Community Events

Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum—an acclaimed museum dedicated to celebrating and preserving America’s maritime legacy—is delighted to present “Beyond the Plate: Sea and Sky,” an exciting new solo exhibition featuring nautical-inspired, mixed-media art by Rob Strati, from September 25, 2025, through April 12, 2026. 

“Beyond the Plate” will showcase new work by one of America’s hottest contemporary artists. Strati has recently enjoyed sold-out exhibits at Duane Reed Gallery in St. Louis and FREMIN Gallery in New York and has sold work to top international art collectors in New York, London, Hong Kong, Dubai and beyond.

Strati’s art incorporates broken porcelain plates that have been embellished and adorned with creative details. The exhibition features the artist’s latest bold, kinetic mixed-media works and limited-edition prints as well as an ambitious site-specific installation that will be suspended from the ceiling of the Ships of the Sea atrium.

All of the art in “Beyond the Plate” will be available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum.

Zoo Atlanta is home to a diversity of species of reptiles and amphibians from around the globe. From some of the smallest frogs to the most endangered lizards, join the Herpetology Care Team and immerse yourself in the science behind caring for reptiles and amphibians behind-the-scenes at Scaly Slimy Spectacular!

Participants will learn firsthand the level of care that is required to care for these unique and important species. If you love these scaly and slimy creatures, this program is just for you!

Before registering, please understand that during this program:

• Participants will perform similar tasks as members of the Herpetology Care Team, which may include raking, sweeping, hosing, scrubbing and shoveling, and should expect to do some hard work and be comfortable getting dirty.
• Participants will be expected to participate in all weather conditions, lift up to 30 pounds and be on their feet for up to four hours.
• Participants must have the physical ability to bend, lift, stoop, kneel and stand for extended periods of time.
• Participants may be exposed to potential allergens such as insects, hay, animal waste and other potential allergens. Please reach out in advance if you have any questions or concerns.

2025 Dates:

Saturday, Aug. 30
Wednesday, Sept. 10
Saturday, Sept. 20
Wednesday, Oct. 8
Saturday, Oct. 25
Wednesday, Nov. 5
Saturday, Nov. 22
Wednesday, Dec. 3
Saturday, Dec. 13

Times: 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Member cost: $300
Non-member cost: $335

Age range: 16 and up

Get ready for the Atlanta Mushroom Festival on Saturday, Nov. 22, from 12-7 p.m. at Lee + White in the West End! 

Hosted by Wild Heaven Brewery, Monday Night Garage and ASW Distillery along the Beltline; this free, family and dog-friendly event is celebrating all thing’s mushrooms. 

Explore unique mushroom-themed vendors, a vibrant artist market, speakers, workshops, Chef Demos, live music, food and more.

Join The Madison Artists Guild Gallery for the 7th Annual Holiday Market, a treasure trove of unique handcrafted gifts. This juried show features the works of multiple local talented artists, offering one-of-a-kind items perfect for the holiday season.

The Madison Artists Guild Gallery is open Monday-Saturday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

 The Southeastern Quilt and Textile Museum has three new exhibits that will run through Dec. 20. Each of these unique exhibits will highlight a different type of textile art providing for a multifaceted museum experience. 

Cosplay to Quilts: Outlander showcases Teri Biglands’ journey from quilting into the world of costuming. Inspired by the Outlander Book Series, Biglands combines her quilting and embroidery skills to create incredible works of wearable art. As a competition-winning cosplay artist, Biglands’ exhibit features several costumes and quilts she handmade. 

Navajo Textiles, curated by Robert Quall, showcases an impressive personal collection of Navajo weavings collected by Quall. These dense weavings give viewers a peek into the history of Western textiles and offer an intimate look into Navajo culture through textiles. 

The final gallery features Geometric Quilts by Janna Thomas, the creative genius behind Bloc Loc Quilting Rulers. After publishing several books through a company she co-found with her husband, Janna Thomas designed several quilts and taught millions of people how to make their quilting journey more accessible and enjoyable with her innovative quilting tools.

Along with these unique exhibits SQTM will offer a variety of community programming including Introduction to sewing and quilting classes, cosplay workshops, and more. 

