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Georgia Southern Museum closed Summer 2018 for renovations

This summer Georgia Southern University’s Museum will be temporarily closed to the public due to structural repairs that need to be made and essential exhibit maintenance. The administrative offices will remain open for business throughout the summer during the renovation process.

“The Museum’s historic home, the Rosenwald Building, built as the school’s first library in 1938, requires the replacement of the ceilings and other work to be completed in both major galleries,” said Georgia Southern Museum Director Brent Tharp. “Even the 78-million-year-old fossil the Mosasaur, who has greeted visitors since he was first installed in 1987, must move. The staff is very excited that this renovation will also provide the museum with the unprecedented opportunity to design and install all new permanent exhibits on the natural and cultural history of Georgia’s coastal plain and establish a new era for the Georgia Southern University Museum.”

In the meantime, the Museum has three off-site exhibits that are open to the public in Statesboro.

  • Beyond Property: SLAVERY in Coastal Plain Georgia, 1650-1865 will be on display until mid-April 2019 in the “Museum on Main” exhibit hall, located at the Statesboro Convention and Visitors Bureau at 222 South Main Street.
  • Explore the rich 100+ historical and transformative years of Georgia Southern at The Presley Exhibition: An Inspiring Past, A Promising Future permanently displayed in the atrium of Nessmith-Lane Center at 847 Plant Drive.
  • Bulloch County’s Military Heritage Exhibit at the Bulloch County Annex, located at 115 North Main Street.This exhibit provides insight into the roles Bulloch County residents played in the major U.S. military engagements.

The University will announce an official re-opening date for the fall when the work is closer to completion.

The Georgia Southern Museum, which is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, supports the University’s mission of teaching, research and service, specifically through unique collections, exhibits and educational outreach. The Museum is one of the area’s most popular attractions for tourists, University guests and children of all ages. Each year, the Museum attracts tens of thousands of visitors to view exhibits including artifacts from Camp Lawton, a Civil War Prisoner of War camp, the Mosasaur, the Vogtle Whale, a 40-million-year-old whale named for Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle where it was discovered, and more. In addition to attracting tourists, the Museum is also a popular destination for school field trips from surrounding counties.

Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/Research institution founded in 1906, offers 141 degree programs serving more than 27,000 students through nine colleges on three campuses in Statesboro, Savannah, Hinesville and online instruction. A leader in higher education in southeast Georgia, the University provides a diverse student population with expert faculty, world-class scholarship and hands-on learning opportunities. Georgia Southern creates lifelong learners who serve as responsible scholars, leaders and stewards in their communities. Visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu.

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