may tackle topics like sports or the arts.
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com
The center holds two daily educational programs. For instance, on a recent Thursday morning, they offered a Tiny Town project, allowing kids to color sheets with different components of a city like a car, a truck, or a school, which could be cut out and made into a 3D shape.
“We want parents to bring their kids here multiple times,” Changnon said.
For kids with sensory sensitivities, the center worked with nonprofit KultureCity to create sensory backpacks containing weighted blankets, sunshades, fidget toys and noise-canceling headphones. There is also a small tent with pillows where kids can hide out if they need a break.
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com
On opening day, parents and grandparents ― many of whom bought memberships to the Atlanta History Center specifically because of the new children’s feature ― were impressed by the set up.
“These are really engaging spaces” said Denise Mattey, 38, of Atlanta, watching her 3-year-old son Shivaay play with a tea set. “I can let him run around in a safe space. He’s really enjoying it. I wanted to put his shoes back on, but he thought that was a sign to leave so he wouldn’t let me put them on!”
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@
IF YOU GO
Atlanta History Center. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays. $27 adults; $24 children, free for children 3 and younger. 130 W. Paces Ferry Road NW, Atlanta. 404-814-4000, www.atlantahistorycenter.com
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