Residents turned out in droves Sunday for the opening of the revamped Smyrna History Museum.
The museum closed in July 2018 to undergo a complete redesign. The revamped museum displays more than 100 artifacts to tell the story of Smyrna’s history, beginning with prehistoric Native American settlement and running through the present day.
The 1,500-square-foot museum is located in the heart of Smyrna in a replica of the city’s 1910 train depot, which was demolished in 1959. The building was erected in 1999.
“It’s absolutely first class,” Smyrna Mayor Max Bacon said following the museum opening. “This is going to be something that’s going to be here for years for our community. … I just think it’s a great day for Smyrna.”
In 2017, the city of Smyrna agreed to take control of the museum collections and management. In April 2018, HW Exhibits delivered a conceptual plan for the museum renovation.
Bacon and former Mayor Harold Smith, who along with his wife, Betty, started the Smyrna Historical and Genealogical Society, participated in ribbon-cutting ceremonies.
In August 2018, the city selected Building Four Fabrication of Chamblee to produce and install the new exhibit. The exhibits were designed in alignment with the Georgia Social Studies Standards and adhere to the Smyrna Strategic Vision Plan Statement to “provide academic excellence to our children.”
“We really redesigned the museum to be what I’m calling an engagement zone for all the different communities of Smyrna to come together to learn about Smyrna history and to grow from there and expand upon it,” Museum Manager Jennie Eldredge said. “I really hope that everybody feels that this is a welcoming space where they love to come in and learn a little about history and engage with their neighbors.”
The new museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays. For more information, visit smyrnahistoricalsociety.org.
