Today's hours: 10am - 5pm
2023 Brings a Year of Adventures to Fernbank Museum
An Exploration of Colors, Slow-moving Animals, Vikings and more
Atlanta, GA, Jan. 9, 2022 – Fernbank Museum continues to celebrate its 30th Anniversary in 2023 with a year of exciting special exhibits, giant screen films, themed Discovery Days, nighttime nature adventures in WildWoods: AGLOW, Fernbank After Dark adult science nights and more.
Fernbank’s adventurous new year kicks off with the new giant screen film, “Fungi: Web of Life,” which opened on Jan. 7. This film follows scientists to forests in Tasmania and China as they search for unique lifeforms, including bioluminescent mushrooms, that could help solve some of humanity’s most urgent problems. Additionally, “Wings Over Water” will open shortly after in the Giant Screen Theater on Feb. 4. Audiences can fly alongside three different types of birds as they defy the odds and migrate to America’s largely unknown but awe-inspiring prairie wetlands. Guests will learn about the science of navigation, flyways, bird behaviors and this unique ecosystem.
February will offer a vivid immersion into the science of color in the new special exhibit “The Nature of Color,” which is on view from Feb. 11 – May 7, 2023. “The Nature of Color” offers an in-depth exploration of the way color carries information in nature, including how organisms use it to find food, warn off predators and reproduce. The exhibit also delves into the use of color across cultures, where different colors can signal a wide range of meanings, impact emotions and ultimately influence the society around us.
In early summer, guests are invited to meet a variety of live animals in the special exhibition “Survival of the Slowest,” which opens June 10, 2023. This exhibit will explore why it’s sometimes better to be slower than faster to survive longer. Learn the adaptations and strategies of animals like the sloth, green iguana and bearded dragon.
Set to open Oct. 7, 2023, “Vikings: Warriors of the Sea” showcases Viking culture, society and technology. Guests will discover over 140 authentic artifacts that demonstrate how Vikings traveled, raided, fought, traded and engaged in spiritual practices. Hands-on interactive elements give guests an opportunity to row a Viking ship, dress a Viking and write in runes, which are letters in a set of related alphabets.
There will be a variety of family friendly Discovery Days all throughout 2023, including three that celebrate the opening days of Fernbank’s special exhibits on Feb. 11, June 10 and Oct. 7. For visitors who are 21 and older, Fernbank Museum will be hosting its popular adult science night event, Fernbank After Dark, which takes place on the second Friday of every month, starting with January’s “Hello, 2023” theme.
Fernbank’s illuminating, nighttime outdoor experience, WildWoods: AGLOW, will continue to invite patrons to journey into the magnificent, sometimes hidden worlds of nature through March 5, 2023. Using captivating illumination, immersive projections and an original musical composition, WildWoods: AGLOW curates an innovative approach to storytelling that immerses visitors into a wonderland of biodiversity. Additional special experiences and indoor and outdoor programming are set to be announced throughout 2023.
“Fungi: Web of Life” is a K2 Studios release and Stranger Than Fiction Films production.
SK Films, Dorsey Pictures, the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation and Archipelago Films present “Wings Over Water.” Additional support was provided by Ducks Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited Canada and The National Audubon Society. The film has been recognized with a variety of awards, including “Best Film, Short Subject” by the Giant Screen Cinema Association, “Best Scientific Communication Film” by the Bejing International Film Festival and “Children’s Award” by the Wildlife Film Festival, Rotterdam.
“The Nature of Color” is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (amnh.org). Local presentation made possible by Behr Paint Company, one of the largest manufacturers of paints, primers, decorative finishes, stains and surface preparation products. Additional support provided by the Frances Wood Wilson Foundation.
‘Survival of the Slowest’ was designed and offered by Little Ray’s Nature Centres in collaboration with the Canadian Museum of Nature. “Survival of the Slowest” is sponsored in part by the Frances Wood Wilson Foundation.
“Vikings: Warriors of the Sea” has been produced in partnership by the National Museum of Denmark and MuseumsPartner in Austria and is sponsored in part by the Frances Wood Wilson Foundation.
TICKETS
Exhibits, films and Discovery days are included with daytime general admission and with CityPASS. General admission tickets include three floors of exhibits in the natural history museum, choice of one giant screen film, and 75 acres of nature explorations in Fernbank Forest and WildWoods. Fernbank After Dark, WIldWoods: AGLOW and some other special programming or events are available at a separate ticket price. Fernbank is located at 767 Clifton Road NE in Atlanta, minutes from midtown Atlanta and downtown Decatur.
For more information, visit FernbankMuseum.org. General admission tickets are $25.95 for adults, $24.95 for seniors, $23.95 for children ages 3-12, free for children ages 2 and younger, and free for Fernbank Members. These prices are for tickets purchased online at FernbankMuseum.org. Tickets not purchased in advance are offered, if available, at a higher price.
More information is available at FernbankMuseum.org.
*Fernbank After Dark and WildWoods: AGLOW for an additional ticket price.
Media Inquiries:
Jena Allison, Communications Manager
Jena.Allison@FernbankMuseum.org
404.929.6381
About Fernbank
Fernbank is one of the most popular and iconic cultural destinations in Atlanta. Known as Atlanta's Science and Nature Experience, Fernbank invites guests to discover a World of Wow through an expansive natural history museum, 4-story giant screen theater, and 75 acres of nature adventures in WildWoods and Fernbank Forest. One of the oldest not-for-profit conservation organizations in the country, Fernbank was founded in 1939 to preserve Fernbank Forest, the largest urban, old growth, Piedmont forest in the United States. The museum and giant screen theater opened as "a school in the woods for nature studies" on Oct. 5, 1992, and is today known for its giant dinosaurs, hands-on STEAM* programming, immersive experiences, and year-round nature exploration. Visit fernbankmuseum.org for more information and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
*Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.
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.
