The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, one of twelve reserve banks located throughout the United States, is housed in a beautiful classical building on Peachtree Street in Midtown which was completed in 2001. Constructed from Georgia-quarried white Cherokee marble from Tate County and designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, the building is one of the most expensive ever built in the city of Atlanta. The reserve bank processes checks and cash for the states of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia and sections of Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. Of interest to tourists, the building houses the informative and interesting Atlanta Monetary Museum. For obvious reasons, the building maintains a high level of security. You will need to check any bags and cell phones in a locker before touring the museum. Unfortunately, photography is prohibited inside. However, this museum of money costs no money at all to visit. You can visit for a self guided tour between the hours of 9 AM to 4 PM, Monday through Friday, or organize a tour for groups of 10-30 people by appointment.
Once inside, visitors can view several multimedia displays explaining the history of the Federal Reserve and the development of paper currency in the United States and throughout the world and measures taken to prevent counterfeiting of currency. The displays illustrate what the Federal Reserve does, how it is organized and how it sets monetary policy for the country. The museum also explains the process of how banks bring money to the Federal Reserve location in Atlanta and how bills and checks are sorted. The museum's exhibits are entertaining and well presented. One of the best parts of the museum is a section where you can also watch (behind glass) actual cartloads of dollar bills being delivered into and out of the building by robots. While the bank does not give away free samples of legal tender, you can take a bag of shredded money home with you as a souvenir.
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