The Atlanta History Center’s Sheffield Hale calls the Buckhead museum’s newest exhibition “a game-changer.”
The center will soon open a new exhibit in its Goizueta Gallery, “The Goizueta Children’s Experience.” A 5,000-square-foot immersive and interactive bilingual exhibition with the theme “Our Great Big City,” it will feature several interactive stations for kids to learn about Atlanta’s history. The grand opening is Sunday, Jan 12th from 1:30pm – 4pm.
“We really want to engage families more in a dedicated way, expand the number of people who know about us,” said Hale, the center’s president and CEO. “There are a lot of people who are searching for children’s activities, and hopefully this will be their latest one. We want to add memberships and grow our younger members’ number. It’s also important to our mission to have learning come through play. That’s a very important way for children to learn.”
The center is partnering with the Goizueta Foundation on the exhibit. The foundation was started by Roberto C. Goizueta in 1992, and its mission is to provide opportunities for children to succeed through education. Goizueta, a Cuban who with his family fled to the United States when Fidel Castro took control of his home country, served as the chair and CEO of the Coca-Cola Co. from 1981 to 1997.
Goizueta, who died in 1997 of lung cancer, guided Coke through a period of immense success during his tenure, including increasing the company’s stock value from $4.3 billion to more than $152 billion. The Goizueta Gallery, which opened in 1993, was named in the memory of Goizueta’s son Carlos, who died of leukemia.
Hale said the foundation was included in the new exhibit for two reasons. First, it’s in the foundation’s Goizueta Gallery, which previously housed “Shaping Traditions,” a folk art exhibition that was on display at the center for about 30 years. Second, Hale added, the foundation has been involved with the center’s gardens for at least 10 years, “and that’s changed and elevated what we could do with the gardens.”
“So when we were talking to them about what we might do, we had a number of ideas,” he said. “One of the ideas … is we needed a dedicated children’s space indoors. We had leaned on the houses, the trails and other things outdoors [as kids’ exhibitions]. We didn’t have anything inside, like any other museum in Atlanta or the world has. It fit beautifully with the memory of their son, who died. There’s a corner dedicated to Carlos.”
“Our Great Big City” will be on display for 18 months, through May 2026, and the exhibit’s themes to follow will be up for a year each.
“I don’t think I know of any other museum I the world to do that,” Hale said of the rotating themes. “We think it’s groundbreaking and one of the reasons to bring it back.”
In mid January at a date to be determined, the center will host an opening day celebration that will include hands-on interactive activities in the center’s atrium for children to explore beyond the exhibition walls and goodie bags with Children’s Experience-related items.
Highlights of the exhibition include a Mini Fox Theatre, where kids can imitate a night at the historic venue; The Varsity’s Silly Scent Station, which is designed to mimic Atlanta’s legendary drive-in restaurant experience in the 1930s; and Tiny Toddler Town, which is inspired by Atlanta’s lively neighborhoods.
Foundation leaders said they’re excited about the new exhibit.
“As a board member of both the Atlanta History Center and The Goizueta Foundation, and as a mom of young children, I am thrilled to see the Goizueta Children’s Experience come to life,” said Caroline Rawls Strumph, a trustee with both the foundation and center and Roberto Goizueta’s granddaughter. “The opportunity for children across Atlanta to come and learn while also experiencing the city’s great history is exciting—I know that the Goizueta Children’s Experience will be a special place for families in Atlanta and beyond for many years to come.”
Olga Goizueta Rawls, the foundation’s chair and CEO and Roberto Goizueta’s daughter, added, “The Goizueta Children’s Experience is an exciting new exhibit that offers weekly programming and spaces to learn and play. We wanted to ensure that there was an emphasis on bilingual programming, incorporating Spanish fully throughout the space, as well as accessibility for all children to enjoy the Children’s Experience.
“My father, Roberto C. Goizueta, considered Atlanta his adopted hometown and believed in the power of education for young people—I cannot think of a better place than the Atlanta History Center for children to learn about the city and enhance their education through play, experiential learning, and intentional programming.” Admission to the exhibit is free for AHC members ( a family membership is just $134 per year). Individual tickets are $27 for adults, $24 for children 4 and older and free for children 0 to 3 years. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/event/goizueta-childrens-experience-grand-opening/
