Cyclorama Closes Next Week; Will Move to Buckhead

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One of Atlanta’s most famous reminders of the Civil War will be shut down next week so workers can prepare to move it to Buckhead.

The Atlanta Cyclorama will be closed on June 30 as conservationists prepare to restore the painting and transport it to the Atlanta History Center sometime in 2017. BuckheadVew reports that the center will begin construction of the Cyclorama’s new home this fall; the 23,000 sq. ft. building will be big enough to restore the missing 3,000 sq. ft. to the mural and to reinstall the plaster figures which were created by artists during the Great Depression.

The painting, actually called “The Battle of Atlanta,” was completed in 1886 and moved to Atlanta in 1892. The diorama was not added until 1936 as part of a Depression-era program to put artists to work.

The Atlanta History Center has raised $32.2 million towards maintenance of the Cyclorama, ensuring taxpayers will not bear any costs to keep the historic artifact in pristine condition.