Summer 2002 Issue
Wheezing Lungs, Beating Hearts and Giant Mosquitoes Await in the New CDC Public Health Museum Slated to Open in 2005
Americans have always been curious about CDC and its influence on public health – now more than ever. But even before the anthrax attacks and the events of 9/11 thrust public health into the spotlight, CDC knew it had an important story to tell. That’s why, in 1999, CDC set in motion plans to take its existing museum and visitors’ center to the next level.
After years of planning, a new CDC Public Health Museum is close to becoming a reality. Slated to open in January 2005, the museum will be housed in a new building on the CDC campus, which will be the first stop for all CDC visitors.
What will it be like to tour the history and work of CDC?
Picture yourself entering a lobby that opens to a soaring, two-story 11,000-square-foot space. As you gaze around, sculptural microbes and gracefully shifting imagery depict the world of CDC. In this visually dramatic environment, exhibit galleries quickly capture your imagination.
For instance, you’ll walk through CDC from A to Z, where an alphabetical selection of words – The Air You Breathe, Fingerprints, Heart Health, Mosquito Bites – will help you explore public health from scientific, historical and cultural perspectives. Overhead float objects like wheezing lungs, a beating heart and a giant mosquito. One minute you’ll be inside a malarial swamp, the next you’ll investigate a disease outbreak or a vaccination campaign. Convenient computer touch screens will encourage you to delve deeper into topics that interest you.
Other exhibits promise to be equally engaging. The Biosafety Level 4 Lab will simulate a CDC high-security containment lab. Here, visitors will be able to don blue suits, just like the ones worn by scientists who work on the world’s most deadly diseases. In The World Ahead: Imagine the Possibilities, people will learn more about the most pressing public health challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. At the Discovery Lab, preschoolers and elementary students will work alongside adults as field investigators, learning why hand-washing, teeth-brushing and healthy eating are so important.
“We’re so excited about the museum’s potential. Our hope is that it will become a destination for Atlanta,” says Judy Gantt, director of the Global Health Odyssey (GHO), CDC’s current museum. The GHO consists of a small exhibit area with an attached theater and is both a visitors’ center and an interactive educational facility. It will be replaced by the new museum in 2005.
“We envision our new museum as a wonderful way to showcase the work of CDC, to get kids excited about careers in science and public health, and to help people gain a better understanding of what public health is and how it impacts all of our lives,” says Gantt.
A long-time contributor to the CDC Foundation, Gantt explains that CDC is seeking private support for the museum’s permanent and traveling exhibits.
“CDC made a conscious decision to budget for the museum’s building space, with the belief that private funds are the most appropriate way to underwrite the cost of the exhibits,” she says. “With the help of the CDC Foundation, I have great hope that we can communicate CDC’s mission to our community, as well as national and international visitors.”
The museum will be geared to an audience of culturally diverse families. School groups are also expected to be frequent visitors, along with professionals from all over the world. While each exhibit will be developed with specific learning objectives, all will be designed to inspire visitors to discover the breadth of CDC’s work and appreciate CDC’s numerous public and private partnerships.
A collaborative effort, the museum is being developed by the staff of the Global Health Odyssey and the CDC Facilities Planning and Management Office, along with interpretive planners Gerard Hilferty & Associates, Inc., and architects Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates, Inc. A steering committee, consisting of representatives from throughout CDC, is instrumental in guiding the museum’s vision. As the museum takes shape, focus groups will be held with teachers and students to make sure exhibits enhance school curricula and provide appropriate learning experiences for young visitors.
“We’re getting input and feedback every step of the way,” says Gantt. “We have a lot of work ahead of us, and we can’t do it alone. Our vision is to make this museum very unique and engaging and to showcase the many ways CDC touches people’s lives.”
- Lisa Splitlog