What a jewel nestled in the small town of Cartersville, Georgia! I'm a fan of western art and was…read morethrilled to visit a world class museum dedicated to the great art and artists of the American West. Our tour guide was very informative as she shared her knowledge of the collections on display. There is so much to see and absorb. Allow plenty of time to join the 60-90 minute afternoon tour and also go back on your own to see more than can be covered in a "short" 90 minutes.The museum building itself is a lovely architectural design. Definitely a "must visit" for anyone whose love of history includes stories and images of America's Western Heritage.

It had been over 4.5 years since we last visited the Booth Western Art Museum. It is a bit far for…read moreus to drive (on a regular basis) and there hadn't seemed to be much difference in the exhibits at that time versus our visit prior to that. We were staying overnight nearby so we opted to revisit on a weekend when our bank sponsors free admission. We parked in a large shared lot across the street that was about 90% full due to a local farmers' market. We arrived around 10:30 a.m. on a Saturday (they open at 10). My assumption was that we'd spent at most a couple of hours here. However, I was mistaken. My impression is that they have added / exchanged a significant percentage of the works on display over the last few years. There were definitely a lot of works I recalled seeing, but there were also many that were unfamiliar. All have associated plaques with notes (some about the context and some about the artists). I read many of these as I browsed. The artwork is probably 75% paintings and 25% sculptures (percentages vary based on the room / wing you are in). Over the 2 main floors, the galleries included: - a room showing examples of how works depicting the west evolved decade by decade for ~ 2 centuries. - rooms of general western works - themed rooms with subjects like 'cowboys' or 'native peoples' - a room devoted to new acquisitions - a separate 'gallery of the U.S. presidents' that is permanent - a room devoted to traveling exhibits - this one was an artist who painted western scenes (including national parks) with about 90% realism and 10% spiritual / fantasy elements. - a long hallway devoted to sculptures of a wide array of native tribes - a large gallery devoted to modern interpretations - including things like a Van Gogh inspired painting of a bull rider, some pop-art by Warhol, etc. - a room devoted mostly to military work - the burning of Atlanta, the battle of the Alamo, etc. We spent over 3.5 hours here and left mostly as we were getting tired. I think I covered most of the museum, but there were parts near the end where I spent less time. The museum also had a temporary photo exhibit in the basement area, as well as a cafe and gift shop. There grounds feature an array of larger sculptures, but it was in the upper 90s that day so we didn't linger outside. I recall liking this museum when I came here previously, but I enjoyed it even more on this most recent visit. I'll definitely try to return again.

Excellent spot for sightseeing. Great for adults; mildly ok for kids, as its light on interaction…read more Lovely, knowledgeable Docents waiting to share the story. Nice home, small for its era of plantation homes. It was nice seeing the true story of the impact of African Americans - without them there is no Roswell. Without black free labor there is no America in the way we see it now. Free labor fueled the wealth of many dynasties. A nice one hour or 1.5 hr is enough time to see everything. You may want to read up on the house and area before you arrive to ground you in the founding of Roswell. If you love antiques, there's tons to see! Lots of pics on wall. This specific founder wasn't ostentatious so its the opposite of gold, lavish, etc. Its humble wealth! They were devout Presbyterians who were conflicted on owning slaves; private/ secret abolitionist who taught their slaves to write. Telling other locals it was for God so his slaves could read the Bible. But truly it was so they had a skill and could be more than slaves! Remarkable! Fun visit. There are two more grand homes, larger, more lavish by 2 other Roswell early founders, about a mile away. So if you have more time, do it all in 2 to 3 hours. We sat on the porch for 30 min just rocking, nice chairs! We may not ever go back but it was worth seeing!

The city of Roswell has 3 preserved antebellum houses open for public tours. We stopped by all 3…read moreone Saturday afternoon in February. All are located within a 1/2-mile radius, and 2 are literally within about 200 yards of each other. Our third stop was at Smith Plantation. It is located close to the Roswell business / restaurant district, and is adjacent to the city hall (with which it shares a parking lot). Like the others, there is no fee here. We entered via the front door and interacted with the welcoming docent, who asked for our zip code and how we'd heard about the venue. You are then free to wander the house via whatever route you like. Most rooms have a sign with a 4-digit code. You call a phone number (the same one used at the other 2 houses) and enter successive codes as you proceed. For each code, there is an accompanying description of the room's historical context and of its furnishings. These mansions all seemed to follow the same basic floorplan - a central linear hallway with 2 or 3 rooms off each side and a staircase at the end. This home had been upgraded / modernized in the 1940s, so some parts have a different feel than the other 2 open homes. For instance, this one has a kitchen that is more relatable, and there is an actual master bath added upstairs. This also seemed to be the smallest of the 3 homes. There is a bit more information about the last people who lived in the house, as they were there until the 1980s. There are also a few outbuildings here. If you only had time to tour one house of the 3, I'd still begin with Bulloch Hall. However, this place was nice to visit if you have another 30 - 45 minutes.

