Nice little museum for the kids. They also have a planetarium. It could use some updating, but…read moreother than that, it's a good activity with the kids.

I remember being a kid coming to the museum of arts and science and watching the shows at the…read moreplanetarium so today was very nostalgic and I brought my son to see it this being his first time he really enjoyed it. This is such a GEM in Macon. They also have animal shows, live animals, and different art sections.

If you visit Macon, you must stop and tour this impressive home! I was so happy to get to hear…read moreabout the history and see the stunning interior. Many items are original. You can pay a few dollars more to go to the very top (4 flights up) and I highly recommend that for a nice view of the city.

Shoutout to Vicky for the amazing tour! The Hay House ended up being way more than I expected and I…read morewant to come back again in the winter time (it's so hot in the house during the summer).

Okay--what I want to know is why there are only four reviews, including this one? Come on,…read moreYelpers--you've reviewed gas stations, car rentals and dry cleaners in Macon. What's up? A gas pump more interesting than this gem of a museum? Get with it, folks!!! Ah, that felt good! Our senior's group from Kerrville, TX was on its way home and the Cannonball House was our only stop of the day. The majority of us were appreciative of all things Southern, so this was a special treat. The house's name is derived from a Union cannonball that crashed into the house during the Battle of Dunlap Hill on July 30, 1864. The Cannonball House was owned by Judge Asa Holt during the Civil War and is now owned by the Sidney Lanier Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy who saved if from demolition by the City of Macon. Thanks to these ladies, you're able to visit a Greek Revival mansion and not a parking lot! The House also hosts Father/Daughter Dances and Mother/Daughter Teas. And then there's--thank the Powers That Be--Miss Elizabeth's Academy for Young Ladies which "will instruct the girls in what it means to be a proper lady. Subjects covered: Introductions, sit like a lady, how to set a proper table and table etiquette, walking with confidence and Art of the Fan." And, lest you think the boys will escape, there's a co-ed course, too. My stogy old Southern heart sings with joy; civility and gentility are not dead!!! But I digress. The House is less a museum in the formal sense and more of a time capsule of Ante- and Post-Bellum Georgia. Architecture and period furniture buffs will be right at home here. The House consists of seven rooms. The Main Foyer with its period wall paper and imposing grandfather clock. The Family Room contains period furniture and portraits of the Holt Family. The Formal Dining Room houses a heavy wood table and silver serving sets including a large sterling punch bowl and ladle which survived the invasion of the Union Army only because it was buried. The Ladies' Bedroom contains period clothing, a hand-cranked sewing machine and a bed complete with a hand-tatted spread among other objects. Depending on when you visit, a collection of antique dolls may be displayed. Two Parlors display the furnishings of the founders of the Adelphean and Philomathean Societies which were organized at Wesleyan College, in 1851 and1852 respectively. These are the two oldest female societies in the world and continue to this day. Last, but certainly not least, is Judge Asa Holt's bedroom with its grand four-poster bed, marble-top table and chairs and a large bureau and chest of drawers. In my opinion, the Cannonball House should be on every tourist's itinerary. Seldom does one get such a personal glimpse into the lives of one of Macon's influential families. And if you're traveling with children, this is the perfect opportunity to make history come alive. For only $8.00 (as of this writing) you gain not only admission to the House but a guided tour as well. It's a bargain!

We enjoy civil war history and ole time ways of life. Our tour guide took us thru each room of the…read morehouse explaining the history of the house and the happenings of the time when the house was hit by a "cannon ball." It was really more of a large bullet like mortar. The house is in mourning-- all of the mirrors are covered by black cloth. There's even a casket in one of the parlor rooms. The tour guide says they do something different each month to highlight different traditions that were kept back in the day. The highlight of the tour for us was entering the servant's house and kitchen. Just as we walked in the room, we heard a squeaky toy sound. When I asked what that noise was - thinking it was a dog playing with a squeaky toy, she kinda hestitated and said we call him Matt. I thought, maybe that it was her grandson that she was watching during the summer. No. It's the little child that they hear playing sometimes. The ghost child they hear playing sometimes! Wow! Thanks for a terriffic tour!! We'll be back to investigate more of Macon history

This museum highlights a fairly depressed looking downtown area, and while the outside doesn't have…read morea ton of aesthetic appeal, the interior rotunda is quite impressive. It houses a small, eclectic collection of exhibits focusing on subjects ranging from the local music scene to the history of segregation. The titular Harriet Tubman is memorialized in art and sculpture, but I could not figure out why the museum had this focus; Tubman is of course an impressive figure but as far as I could tell she was never anywhere near Georgia (the national park site in Eastern Shore Maryland is the area where she actually lived). Another aspect of the museum which puzzled me a bit was an exhibition on Tyler Perry, who again doesn't seem to have any local ties but is apparently a bigger cultural figure than I would have guessed. A mural on important historical figures is intriguing, but bizarrely excludes native Georgian Clarence Thomas and casually throws in figures like Bill Cosby and OJ Simpson while omitting some rather important pieces of context. Other parts of the museum focus on some starkly negative aspects of local history, as well as inspirational stories of success; military heroes get detailed stories here, but I was also impressed by a wall of black inventors. Overall, I found it a museum with some good highlights, but overall a mixed experience with some unfortunate lapses and not really a large enough place to drive from anywhere not in the Macon area just to see it.

A source of inspiration, triumph, and empowerment of African American stories told through Art,…read moreInnovations, Videos, Artifacts, and storytelling. Host of an annual Pan-African festival in April and All Souls Jazz Festival in January. An entire gallery dedicated to the Soul of Macon - highlighting Otis Redding, James Brown, and Little Richard among others with stories and artifacts from their recording life. Beautiful fine art and folk art both expressive and abstract from African American artists formally and informally studied in art. Stories of Harriet Tubman's life and journey to free slaves through the Underground Railroad and her dedications to freedom late in life. Innovations gallery of inventions and innovations patented by African and Black Americans along with a highlights mural of black Americans dedicated to civil rights. Give the museum an hour or two to take in all the exhibits, videos, art, and galleries. A great stop for Black History and African American appreciation.

Docents we're knowledgeable. Theater that had the historical points of GA in film format was very…read morehelpful. Great backgrounds and pics. Loved the interactive portion of the museum as well as their addition of the college and high school athletes.

The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame is a great museum for young children and young at heart…read more My nine year old and I had a marvelous time pretending to be NBA basket ball players. In my mind, I was Kevin McHale shooting the ball into the basket to score the win for the Boston Celtics. There is a race car for imaginary driving for race car fans. The very best was a section where we were pretend to be sport announcers. A clip of vintage sports footage plays on a screen in front of the viewer. The original broadcast plays. The player is able to use the microphone to read the teleprompter and recreate the playback of the footage. Finally, the player listens to their voice announcing the play by play of the game being viewed. This was a hoot since it is actually challenge to speak fast enough to follow the teleprompter. I was Harry Caray announcing the baseball game for the Chicago Cubs. And my daughter laughed and laughed. The museum also holds free movie nights for middle Georgia children. Especially great, last winter the museum had a free showing of the movie, Polar Express and sold hot chocolate and popcorn to benefit the local children's hospital.