Kennesaw Museum Foundation
Empowering the legacy of the Southern Museum
The Kennesaw Museum Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Our tax ID is 58-2399847.
It is the mission of the Kennesaw Museum Foundation Inc. to effect a superior educational environment through philanthropic and programmatic support of the Southern Museum and to identify priorities, direction, and goals defining the Museum’s image and objectives.
What we do
Supporting the growth of the Southern Museum
The Kennesaw Museum Foundation plays a pivotal role in enhancing the Southern Museum through philanthropic and programmatic support
Memberships
Tax-deductible memberships to the Southern Museum are administered by the Kennesaw Museum Foundation. We offer various levels of membership.
Community Partnerships
The Kennesaw Museum Foundation partners with civic and business leaders in the community to financially support the Museum through corporate & program sponsorships.
Educational Outreach
KMF supports educational programs at the Southern Museum such as Mommy & Me, Homeschool Workshop, Sensory Friendly days,Stay and Play Saturdays, the Travelling Trunk and virtual field trips.
Fundraising
KMF raises funds for capital projects, artifact restoration and preservation, museum project support, and educational programs.
History
The history of the Kennesaw Museum Foundation
The Kennesaw Museum Foundation (KMF) was founded in 1998 to assist the City of Kennesaw in expanding the old Big Shanty Civil War Museum (1972) by joining the story of the Civil War locomotive General with the post-Civil War story of the Glover Machine Works. Construction was begun on a new 40,000 square-foot facility and on March 30, 2003, the new Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History held its Grand Opening.
KMF has played a crucial role in expanding the Southern Museum. Since the initial construction in 2003, additional dollars has been raised by KMF for other Southern Museum capital projects. These include the construction and opening of the 8,100 square foot Jolley Education Center in 2008 and the 8,700 square foot Railroad Education Center Library and Archives in 2016, and restoration of Caboose X372 in 2024.
KMF is dedicated to raising dollars, forming community partnerships, and expanding museum interpretation to tell a broader and more inclusive narrative. Efforts began with the successful community programming and exhibition conveying the story of the 1915 Leo Frank lynching during its 100th anniversary. A strategic plan All Aboard for 2026 was adopted with a focus on augmenting the museum mission through greater inclusion of southern social history. In 2018, the Centennial Confederate Statues were relocated from the Museum front lobby into a new internal gallery Post Civil War Perspectives: 1865 to present which focuses on how our opinions and memories concerning the Civil War have evolved and continue to change. Through the Silenced Voices initiative, KMF is assisting the Museum by promoting understanding of the southern experience to all people, past and present, regardless of gender, age, race, creed, economic status, religious and non-religious belief, sexual orientation, and heritage.
Building a strong and effective museum requires regional and national involvement. The Southern Museum and/or Kennesaw Museum Foundation is a member of the Smithsonian Affiliations program, American Alliance of Museums, American Association for State and Local History, Society of American Archivists, Georgia Association of Museums and Galleries, Cobb Chamber of Commerce, and Kennesaw Business Association.
Kennesaw Museum Foundation 