Science and nature meet martinis and films

Noteworthy for: The exhibitions are good, but when people think of Fernbank, they think of the vibrant, captivating educational films regularly showing on the five-story IMAX screen.

At the museum, visitors will find giant dinosaur fossils and casts, re-creations of the history and pre-history of Georgia's natural environment, and many other permanent exhibitions from Native American history to seashells. The museum's most popular event, however, may be Martinis and IMAX each Friday evening, where visitors can enjoy cocktails and live music in a grand atrium before watching a larger-than-life film - usually science-related and educational but fascinating.

The science center next door (but under different management) offers another exhibit hall with a much less exciting collection on view, but also the planetarium, observatory, rose garden, and the 65-acre Fernbank forest - a rare example of the old-growth Piedmont forest that used to cover the region. Note: The contact information provided is for the museum, and opening hours and shows vary at the science center, so take a look at the science center webpage at fsc.fernbank.edu for details.