As a minimalist ceramic sculptor, Yuichiro Komatsu draws inspiration from the pliable yet enduring nature of clay, using its transformation from raw earth into ceramic as a metaphor for the dialogue between fragility and permanence. His work reflects on the transient nature of societal structures while seeking to transcend temporal boundaries and explore the poetic resonance of space. Through modular forms and techniques such as hand-building, slip-casting and wheel-throwing, Komatsu examines the interplay between form and formlessness, inside and outside, and the Japanese concept of “Ma,” which honors the elegance of simplicity and negative space. His artistic practice aims to capture a fleeting yet enduring sense of beauty, existing at the intersection of delicacy and resilience.

Yuichiro Komatsu is a Tokyo-born contemporary ceramic artist and educator, earned his BFA from SUNY New Paltz, apprenticed with renowned ceramicist Toshiko Takaezu, completed his MFA at Alfred University, and a DAAD Postgraduate Research Fellowship in Berlin. His work has been exhibited internationally, he has participated in acclaimed artist residencies around the world, and he currently serves as Professor of Art at Columbus State University in Georgia.

Join us as we take you on a journey into the colorful and fantastical world of "Luzia," set in a make-believe Mexico, where you will be treated to stunning visual surprises and breathtaking acrobatic performances.

"Luzia" deftly guides you through the locations, people and sounds of both classical and contemporary Mexico, taking you from urban locations like an old movie set and a smoke-filled dance hall to the beach and barren desert.

See online schedule for show times.

Learn more.

Step into the magic of the season at the Museum of Aviation’s Festival of Trees!

Wander through beautifully decorated trees and wreaths created by local businesses, organizations and individuals—each one a reflection of community spirit and holiday cheer.

Join us for one of Middle Georgia’s most cherished traditions, where the wonder of Christmas meets the mission of preserving history and inspiring the future.

The Festival of Trees runs Nov. 19-Dec. 28 inside the Eagle Building. Admission is free, and donations are welcomed to support the Museum of Aviation Foundation.

Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

How many chickens do you weigh?

How tall are you in apples or inches or pennies? Can you use your foot as a ruler?

Explore these and other questions in this new interactive exhibit in the Discovery Garden!

It may be common to measure using standard tools such as measuring tapes and cups, but Measurement Rules explores non-standard tools such as balancing scales, odometers, calipers, 3-D imaging and counting “Mississippis.” Explore this exhibit and become confident in the language of measurement through length, weight, volume and time.

The museum is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

We’ve all imagined what it’s like to live and work in space, but only a select few have done it. Opening on Oct. 10, those who have lived in space will share their experiences with visitors in our newest traveling exhibition, Journey to Space.

Using hands-on and large-scale interactive exhibits and multimedia components, Journey to Space gives visitors a glimpse at the extraordinary conditions of human space travel, as well as the unique challenges and rewards of life on board the International Space Station.

View our temporary exhibition of 50 photographs that capture more than 100 years of Cherokee County's history. Divided into the categories of Home, Work, Play, Celebration, Service, Worship, Nature, School, Transportation and Agriculture, these photographs showcase the beauty, humanity and history of Cherokee County and those who have lived here.

Thank you veterans for your service to our country. As a small token of our appreciation, we’re offering all veterans and active military members free admission to the Cherokee County History Center throughout the month of November. 

Daily Special: The Art of John Miller serves up a visual feast of American food favorites, all set within an environment that evokes classic diners and other eateries of the 1950s and 1960s.

Miller hand blows and molds his exuberant, oversized glass sculptures of hamburgers, French fries, frosty soft drinks and decadent donuts that pop off the plate and into the gallery. His work pays homage to post-war popular design and draws inspiration from pop art, particularly the soft sculptures of Claes Oldenburg.

Miller grew up going to diners with his parents in his hometown of New Haven, Connecticut where his father had a motorcycle shop. He began working with glass as an undergraduate at Southern Connecticut University and went on to earn an M.F.A. in sculpture from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. He worked at Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, WA, beginning in 1993.

Miller is an associate professor of glass at Illinois State University and has exhibited nationally at museums and art institutes. His work is in numerous museum collections, including the Corning Museum of Glass, the Chrysler Museum of Art, the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City, the Museum of Glass, Tacoma, and the Cafesjian Museum of Art, Armenia.

The Piedmont Division of the National Model Railroad Association proudly presents the Piedmont Pilgrimage, the annual tour of the Atlanta area's great model railroads. We are proud to showcase the craftsmanship and dedication of our members during this event. The 2025 tour will feature over 70 remarkable model railroads to visit. As always, the Pilgrimage is open to everyone and is entirely free of charge.

