At the end of Sept, we're heading to Charleston, but our first stop will be in Atlanta to see the Cyclorama and Civil War Museum. Has anyone been there? Any comments? Thanks in advance for everyones input.
Connie

well...it's interesting...it's weird. I guess you know, you sit in theater style chairs, and a big , circular mural of the civil war rotates around you. That's about it. I've been once, it's not something I would repeat, nor travel any distance for, but it's certainly a unique experience.

You must be a civil war buff, enjoy yourself. you'll love Charleston.

i agree,its a unique experience--these murals were common after the Civil Warto see it.--unless your a real buff,i wouldnt go out of my way to see it.If yo do come, go to Stone Mtn as well--they have some real good Civil War stuff there

I'll probably get flamed for this but when I went to Cylclorama, it made me think of Disney World's Hall of President attraction but with a Civil War theme. As others have said, it's not worth going out of your way to see.

Stone Mtn might be a better bet...has anyone gone to Kennesaw Mtn.??? Ihaven't so can't be sure it's a good suggestion or not.

Litespeedchick describes Cyclorama well. I wouldn't go out of my way to see it. If you are already going to be in Atlanta, have an hour of free time, and are a Civil War buff, then it is worth visiting. Stone Mountain is a good choice but Kennesaw Mtn is the best civil war site in the Atlanta area IMHO.

+1 on kennesaw--ive been and its well done--its a little bit of a ride,esp depending on time of day--if you go avoid rush hour

Cyclorama is a step back in time in terms of both the history it depicts and the style in which it is displayed. If you go with that attitude, then might find it interesting. If you go expecting a modern museum and Disneylike experience, you will be disappointed. It is an hour visit near the zoo.

Stone Mountain, as mentioned, has more modern museums and the carving. But it is mixed in with golf, swimming, train ride, etc., not just history.

Kennesaw Mtn battlefield is well done and allows for outdoor walking.

I've been to the Atlanta Cyclorama. It's kind of interesting and admittedly an unusual experience, if not the city's top attraction. Essentially, it's a huge circular panoramic painting, almost as if it's papering the inside of a huge drum, with some model expansion out from the wall made up of dressed mannequins and fake shattered trees and such -- sum total, an immense mixed media work. You sit in seats at the center, and a good part of the presentation involves the bank of seats slowly turning while sections of the painting are highlighted.

bigbomoho is right, these kinds of attractions used to be somewhat prevalent during the 1800s. There actually aren't many of these left nowadays -- for sure there's one at Gettysburg, which I saw many years ago. There might be one or two others elsewhere.

There's also a small Civil War memorabilia exhibit in the lobby.

Stone Mountain is indeed enjoyable, though some aspects of it are meant to appeal to kids and have an amusement park feel. The carving on the side of the mountain is huge and very well done, plus the view from the mountain top is excellent, reached by a gondola that gets up-close to the sculpture. As mentioned above, there's a Civil War exhibit, as well as a scenic train ride around the mountain's base, an exhibit telling the history and mechanics of the sculpture's carving, a clutch of antebellum historic buildings, miniature golf, and much else. One can easily spend a whole day there.