Q: I knew about the CDC, but just heard about its museum. Would you tell me about it?
A: You are inquiring about the David J. Sencer CDC Museum at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta that opened in 1996 which coincided with the 50th anniversary of the CDC and the Centennial Olympic games. The museum is the only part of the CDC open to the public.
The museum, originally known as the Global Health Odyssey Museum, was renamed after Sencer who was the longest serving director of the CDC in the 60′s and 70′s and who was “very much in support of the CDC preserving its history,” according to museum curator Louise Shaw.
“The CDC is world famous and we are the premier public health agency around the globe, and people from around the world come to see us, visit us and work with us. In many ways, we are the gold standard for public health activity,” she said. “It’s important to be able to tell CDC’s story to the public, but even more important is to tell the story of public health and how meaningful it is to every person in the world here in the United States and across the globe.
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
“I do think that during the pandemic people wanted to learn more about the value of public health and our goal is to really explain to people the breadth of public health and why it is important to them,” the curator added.
The museum boasts three galleries: temporary, permanent and lobby.
“Influenza: Complex Virus/Complex History” is one of the two changing exhibits that trace back to the 1918 pandemic. Running through Dec. 2, this gallery takes up two levels of the museum. “One of my favorite things is a Vick’s vapor rub bottle borrowed from a museum in North Carolina. It was promoted as a way to treat influenza during the pandemic,” Shaw said. “We also have a vaccine recipe book that came from Australia.”
The story of the CDC and the global symphony are housed in the permanent exhibitions gallery. The smallest gallery, lobby, showcases different types of subjects. Currently, Typhoidland is on display through Nov. 2022 covering 200 years.
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
In addition to the exhibits, the museum has a “robust” education department - in person, on line and interactive activities - for primarily middle- and high-school students. There is also an archives and museum collection, by appointment only.
“Visiting the CDC museum would allow a new understanding and respect for the CDC, but also the scope of the work of public work,” she stated. “We are most famous for infectious diseases, but we do incredible work in chronic disease prevention, injury prevention, environmental health, birth defects and disabilities, just to name a few of the other areas.”
The CDC museum is open to the public Monday through Friday (except for any federal holiday). Tours: self-guided for individuals or groups of less than ten or guided tours for larger groups.
Free admission and parking. A government–issued photo ID is required for adults over the age of 18 and a passport is required for non-U.S. citizens. Address: 1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329
For more information and prior to visiting, go to https://www.cdc.gov/museum
New to Atlanta or simply have a question about this place we call home? Email your request to atlactualfact@gmail.com
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