The past and the future are alive and well in McDonough.

  The C.O. Polk Interactive Museum, at 34 John Frank Ward Blvd., in McDonough celebrated its long-awaited grand opening Saturday. Approximately 100-150 people joined Mayor Billy Copeland and City Council members during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the facility.

  The museum features 2,000 historic photos of McDonough and its history, said Mark Walhimer, owner of Museum Planning LLC in New York City, who oversaw the project. The facility, he said, also boasts a touchtable, and a body-activated timeline, depicting the history of McDonough and Henry County.

  “We’ve made a real effort to make sure that this is an interactive experience – holograms, object recognition, projection mapping, a 3D printer, touch table with archival photos, and opportunities for school groups to do interactive quizzes,” said Walhimer.

  The museum features a holograph projection of McDonough Mayor Billy Copeland, regaling  visitors with stories and information about the area’s history. Other highlights include a 3D printer and a children’s area, as well as artifacts and photos from the Camp Creek Train Wreck of 1900.

  Walhimer said screens at the “100-percent digital” museum will be “changing all the time,” with constant updates to ensure that visitors never see the same exact presentation twice.

  The museum also contains a 1940s mural by artist Jean Charlot. Walhimer said the painting was commissioned, at the time, as part of a project by the Works Progress Administration, thus falling under the auspices of the U.S. Dept. of the Interior.

  “This mural is significant, and it’s worth seeing,” said Walhimer. He said the museum will help to conserve the mural while also preserving the history of the area.

  Charlot was an artist-in-residence at the University of Georgia and painted the art as part of the WPA, said Walhimer. He described Charlot as an artist who “celebrated working-class people,” and said the city has purchased five of Charlot’s paintings, in addition to the mural.

  “One of the paintings is significant because it is also in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City,” said Walhimer. “They also have sketches of the mural that Mr. Charlot did of the cotton gin in McDonough.”

  The museum is named for C.O. Polk, who previously served as a judge in Henry County and died in 2003.

  “The building became a court annex, then stood vacant for a number of years,” said Walhimer.

  He said the City of McDonough later took over ownership of the facility, and local government officials decided three years ago to make a museum out of it.

  “This museum is for everyone,” said Walhimer. He said leaders at Shiloh Baptist Church and others longtime residents of the area have worked to ensure that the museum “represents the histories of all the residents of McDonough.”

  For more information, call 470-878-1105.