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Fernbank will unveil new museum exhibits and learning galleries to revolutionize the guest experience from 2025-2027. The project, supported by a $27 million fundraising campaign, continues Fernbank’s commitment to redefine how audiences engage with museums now and in the future.
The new museum experiences are planned to open in phases during this time. Our Place in the Cosmos opened in November 2025, the Orkin Discovery Zone opened in May 2026, and Changing Earth is anticipated to open in 2027, alongside the new Margaret H. Rollins gallery and expanded accessibility, including the addition of more automatic doors and a second passenger elevator.
Support includes major gifts from The Gary W. Rollins Foundation, the Lettie Pate Evans Foundation and more than 80 other funders.
We invite your support to help make more programs associated with these exciting new experiences possible.
Scope of Project
CHANGING EARTH
Changing Earth will showcase our planet and its interrelated, dynamic systems. Real specimens, touchable objects, interactive opportunities, immersive features and sophisticated technology combine to offer a unique exhibit experience.
Celebrating the awe and wonder of the natural world, the museum’s largest permanent exhibit will include the opportunity to move earth’s plates using a “Tectonic Dashboard,” explore biodiversity with a “Tree of Life” interactive and engage in an immersive media experience, where the interconnectedness of our planet and the life it supports beautifully and dramatically unfolds over time. Opens in 2027
Margaret H. Rollins Gallery
A new temporary gallery adjacent to Changing Earth will allow the museum to curate temporary displays and feature travelling exhibits to delve deeper into natural history themes. Opens in 2027
ORKIN DISCOVERY ZONE
NOW OPEN The new Orkin Discovery Zone features a hands-on, active learning environment on the museum’s third floor. Step into the role of a scientist and hone your observation skills while exploring authentic objects, live animals and interactives. , Learn about biodiversity, classification, communication and more through experiences designed for adults and younger audiences alike.
Highlights include the opportunity to peer through scopes to make discoveries in WildWoods, see examples of biodiversity through real specimens, observe live animals in terrariums, and build a bug using a spinning activity that combines the traits of different insects.
OUR PLACE IN THE COSMOS
NOW OPEN The Star Gallery, which features a fiber optic ceiling mapping the stars and constellations of the evening Georgia sky, now includes expanded content, including video, displays and touchable models. . Discover how the Solar System has inspired human connection through storytelling and culture. Engage with tactile displays of different types of galaxies and the stars seen overhead. Become immersed in a cinematic exploration that depicts the origins of our universe.
UPDATES
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Construction of the new exhibit, Changing Earth, is underway and is expected to open in 2027.
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Pardon Our Progress: During construction, some areas may be closed or re-routed for safety. Please follow any posted signage.
Have questions? We have answers for you in these Frequently Asked Questions.
Fernbank is a nonprofit natural history museum, giant screen theater and old-growth forest, and is not affiliated with Fernbank Science Center, which operates as a division of DeKalb County Schools.