We scheduled a museum tour and had a wonderful experience. The museum is wheelchair accessible and…read morevery accommodating. Our guide was friendly and welcoming, as was each person we met. The tour was very informative and geared towards the group. They answered all of our questions, and they gave us plenty of photo opportunities. The museum has a wide variety of items on display and is sure to capture the interests of both children and adults.

Fabulous museum for people of all ages! We went with our son and grandson and we all loved it.read more

The city of Roswell has 3 preserved antebellum houses open for public tours. We stopped by all 3…read moreone Saturday afternoon in February. All are located within a 1/2-mile radius, and 2 are literally within about 200 yards of each other. Our second stop was at Barrington Hall. It is located across Hwy 120 from Bulloch Hall, a bit closer to Roswell Road. They have a small parking lot out front. Like the others, there is no fee here. We again wandered up to the house's front facade (which faces away from the parking lot towards Hwy 120) entered via the front door. The docent on duty was again friendly and just asked for our zip code and how we'd heard about the venue. You are then free to wander the house via whatever route you like. Most rooms have a sign with a 4-digit code. You call a phone number (the same one used at the other 2 houses) and enter successive codes as you proceed. For each code, there is an accompanying description of the room's historical context and of its furnishings. These mansions all seemed to follow the same basic floorplan - a central linear hallway with 2 or 3 rooms off each side and a staircase at the end. This house was a bit smaller than Bulloch Hall, but had slightly more furnishings. This home also had more of a formal garden in the back. If you only had time to tour one house of the 3, I'd still begin with Bulloch Hall. However, this place was nice to visit if you have another 30 - 45 minutes.

My sister was in town, we wanted to do something different - found this stunning home when I…read moresearched Roswell Georgia. Plenty of parking, but the signs to get to the front door could be a bit more clear (there are many doors on this gorgeous home). We entered the wrong door but the gracious woman who is a docent welcomed us warmly! She gave a grand tour of the home with many interesting stories about its former residents. The home is well maintained, plus has some actual furniture from the owners and other items representative of the era. I wish I could recall the woman's name who gave us the tour, she was amazing! How does she recall all this information? Thankful this home has been saved and taken care of-

I wished we planned more time for our stop here. It's incredibly humbling walking through the…read moreexhibits and realizing how much of a battle human rights had to be (and still is, honestly). The reflecting pool was very peaceful (do not sit on the edge! They will warn you, as there are no signs...) Highly recommend - very educational.

Some thoughts on the different areas:…read more The King Center exhibits provided some great insight into the like of MLK, Gandhi, and Rosa Parks, though they feel a bit dated and as if they have not been updated in quite a few decades. The grounds of the King Center are impressive, and the freedom walk, reflecting pool, and tomb of Martin Luther King were beautiful. The Freedom Hall exhibits, though, could be cut if you have limited time. We made sure to stop by for the ranger program at Ebenezer Baptist Church because everyone online said it was a must-do. The presentation began with what felt like the ranger going through a checklist of things he had to say before taking us up into the sanctuary itself to walk a lap around it as a sermon played in the background. Sadly, this experience did not live up to the hype, so structuring our day around being available for the time of the ranger program was not something we would do again. We visited the Birth Home on the second day it reopened and were glad the timing worked out! The Ranger tour was so well done, providing such insight into the childhood and life of Martin Luther King in a way that was engaging, interactive, and made the time fly by. Our ranger found a way to bring everyone - from the oldest to the youngest participants - into the discussion and clearly was passionate about the subject! The visitor center is currently undergoing renovations, so we know we missed some great exhibits that we would've seen in there.

Having arrived during the holiday season when the visitor center was closed, I started my visit to…read moreCartersville at the Bartow history Museum. It's the perfect way to get an overview of the surrounding areas from many perspectives, including historic, economic, civic, etc. The staff, Pat and Rebecca, took the time to show me around on the ground level and later answered many of my questions. I would highly recommend people start their first visit to Cartersville at the Bartow history museum. Cheers