The Pilgrimage kicks off on Saturday, Oct. 25, and will run for five weekends. Tours will be open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on both Saturdays and Sundays. Detailed information can be found on the website: https://piedmontpilgrimage.com/.

Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum—an acclaimed museum dedicated to celebrating and preserving America’s maritime legacy—is delighted to present “Beyond the Plate: Sea and Sky,” an exciting new solo exhibition featuring nautical-inspired, mixed-media art by Rob Strati, from September 25, 2025, through April 12, 2026. 

“Beyond the Plate” will showcase new work by one of America’s hottest contemporary artists. Strati has recently enjoyed sold-out exhibits at Duane Reed Gallery in St. Louis and FREMIN Gallery in New York and has sold work to top international art collectors in New York, London, Hong Kong, Dubai and beyond.

Strati’s art incorporates broken porcelain plates that have been embellished and adorned with creative details. The exhibition features the artist’s latest bold, kinetic mixed-media works and limited-edition prints as well as an ambitious site-specific installation that will be suspended from the ceiling of the Ships of the Sea atrium.

All of the art in “Beyond the Plate” will be available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum.

Imagine running a show when all of your stars are birds!

Become a Trainer for a Day at the World of Wild Theater presented by Georgia Natural Gas, and see firsthand how training is used to care for and connect guests to the birds while participating in the Fantastic Flights presentation!

Work alongside the Ambassador Animals Team to experience how these feathered friends showcase their unique adaptations in these presentations, and learn about the positive reinforcement training that ensures that all of the birds are participating voluntarily. This behind-the-scenes look at Fantastic Flights and its amazing participants will give you a greater appreciation for the term “bird brain” and the important relationships between the birds and their care team.

Before registering, please understand that during this program:

• Participants will perform similar tasks as members of the Ambassador Animals Team, which may include raking, sweeping, hosing, scrubbing and shoveling, and should expect to do some hard work and be comfortable getting dirty.
• Participants will be expected to participate in all weather conditions, lift up to 30 pounds and be on their feet for up to four hours.
• Participants must have the physical ability to bend, lift, stoop, kneel and stand for extended periods of time.
• Participants may be exposed to potential allergens such as insects, hay, animal waste and other potential allergens. Please reach out in advance if you have any questions or concerns.

2025 Dates:

Sunday, Sept. 21
Sunday, Oct. 5
Sunday, Nov. 23
Sunday, Dec. 7

Time(s): 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Member Cost: $300
Non-Member Cost: $335

Age Range: 16 and up

Join us as we take you on a journey into the colorful and fantastical world of "Luzia," set in a make-believe Mexico, where you will be treated to stunning visual surprises and breathtaking acrobatic performances.

"Luzia" deftly guides you through the locations, people and sounds of both classical and contemporary Mexico, taking you from urban locations like an old movie set and a smoke-filled dance hall to the beach and barren desert.

See online schedule for show times.

Learn more.

Step into the magic of the season at the Museum of Aviation’s Festival of Trees!

Wander through beautifully decorated trees and wreaths created by local businesses, organizations and individuals—each one a reflection of community spirit and holiday cheer.

Join us for one of Middle Georgia’s most cherished traditions, where the wonder of Christmas meets the mission of preserving history and inspiring the future.

The Festival of Trees runs Nov. 19-Dec. 28 inside the Eagle Building. Admission is free, and donations are welcomed to support the Museum of Aviation Foundation.

Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

How many chickens do you weigh?

How tall are you in apples or inches or pennies? Can you use your foot as a ruler?

Explore these and other questions in this new interactive exhibit in the Discovery Garden!

It may be common to measure using standard tools such as measuring tapes and cups, but Measurement Rules explores non-standard tools such as balancing scales, odometers, calipers, 3-D imaging and counting “Mississippis.” Explore this exhibit and become confident in the language of measurement through length, weight, volume and time.

The museum is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

We’ve all imagined what it’s like to live and work in space, but only a select few have done it. Opening on Oct. 10, those who have lived in space will share their experiences with visitors in our newest traveling exhibition, Journey to Space.

Using hands-on and large-scale interactive exhibits and multimedia components, Journey to Space gives visitors a glimpse at the extraordinary conditions of human space travel, as well as the unique challenges and rewards of life on board the International Space Station.