About the David J. Sencer CDC Museum
The David J. Sencer CDC Museum is an educational facility designed to teach about CDC, public health, and the benefits of prevention. The museum, originally called the Global Health Odyssey (GHO), was established in 1996 in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)′s 50th anniversary and to coincide with the Centennial Olympic Games. Located in Building 2 in the former CDC cafeteria, the original Global Health Odyssey presented permanent exhibitions about the history and work of CDC through dioramas, an interactive timeline, and displays of artifacts and objects.
In 2000 as part of its master plan, CDC made the decision to expand and re-locate the Global Health Odyssey Museum to the new Global Communications Center, scheduled for completion in 2005. Planning for new exhibition, education, and support areas provided opportunities for the Museum staff to professionalize its operations to meet the highest museum standards, including collections management, education, and outreach.
In 2011, the Global Health Odyssey Museum was re-named the David J. Sencer CDC Museum, in honor of the longest serving director of CDC.
The David J. Sencer CDC Museum is a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate, which provides access to unique programming, content and expertise, and provides a network and forum for the CDC Museum to showcase itself on a national stage and at a national level. The David J. Sencer CDC Museum demonstrates the highest levels of accomplishments in all of its activities, including:
- Critically-regarded changing exhibition program of both CDC–curated and traveling exhibitions
- Installation of sophisticated permanent exhibitions about the history of CDC, including the multi-media installation—the Global Symphony
- Cataloguing of the CDC Museum collection and archives according to professional museum standards
- Adoption of collection policies and manuals
- Providing access to qualified researchers to CDC archives and collections
- Collaboration with Emory University to preserve and present CDC′s global health collections on–line
- Implementation of highly–regarded education programs, including the annual CDC Disease Detective Camp
- Provision of tours to CDC staff, special groups, and the general public
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Contact Us:
- David J. Sencer CDC Museum
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road, N.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30333 - Tel: (404) 639-0830
- museum@cdc.gov




