Apollo 11 landed on the moon on July 20, 1969. Yes, it’s hard to believe, but Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong took that iconic giant leap 50 years ago!
Maybe you remember that historic day vividly. Maybe you weren’t even born yet. Regardless, you can celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing with events that are happening all around town this weekend.
Some of the events are free, and most are family-friendly — with the notable exception of night-life happenings at Moon Bar.
You know the drill: Click for details, and verify with the venue before you head out. We do our best to get the facts straight, but life is unpredictable and schedules change.
Fernbank Science Center & Planetarium
This is the FREE Fernbank — not to be confused with the Fernbank Museum of Natural History. The two are separate venues, located a few miles apart.
On Saturday, July 20th, the Science Center and Planetarium is hosting a full day of special talks, films, planetarium features, and presentations.
Come listen to Captain Ed Dwight, the first African-American astronaut trainee, and to Randy Avera, a NASA aerospace engineer.
The Science Center also features the actual command module from the unmanned Apollo 6 mission, which launched from the Kennedy Space Center on April 4, 1968. The module is on loan from the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum.
Fernbank Science Center opens at 10 a.m. on Saturdays. Special programming starts around 11 a.m. and continues throughout the day.
See the full schedule of events.
Fernbank Museum of Natural History
This is that other Fernbank, the one with the dinosaurs and the IMAX theatre!
The special moon landing celebration takes place in the Great Hall, on Saturday, July 20th, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. It includes interactive activities and special screenings of Apollo 11: First Steps Edition 2D at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Museum general admission is $20 for adults and $18 for kids. But if you want to see the Apollo 11 movie, there’s an extra fee. We recommend getting the Value Pass ticket, which includes general admission plus the film, for a savings of $6 over buying each separately. Value pass prices are $27 for adults and $23 for kids.
King of Pops will be on site with a special edition of their frozen treats.
View event details and list of scheduled activities.
Preview the Apollo 11 movie:
Moon Bar activation at Mother Bar + Kitchen
This Edgewood Avenue watering hole is going all out for its lunar celebration. Mother’s upstairs will be transformed into an immersive, intergalactic experience from July 14th to 19th. There is a cover charge of $5 to $7 for Thursday and Friday night events.
Little Shop of Stories
This popular Decatur bookstore, along with organizers of the Atlanta Science Festival, will host author Kristy Dempsey, who wrote Papa Put a Man on the Moon.
The event takes place on Saturday, July 20th from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
There will be a book presentation and signing, along with some moon-themed refreshments.
If you buy a copy of Papa Put a Man on the Moon from the Little Shop of Stories, you’ll get a spot in the book-signing line.
Atlanta Science Festival will be selling solar system bracelet kits for $5, so you can make a super cool science craft, too!
Little Shop of Stories is located at 133 E. Court Square, in downtown Decatur.
StarLab at Chattahoochee Nature Center
Bring the family along to this Roswell nature center for an afternoon of “stargazing” in the mobile planetarium. StarLab takes place on Saturday, July 20th from 3 to 4 p.m.
The special presentation will touch on the first manned moon mission, moon phases, and constellations visible in the summer sky.
This event is free with general admission — which is $10 for adults and $6 for kids. If you have a membership to the nature center, it’s free.
The event is recommended for children age 6 and up.
Space Exploration Day at the Children’s Museum of Atlanta
On Saturday, July 20th, the Children’s Museum will host a day of celestial fun. Come for games, interactive science labs, a scavenger hunt, arts and crafts, and story time.
The special programming is included in the price of admission, which is $17 per person (all ages), and free for members.
Museum hours on Saturday are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
View event details and activity schedule.
