Tellus announces expansion ahead of 15th birthday celebration

The Cartersville science museum will soon have two new exhibition spaces

It’s not guaranteed the 80-foot-long Brontosaurus will be wearing a party hat, but Tellus is celebrating its 15th birthday Saturday.

The 120,000-square-foot science museum will have inflatables, face painting and games at its party — and, of course, cupcakes and punch.

Thirteen-year-old Hunter Whited pans for gems with his group from Trion Middle School.

Credit: Phil Skinner

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Credit: Phil Skinner

If you’ve never been to Tellus, now is the perfect time to check it out.

The museum consists of four main galleries: the Weinman Mineral Gallery, the Fossil Gallery, Science in Motion and the Collins Family My Big Backyard.

There is also a 120-seat digital planetarium and an observatory with a 20 inch telescope — perfect for viewing upcoming celestial events.

Tellus is also giving itself a gift. The museum announced Tuesday it is expanding to create two new exhibit spaces.

A detached building at the front of the campus will soon house a 3,200-square-foot permanent exhibit on the evolution of technology, including things now considered “antiquated” because of smartphones. Calculators, cameras, record players and more artifacts will be displayed. There will also be smaller space for temporary and interactive experiences.

“We’ve been talking for years about the need to have these important spaces at Tellus,” executive director emeritus Jose Santamaria said in a press release. “It is exciting that they will soon become a reality.”

Construction has already begun, with completion expected in late 2025 to early 2026.

“One of our main goals with the expansion is to bring about change more frequently at Tellus, and to achieve that, we plan to have a larger space dedicated to changing exhibits,” executive director Adam Wade said. “We are celebrating the museum’s 15th anniversary this month, and we recognize that it’s time to bring in something fresh and different. We are kicking off our birthday celebration with a party to revel in an awesome 15 years of fun and family, but also announcing our future plans for growth.”


IF YOU GO

Where: Tellus Science Museum. 100 Tellus Drive, Cartersville, GA 30120

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13

Cost: Free for museum members. $19 for adults 18-64; $17 for seniors ages 65 and older; $15 for children 3-17 and students with ID; free for active military with ID (half price for their dependents with ID)

Phone: 770-606-5700