Roswell's Mimms Museum of Technology and Arts picked up a regional honor for a 20,000-square-foot exhibit tracing five decades of Apple history.
The Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC) awarded the museum an honorable mention for "iNSPIRE: 50 Years of Innovation from Apple" during a Wednesday, Sept. 30 luncheon in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, as first reported by Appen Media. The honor came in the category for exhibits with budgets exceeding $1 million. Museum professionals judged entries on exhibition design, educational value, innovation and treatment of objects, and SEMC received a record number of entries this year.
Lonnie Mimms, the museum's founder and board chairman, said the exhibit was built to tell "a cohesive story about how innovation, design and creativity shape the way we experience the world."
The permanent exhibit opened April 1 at 5000 Commerce Parkway. It holds more than 2,000 artifacts, including five original Apple 1 computers, over 30 prototypes, Apple-branded tennis shoes and the second check the company ever wrote, signed by both Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Visitors can also step into an interactive display that transforms them into an iconic iPod silhouette.
The exhibit is permanent.
Mimms, a Georgia Tech graduate who has collected computers and technology gadgets for more than 40 years, founded the nonprofit museum in 2019. It was formerly known as Computer Museum of America. He also co-founded the Vintage Computer Festival Southeast and formerly served as vice president of the executive board for Visit Roswell and Roswell Inc.
The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $22 for adults and $16 for children ages 4 to 17.
Upcoming at the Mimms Museum
- Friday, Oct. 16: Night Mode, 5–9 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 17: Talking Tech: WattAir, 10:30–11:30 a.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 5: Speed Puzzling, 6–8:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 7: Electronics Recycle Drive, 1–3 p.m.
