Augusta Museum of History Inc.

The Augusta Museum of History (AMH) collects, preserves, and interprets history in relation to the past of Augusta and the Central Savannah River Area for education and enrichment of present and future generations.

Founded in 1937, the Augusta Museum of History is Augusta's oldest historical agency devoted to the preservation and presentation of local and regional history. The not-for-profit agency functions as the steward of the community's rich, diverse, and invaluable material past. The museum curates the largest and most significant historical collection in the CSRA and functions as a historical research and resource center for professional and amateur historians, media, organizations, and individuals, and is home to permanent exhibition Augusta's Story, a 12,000 year journey through the region's past. The exhibition has received several awards including the prestigious Certificate of Commendation from the American Association of State and Local History, the Georgia Historical Society Local Achievement Award, and the Georgia Association of Museums and Galleries Permanent Exhibition of the Year, 1998. The museum also hosts a permanent exhibition on the history of healthcare in Augusta, A Community that Heals, a permanent exhibition chronicling the railroad and banking operations of the most important company of Augusta and Georgia, Into the Interior: A History of the Georgia Railroad & Banking Company, and a Transportation Corridor showcasing a 1920's trolley car, a 1914 locomotive and a reconstructed 1930's gas station.

In 2003, the museum constructed The Knox Foundation Center for the Preservation and Study of the CSRA History and the Educational Resource Center. The 10,000 square-foot addition includes a research library/archives, storage for museum collections, and an artifact conservation/preparation laboratory. In 2004, the museum assumed management of the 1797 Ezekiel Harris House with new interpretation and exhibits. In 2005, Augusta Museum of History achieved the highest recognition for a museum, accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). The Augusta Museum of History is Augusta's only accredited museum; one of only eighty in the state. Accreditation is the museum profession's highest seal of approval, recognizing an adherence to best practices and the highest professional standards.

Exhibits

A major exhibition to honor an international music icon...."The Godfather of Soul, Mr. James Brown," Other popular subject exhibitions include: "Celebrating a Grand Tradition, the Sport of Golf," which highlights the technology, such as golf cars and clubs, as well as presents the traditions of some of the oldest and revered golf clubs and players in the world; and "Local Legends," which celebrates the talents of area-wide musicians, singers, authors, actors, athletes, artists, and more. The show highlights the stories and displays noteworthy memorabilia of musicians such as the Brenda Lee, Jessye Norman, and Flo Carter; actors like Lawrence Fishburne, Butterfly McQueen, Dub Taylor, and Oliver Hardy; authors such as Berry Fleming, Erskine Caldwell, Janelle Taylor, and Frank Yerby; athletes like Emerson Boozer, Vernon Forrest, Larry Mize, and Ty Cobb; communications personalities like Judy Woodruff, and other notables such Jasper Johns, and the Honorable Carl E. Sanders. Also, "A Community That Heals," "One Man, Two Ships," "Canteens to Combat Boots," to name a few more.

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