Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History

The Southern Museum, in association with the Smithsonian Institution, is a premier metro Atlanta museum, featuring exhibits on Civil War and locomotive history. The Southern Museum is home to the General locomotive, stolen during the Civil War's Great Locomotive Chase; a reproduction of the locomotive assembly line from the Glover Machine Works; weapons, uniforms and every day items of Civil War soldiers; and the Jolley Education Center that features train history, hands-on activities for children and Georgia's French Gratitude Train. In 2001, the Museum became a member of the prestigious Smithsonian Affiliations Program. The Museum staff feels strongly that it shares a profound appreciation of history and heritage with the Smithsonian Institute, which is what motivated the Museum to seek the affiliation. The Smithsonian Affiliations Program allows the Museum to host traveling Smithsonian exhibits, book Smithsonian historians for lectures and feature Smithsonian artifacts within its permanent collections. These privileges supplement the Museum offerings, bringing the excitement and marvel of the Smithsonian Institution to our neighborhood. The newest addition to the Southern Museum is the Jolley Education Center, which includes many interactive displays to engage children and adults in Civil War, railroad and locomotive history. It is also the home of Georgia's Merci Boxcar, or the "Gratitude Train," which was a gift sent to the United States from France for providing aid to the war-torn country following World War II.