Visiting a museum usually involves a casual stroll through history or art, but my experience at the David J. Sencer CDC Museum was markedly different. The intensity of the security – complete with car searches, ID scans, and questions from armed guards – was unlike anything I had encountered on previous museum visits. This heightened security underscores the significance of the museum’s location: within the headquarters of a major United States government agency, dedicated to addressing global health crises with over 10,000 employees and an annual budget of US$9.3 billion.
The CDC Museum, nestled in Atlanta, Georgia, stands as the only publicly accessible part of this complex. Admission is free, and the museum operates from Monday to Friday. It serves as an educational window into the 77-year history and critical ongoing work of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), renowned as the world’s largest government agency in the public health sector.
The museum’s visitors are granted a unique opportunity to understand the daily operations of the CDC, which happen behind rigorous security layers. The CDC’s teams are involved in monitoring global infectious disease outbreaks, compiling health data, developing public safety programs, and coordinating immunization services. Their reach extends globally, with scientists stationed in over 60 countries across continents including Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and South America.
Before 2020, the CDC might not have been a household name outside the United States. However, the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic catapulted virology and epidemiology into everyday conversations. Terms like “comorbidity,” “herd immunity,” “droplet transmission,” and references to the World Health Organization and the CDC became commonplace. This global health crisis elevated the public profile of the CDC and, by extension, its museum.
The CDC Museum, established in 1996 on the 50th anniversary of the CDC’s founding (July 1, 1946), welcomes visitors post an intensive security screening. The entrance leads to a modern, high-ceilinged lobby. To the right, a hallway leads to staff-only areas, where white-coated personnel vanish from public view. To the left lies the museum, spread over two levels.
The main exhibition, “CDC at 75,” located on the lobby-level floor, is a permanent display that chronicles the agency’s evolution and milestones. Through information boards and video screens, the exhibition takes visitors on a journey through the CDC’s past and present, highlighting its pivotal role in global health.
For anyone interested in public health, epidemiology, or the history of medical science, the David J. Sencer CDC Museum offers a rare and informative peek into one of the world’s most crucial health institutions. Its exhibits not only reflect the CDC’s significant contributions to global health but also serve as a reminder of the ever-evolving challenges in the field of public health.
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