What can I say, not only did the history archived here overwhelm me, but so did the staff! It was…read moreso much more than I expected!!! [ THE SCENE ] I began my journey to Bartow History Museum with a desire to visit important sites for Black History Month. My plan was to post one review per day highlighting either places with significant Black History or Black Owned Businesses, so I got started visiting such places early January. Noble Hill-Wheeler Memorial Center was heavy on my heart because it was thee first Rosenwald School building constructed in Bartow County specifically designed for the education of black children (1924). Well, after about 2 weeks of calling the listed number and getting no live answer I began calling other historic sites on the Cartersville-Bartow Visitors Bureau website. One of those led me to call the museum and that was when I was introduced to sweet Mrs. Pat! It was not at all her responsibility, but she contacted the curator of the Memorial Center who decided to meet me there later in the day, despite not being open due to family tragedy. I insisted she not worry about it, but she was even more insistent that I come for a visit considering I had made the journey. Truly, all the historians and curators blew me away in this small unassuming town. *** [ THE EXPERIENCE ] During my conversation with Mrs. Pat, she insisted I come to the Bartow History Museum first! I'd called her about 45 minutes before arriving because I decided drive to Cartersville on a wing and a prayer, UNDETERRED BY being unsure if anything would be open. God seems to always have a way of rewarding my blind faith efforts. The museum was not on my radar or in my plans, but Pat was highly convincing that it would be well worth my time... and boy was she right! She was the first to greet me and immediately began to give me a tour. Shortly after my arrival Trey, the Museum Director, arrived with a thick stack of archive materials for me to review! He'd heard from Pat that I was wanting Black History information and brought a plethora of files. DID I MENTION HOW OVERWHELEMED I WAS WITH THEIR HOSPITALITY? Trey and Mrs. Pat treated me as if I were an important visiting professor, despite just how many times I told them I am a lowly blogger that had an idea to highlight some Black History Sites for the month. It didn't matter, because it was clear I was important to them! The first floor highlighted the women important to the county history while the second floor covered everything else, including artifacts, displays and powerful videos of timelines and living human history. *** [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] I came to find at least one story to write about, but the archives were vast and full of so many historic importance's that I decided I would do this place absolutely no justice in the limited words yelp allows for a review. So I will simply say, if you are desiring to teach yourself or your children important local history (ESPECIALLY BLACK HISTORY), consider this museum to be the Fort Knox of county information. Cartersville is TRULY impressive with an extravagant wealth of documents, photos and INCLUSIVE American history. But beyond all the information available, my most treasured memory will be how the staff made me feel. I felt totally unworthy of their lavish attention as Pat walked with me and pointed out things I might not have noticed on my own and Trey gave me access to files not within public areas of the museum. Dare I say I felt loved and highly welcomed! As Maya Angelou once famously said: "At the end of the day people won't remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel." I walked away from Bartow County Museum with one overwhelming feeling that doesn't come often or easily - I felt IMPORTANT. God bless you all! 2021 / 29 BlackHISTORYSeries

I expected there to be more about Margaret Mitchell here but there is just one room set up to…read moreresemble the space Mitchell lived in with her husband while she wrote Gone With The Wind in "The Dump". The rest of the museum is devoted to rhetoric about how GWTW is a false representation of slavery and the reconstruction and bashes the novel. I thought the entry fee was steep at $18 for what it was. From what I read of the other reviews, it looks like this museum was very different a few years ago and to be honest it sounds more like what I hoped it would be. It's a shame that they took out all the memorabilia and erased all information about Mitchell to spout their new agenda. Skip this, it's not worth it.

This was my second time at MMH and it's definitely different. I went as a child in the early 2000s…read moremaybe a few years after the nusiuk opened. I returned recently for the first time ever as an adult. And I have to say it is a completely different experience and museum than I remember (and when I spoke to the staff they confirmed almost e rushing about what I remembered , and missed so I know my memories weren't dreamt up or anything like that) My biggest takeaway is that it is less about Margaret Mitchell (the woman) than it used to be and more about the cultural phenomenon that Gone Woith the Wind was, both good and bad. Especially through the lens of 2025 sentimentality. I would say about 20% is about MM and the rest really focuses now on GWTW from a very 21st central view. Which, as a liberally minded woman I take no issue with, however it was not what I was expecting. I have to say I missed the focus on the woman. Before it was much more of the building and her apartment and her day to day life. I can remember clearly seeing the refrigerator that she actually owned and hid the manuscript in. The current incarnation doesn't really need to take much of anything from the historical location of the home, which kind of rendors it unnecessary. I'm one of the who really enjoys looking at old properties and a big part of what I was looking forward to seeing was the details. Those no longer really exist. There are exactly 2 rooms with anything remotely like a "home tour" which was not the case before. Now that's not to say it was not interesting or a worthwhile stop. There is a lot of unique perspectives and artifacts surrounding the boom and movie wether you are a fan or not. It just was not what I had remembered or expected to see. The name Margaret Mitchell House feels a little bit like a bait and switch in its current incarnation but it was still very interesting!

THE WILLIAM-PAYNE MUSEUM…read more The William-Payne House was built in 1866 and located in the area of Mt. Vernon and 400. It was moved to its current location in 1940 and extensively remodeled. It currently houses the "Civil War in Sandy Springs" exhibit. The exhibit does a great job of detailing Sherman's march from Chattanooga to Atlanta, identifying the conditions of the day, challenges and of course the impact of the war on Sandy Springs residents. The letters from local residents painted a vivid picture of everyday like and the destruction that was left following the occupation by union soldiers. In addition to letters, (copies), there are maps, photos, picture of local soldiers, and artifacts. I like to read and discuss so it took me approximately one hour to go through the exhibit but would probably take 30 minutes for others. This is the perfect tour for school age kids because of its size. There is a downloadable app that allows you to listen to narration if you prefer. Interesting facts: In 1866, the population of Sandy Springs was 1000, while Sherman's men numbered 100,000. By the end of the war, 40% of the Union soldiers were black and 40,000 of them died during this time This museum is only open on Wed and Sat from 11am until 2pm and this exhibit will only be available for another week so get movin!