The Augusta Museum of History collects, preserves, and interprets history in relation to the past of Augusta and Central Savannah River region.
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 for 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 Association of Museums (AAM). The Augusta Museum of History is Augusta's only accredited museum; one of only fourteen in the state. Accreditation is the museum profession's highest seal of approval, recognizing an adherence to best practices and the highest professional standards.
