DEL.ICIO.USTellus: Georgia’s newest museum opens in January
Science museum in Cartersville continues trend of moving culture north of Atlanta
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Friday, October 03, 2008
Cartersville — Reporters got a sneak peak this week at Georgia’s newest museum — Tellus: Northwest Georgia Science Museum, scheduled to open in January. It replaces the Weinman Mineral Museum, although the Weinman’s collection will be included.
Tellus, like the Cobb Energy Centre for the Performing Arts at the Cumberland-Galleria area, continues the northward shift of culture from downtown Atlanta. Tellus will compete with the Fernbank Museum of Natural History. But Jose Santamaria, Tellus’ executive director, says there’s enough culture, and museum-goers, to go around.
Kenneth Solomonfish carries part of a mastadon skeleton he's helping to assemble at Tellus museum in Cartersville.
Bob Andres / bandres@ajc.com
“I see Fernbank and us being complementary,” he said. “Fernbank has terrific, traveling exhibits. We have terrific, permanent exhibits. I see people supporting both places.”
What: The 120,000 square foot museum will feature four main galleries.
• The Weinman Mineral Gallery: Meteorites, Georgia’s mining history, crystals, gems and gold from around the world.
• The Fossil Gallery: Huge replicas of T-rex, an Appalachisaurus and a giant shark jaw.
• Science In Motion: Gas and steam automobiles from the late 1800s on, including an 1899 Locomobile car, a 1948 helicopter, and replicas of the Wright brothers’ 1903 flyer and the Apollo 1 command module.
• My Big Backyard: A hands-on science gallery for kids with exhibits on light, sound, electricity and a “Walk-in Tree” that explains the weather.
In addition, Tellus offers a 120-seat digital planetarium and an observatory for star-gazing. A 200-seat theater and classrooms for students will also be included.
Opening: January 12, 2009
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 7 days a week.
Admission: $12 (adults), $10 (seniors), $8 (children), military and children under 3 (free).
Location: Just off Interstate 75 (exit 293), 47 miles north of downtown Atlanta in Cartersville.
Cost: $20 million. A $6 million capital campaign is ongoing. $14 million was raised privately. (The private foundation requests anonymity.)
What’s in a name? Tellus is named for the Roman goddess of the Earth, an appropriate name for an earth-sciences museum.
More information: 770-606-5700. www.tellusmuseum.org
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