- Joined
- Jan 7, 2013
- Location
- Long Island, NY
As many of you know, the Atlanta History Center opened a new exhibit in a specially built building exhibitting the Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama. The entire project cost $35 million. About ten million dollars of that money came from a single donor, but the rest had to be raised. Here is the thread I started on the opening:
https://civilwartalk.com/threads/ne...-restored-battle-of-atlanta-cyclorama.155152/
The new building houses the painting as well as exhibits on the Civil War and the images created to commemorate the Civil War.
We are all folks interested in the war, so likely most of us are happy with this new development. A painting preserved, another place to visit.
I wanted to ask a broader question. Was this a good use of $35 million?
Many of you have said on CWT that there is declining interest in the Civil War. Does this mean that in a few years the now-crowded building will be an empty white elephant? Will the expenditure ever be recouped by the museum in additional entrance fees? Will Atlanta see an uptick in tourism as a "destination" for Civil War tourism? Will the painting and surrounding exhibits enhance historical knowledge or encourage school children to study history? Please don't restrict yourself to my questions in your comments.
What is your opinion?