Fernbank Fall Exhibits (wednesdays)

From the venue:

X-Ray Vision: Fish Inside Out

 
Opens Jan. 11, 2025

A Fish Exhibition That’s Bone Deep.

X-Ray Vision: Fish Inside Out invites guests to peek beneath the scales to explore the intricate bony skeletons of fish, stingrays, eels and seahorses through dramatic, black-and-white x-rays. Discover the secrets of fish evolution, anatomy and the impact of environmental changes on aquatic species in a level of detail reminiscent of fine engraving. Guests will learn about these creatures' evolutionary changes and the important role they have played in shaping our world.

Exhibit Page

Lost in Sight: In Search of the Flint’s Headwaters

On View Aug. 30 – Nov. 17, 2025

The Unseen Story of the Flint River

Beneath the tarmac of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, unknown to most people, flow the headwaters of one of the most scenic rivers in the Southeastern United States—the Flint. In Lost in Sight: In Search of the Flint’s Headwaters, photographer Virginie Drujon-Kippelen traces the nearly invisible origins of the Flint River as it flows through the hills of the Georgia Piedmont all the way to the Florida Panhandle.

Told through a series of telling photographs taken at varying distances from the headwaters of the Flint River, Drujon-Kippelen provides visual and symbolic identity to a river that has been buried—physically and culturally. By focusing on the obscured and often forgotten headwaters rather than tracing the river’s full course, she uses imagery to draw attention to the fragile origins where its meaning is most vulnerable. Her work weaves poetic visual storytelling with a deep environmental awareness, urging viewers to consider human impact on the natural world.
 

Extinct and Endangered: Insects in Peril

On view Aug. 9 to Nov. 2, 2025.
 

Buzzing into Fernbank this fall.

Extinct and Endangered: Insects in Peril is an evocative photography exhibit that brings attention to the urgent extinction crisis threatening insect populations while showcasing the beauty and significance of these often-overlooked animals. A story told through stunning large-format macrophotographs by Levon Biss, this exhibit highlights 19 endangered or extinct insect species. Biss’ breathtaking photographs, measuring 6 ft. wide by 4 ft. tall, reveal intricate, often unseen details of these fascinating creatures. Each photograph in Extinct and Endangered is created from up to 10,000 individual images using special lenses, capturing microscopic detail. Biss adapted traditional techniques to create a photographic process that reveals the minute details of insects in a resolution and scale never seen before. The collection offers a new perspective on their vital role in ecosystems and details the risks these insects face.

From bees to beetles, insects play a critical role in maintaining the health of ecosystems across the globe. Guests will encounter incredible photos of insects like the Blue Calamintha Bee, Elderberry Longhorn Beetle and Louisiana Eyed-Silkmoth, and be able to explore the profound impact insects have on our planet through pollination, decomposing waste and sustaining food webs. Extinct and Endangered: Insects in Peril will inspire visitors to recognize the crucial role of these remarkable creatures and develop a deeper appreciation for the insect world.

Desert Elephants (IMAX)

Opens January 18th

Join Little Foot and her elephant family as they brave the harsh Namib Desert in Southwest Africa and embark on a journey to an oasis that remains green even through the toughest times. The resilience and familial strength of this species will leave viewers with an inspiring example of survival, adaptation and renewed hope.

In the southwest corner of Africa, the Namib Desert — one of the driest places on Earth — is an unexpected haven for a few extraordinary creatures, including the largest land mammals on the planet — desert elephants.

These elephants, once more than a million strong, have dwindled to a few hundred; despite this, hope lives on through an elephant calf named Little Foot, the newest member of a family of grazers.

As viewers follow Little Foot’s adventures, they witness the incredible abilities elephants possess that have helped them survive the harsh conditions of the Namib Desert for generations. From foreseeing sandstorms to finding underground aquifers, this film offers an inspiring example of survival, adaptation and renewed hope.

Giants of the Mesozoic

 
Ongoing Exhibit

Stand beneath some of the world's largest dinosaurs as you enter this snapshot of life in prehistoric Patagonia (145-165 million years ago). Take in a scene of an epic dinosaur battle between Giganotosaurus and Argentinosaurus with a flock of pterosaurs scattering away.

Play the role of a paleontologist as you examine the terrain to discover buried and trace fossils of other plant and animal species, such as dinosaur tracks, an Araucaria tree, a crocodile and a turtle shell.*

Exhibit Page

Star Gallery

 
Ongoing Exhibit

Each star was carefully plotted on the ceiling, forming an illuminated star chart. The fibers used to create the stars vary in diameter, allowing them to shine with 22 varying degrees of brightness. More than 6 miles of fiber optic wires accurately portray the 542 stars twinkling above.

SkyWatch screens provide daily programming about constellations, planets and astronomical events.

Visitors can find the stars in the Star Gallery using the following guide:

• Stand facing the doors to the Giant Screen Theater, which is toward the south, to recognize the constellations in the appropriate direction.
• Antares in Scorpius and Arcturus in Bootes are located near the World of Shells exhibition.
• By moving away from The World of Shells exhibit toward the Great Hall, which is eastward, visitors will pass under stars visible in the early evening in the spring, summer, autumn, winter and spring again.
• Ursa Major (the Big Dipper) is easily recognized over the double doors to the Great Hall.
• Andromeda is near the center of the room.
• Orion nebula (M-42) is just below the belt stars of Orion.
• Aldebaran (in the constellation Taurus) and Betelgeuse (in Orion) are found among the winter stars on the side near the Great Hall

Exhibit Page