Georgia Entertainment Scene
Georgia Entertainment Scene

Fernbank, National Center for Civil and Human Rights, College Hall of Fame all closed next week and probably longer

<p>Many of Atlanta&#39;s young black men belonged to the Y and used it as a recreation center. Martin Luther King, Jr. was influenced as a youth by his membership here. (REANN HUBER/REANN.HUBER@AJC.COM)</p> <p>Much of the furniture and furnishings inside this cozy, yellow, two-story clapboard house with dark brown trim, purchased by King&rsquo;s grandfather in 1909 for $3,500, is original. PHIL SKINNER / PSKINNER@AJC.COM</p> <p>The King Center is at the hub of a 23-acre National Historic Site. Free attractions include the King birth home, the crypt of Dr. and Mrs. King, exhibits at Freedom Hall and reflecting pool. PHIL SKINNER / PSKINNER@AJC.COM</p> <p>Fire Station No. 6 was built in 1894 and served the SweetAuburn community until 1991. Hear about the desegregation of the Atlanta Fire Department and view a 1927 American LaFrance fire engine at the museum. (REANN HUBER/REANN.HUBER@AJC.COM)</p> <p>To accommodate a growing congregation and hundreds of weekly visitors, Ebenezer Baptist Church built its new 2,000-seat Horizon Sanctuary across the street from the old sanctuary. (REANN HUBER/REANN.HUBER@AJC.COM)</p> <p>Throughout its long history, Ebenezer Baptist Church has been a spiritual home to many citizens of the &quot;Sweet Auburn&quot; community. Its most famous member, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., was baptized as a child in the church. (FRANK NIEMEIR/AJC staff)</p> <p>Morehouse College was fertile ground for the young Martin Luther King Jr., who entered the College as an early-admission student in 1944 at the age of 15. (REANN HUBER/REANN.HUBER@AJC.COM)</p> <p>The center looks at the intersection of the local story of the civil rights movement and the ongoing national story of the evolution of human rights. (REANN HUBER/REANN.HUBER@AJC.COM)</p> <p>The summer of 2017, Gov. Nathan Deal officiated at a ceremony unveiling a new 8-foot statue of King on theState Capitol grounds. The statue was unveiled on the anniversary of King&#39;s famed &quot;I Have Dream&quot; speech. BOB ANDRES /BANDRES@AJC.COM</p> <p>The Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History is a special library within the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, located in Atlanta&#39;s Sweet Auburn Historic District. (REANN HUBER/REANN.HUBER@AJC.COM)</p>
<p>Many of Atlanta&#39;s young black men belonged to the Y and used it as a recreation center. Martin Luther King, Jr. was influenced as a youth by his membership here. (REANN HUBER/REANN.HUBER@AJC.COM)</p> <p>Much of the furniture and furnishings inside this cozy, yellow, two-story clapboard house with dark brown trim, purchased by King&rsquo;s grandfather in 1909 for $3,500, is original. PHIL SKINNER / PSKINNER@AJC.COM</p> <p>The King Center is at the hub of a 23-acre National Historic Site. Free attractions include the King birth home, the crypt of Dr. and Mrs. King, exhibits at Freedom Hall and reflecting pool. PHIL SKINNER / PSKINNER@AJC.COM</p> <p>Fire Station No. 6 was built in 1894 and served the SweetAuburn community until 1991. Hear about the desegregation of the Atlanta Fire Department and view a 1927 American LaFrance fire engine at the museum. (REANN HUBER/REANN.HUBER@AJC.COM)</p> <p>To accommodate a growing congregation and hundreds of weekly visitors, Ebenezer Baptist Church built its new 2,000-seat Horizon Sanctuary across the street from the old sanctuary. (REANN HUBER/REANN.HUBER@AJC.COM)</p> <p>Throughout its long history, Ebenezer Baptist Church has been a spiritual home to many citizens of the &quot;Sweet Auburn&quot; community. Its most famous member, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., was baptized as a child in the church. (FRANK NIEMEIR/AJC staff)</p> <p>Morehouse College was fertile ground for the young Martin Luther King Jr., who entered the College as an early-admission student in 1944 at the age of 15. (REANN HUBER/REANN.HUBER@AJC.COM)</p> <p>The center looks at the intersection of the local story of the civil rights movement and the ongoing national story of the evolution of human rights. (REANN HUBER/REANN.HUBER@AJC.COM)</p> <p>The summer of 2017, Gov. Nathan Deal officiated at a ceremony unveiling a new 8-foot statue of King on theState Capitol grounds. The statue was unveiled on the anniversary of King&#39;s famed &quot;I Have Dream&quot; speech. BOB ANDRES /BANDRES@AJC.COM</p> <p>The Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History is a special library within the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, located in Atlanta&#39;s Sweet Auburn Historic District. (REANN HUBER/REANN.HUBER@AJC.COM)</p>
By
March 16, 2020

Originally posted Sunday, March 15, 2020 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com 

With the Georgia Aquarium, Zoo Atlanta and the Coke museum shuttered, it goes without saying that other major attractions have followed suit.

Among those confirmed: Fernbank Muserum, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, the Children’s Museum of Atlanta and the College Hall of Fame.

As of Sunday, in a bit of a shocker, LegoLand Discovery Center at Phipps Plaza remains open. The place is typically packed with kids playing with Legos. Social distancing is impossible. Yet this is the note on the website:

To comply with local regulations LEGOLAND Discovery Center Atlanta will limit the number of guests per hour. We are continuing to follow guidance from the CDC, implementing enhanced cleaning regimes throughout the attraction, and increased cleaning and sanitizing of stations. We look forward to welcoming you soon

About the Author

Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.

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