Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm; guided tours most weekdays at 1pm and 2:30pm (September–May)
Georgia State Capitol · Atlanta
Every tour of the Gold Dome, including the Capitol Museum and Hall of Valor, is free. Walk in for a self-guided visit weekdays 8am to 5pm, or join a small-group guided tour, offered most weekdays at 1pm and 2:30pm from September through May. The public entrance is on Mitchell Street. Closed weekends and state holidays (including November 11, November 26–27 and December 25); groups of 25 or more should call ahead.
DeKalb County Schools' Fernbank Science Center has a free exhibit hall and free parking, with no reservation needed. It's open Monday to Wednesday noon–4pm, Thursday and Friday noon–10pm, and Saturday 10am–4pm; check the site for one-off closures. Planetarium shows are a separate paid ticket.
Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm (closed university holidays)
Museum of History and Holocaust Education, KSU Center · Atlanta
Kennesaw State University's Museum of History and Holocaust Education is free and open to the public, and so is parking. Exhibits are open weekdays 9am to 5pm at the KSU Center on Busbee Drive in Kennesaw, closed on university holidays.
Atlanta Monetary Museum, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta's museum in Midtown covers the history of money and the Fed, and it's entirely free. Self-guided visits run weekdays 9am to 4pm, no reservation needed for groups under 10. Expect airport-style security with a metal detector; it's across 10th Street from Midtown MARTA, with no parking on site.
Wednesday–Saturday, 12–5pm (closed during college breaks)
Spelman College Museum of Fine Art · Atlanta
Spelman College's Museum of Fine Art is free and open to the public. Its Cosby Gallery reopened October 1, 2026 (Wednesday to Saturday, noon to 5pm), and the gallery in the Center for Innovation and the Arts is open Wednesday to Friday, noon to 5pm. The current show, Between Here and Infinity, marks the museum's 30 years with more than 80 works by Black women artists. It closes during Spelman College breaks.
The CDC's own museum at its Clifton Road campus covers the history of public health, with current shows including 'America 250: Life, Liberty, and Public Health' and an exhibition marking 50 years since the first Ebola outbreak. It's free, including parking, but walk-ins aren't accepted. Open Monday to Friday 9am–4pm (last reservation slot 2:30pm), closed weekends and federal holidays.
Verified Oct 27 · cdc.gov
Catch: Reserve at least a week ahead; no walk-ins · Adults 18+ need a REAL ID (non-US citizens a passport); bags and vehicles are inspected
Thursdays and Fridays, 8–10pm (Nov–Feb hours; clear skies only)
Fernbank Science Center Observatory · Atlanta
Look through the 36-inch telescope at Fernbank Science Center's Ralph Buice Jr. Observatory, one of the largest built for public viewing. Free public observations run Thursday and Friday evenings, 8–10pm from November to February, but only when the sky is clear. Call 678-874-7102 half an hour before opening for an update, and dress for the weather since the dome isn't heated.
Atlanta Contemporary on the Westside shows changing contemporary art exhibitions, and admission is free every day it's open: Thursday 11am to 8pm and Friday to Sunday 11am to 6pm (closed Monday to Wednesday). Parking is free in the Carriage Works lot at Bankhead and Means streets. The center asks visitors to register, online ahead or at the door.
Verified Oct 27 · atlantacontemporary.org
Catch: Visitors are asked to register (free), online ahead or at the door
The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library lends a pass to the Mimms Museum of Technology and Art (formerly the Computer Museum of America) that covers four free general admissions. Seven-day loan, one renewal, once every six months.
Verified Oct 27 · fulcolibrary.org
Catch: Atlanta-Fulton Public Library card; borrow at a branch (no holds, first come first served) · One checkout every six months · Late fees if returned after the 7-day loan
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park · Atlanta
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park on Auburn Avenue has no entrance fee, and no park pass is needed. Check the park's site for visitor center hours and tour availability before you go.
The King Center on Auburn Avenue holds the crypt of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, the Eternal Flame, a peace garden and Freedom Hall's exhibits on the Kings, Gandhi and Rosa Parks. Admission and parking are free, daily 10am to 5pm. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Verified Oct 27 · thekingcenter.org
No catch
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