David J Sencer CDC Museum

It was a cool little glimpse into the world of the CDC.
That said…
What the hell guys? No Walking Dead exhibit? No zombie preparation guides (which, as the CDC has said, is also great preparation for natural disasters)?
Big wasted opportunity.

Check out the CDC Museum to learn more about public health history. It’s more interesting than it sounds! Public health is everywhere in the world around us: the schools we attend, the air we breathe, the roads we drive on, the food we eat, etc. This museum does a great job taking you through the history of CDC and public health.
You’ll learn about things like food labeling, HIV testing, chemicals in the environment, and of course, you’ll get to try on the «space suit.»
The museum is free, but make sure you bring your ID to get in. This webpage explains the details of visiting the museum:

Very cool experience! I really enjoyed taking photos of myself and buddy in the full-​on Bio-​Hazard suits. I also really enjoyed the touring exhibit of «Art Meets Science» where they showcased amazing cover art of an infectious disease scientific journal, the name of which I can’t recall. They also have a full size iron lung on display and a really great permanent exhibit on HIV/​AIDS.
Make sure you bring an ID or passport and be prepared to have your car and person searched thoroughly.

This museum is a fabulous niche museum that really held my interest during my entire visit. The mysteries that have been solved by the Center for Disease Control are chronicled here and there are so many cases they have cracked over the decades. This is such an eye opener of a place. This is a don’t miss, under-​publicized gem of a museum. Note it is associated with the Smithsonian and is world class!

Visited the CDC Museum with a big group, and it was amazing! The Museum Education Director Lynda gave us a fabulous tour. The exhibits are fascinating if you are at all interested in public health. Water from the hotel where Legionnaire’s Disease was discovered, an adult guinea worm, a legit iron lung. Yes, I know I’m revealing my inner nerd in full technicolor right now, but seriously folks, you’ll really enjoy it! Contact them in advance if you need to take a group and they’ll expedite security at the door. You can also make a reservation for a docent-​guided tour, which I fully recommend. They have a rotating exhibit as well, which right now is an interactive cell exhibit for kids (or enthusiastic adults). The only Federal agency headquartered in Atlanta, stop in and find out what the CDC is all about. You’ll be glad you did! And if you need another tiny nudge… it’s free!

I love this place. CDC is the leading government health organization for healthcare recommendations and disease outbreak control. Just to see where all of this magic happens is truly inspiring. The labs and offices are amazing. For visitors, there is a museum depicting CDC’s role in disease detection and eradication throughout US history and usually some sort of photo display of current field projects. It’s really great if you’re in the healthcare field or sciences, so stop by and check it out between regular business hours if you’re in the area.

Did you see Contagion? Then you have to come see this place. For one thing, in the movie, there were very few people walking the halls. In real life, there are TONS of people all the time. (That will explain the parking situation.)
There is an über-​cool museum exhibit in the visitor’s center — if you’re there for sight seeing, definitely stop in. They also have a gift shop which is open during business hours. Not terribly expansive variety, but you can get CDC pens and coffee mugs (to remind you that you were there…) and for your inner nerd, stuffed animal versions of your favorite pathogen…
Check it out.