Cartersville’s Tellus Science Museum is ringing in the spring season with an exciting milestone — the museum’s 3 millionth visitor.

The special moment was marked with a surprise celebration as museum staff cheered on the unsuspecting guests who helped the museum achieve this impressive number.

“We’ve been keeping a close eye on our attendance, knowing this milestone was coming up,” said Executive Director, Adam Wade. “We wanted to make sure we had a plan in place that would really ‘wow’ our guests and make them feel special.”

Students from New Hope Elementary were welcomed to the museum with a confetti cannon blast in the Macke Great Hall. Plus, the lucky group was treated to fresh baked cookies from the Tellus Café and complimentary guest passes to visit the museum again.

“I was so surprised! I didn’t know what was going to happen,” said Jadrien Barragan, one of the students. “I really like science, and I want to come back with my family.”

The museum offers a diverse range of exhibits covering geology, astronomy, and paleontology as well as engaging programs and events for visitors of all ages.

The new expansion will house an exhibit focusing on technology, showcasing innovations that have shaped the world we live in today and provide a larger area for special traveling exhibits.

“As we continue to look to the future, we want to make sure that as an institution we remain committed to making science accessible and fun for all,” said Wade. “This new space is going to allow us to bring even more world-class scientific experiences to visitors.”