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Cartersville is the county seat of Bartow County, about 42 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta off Interstate 75, where the metro area gives way to the foothills and lakes of northwest Georgia. Settled in 1832 under the name Birmingham, it was incorporated as Cartersville in 1854 and named for Colonel Farish Carter, a wealthy planter. About 23,000 people live here, yet the city punches far above its size when it comes to museums.
The Booth Western Art Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate, has one of the largest exhibition spaces for Western art in the country, and the Tellus Science Museum next door adds dinosaurs, gems and minerals and a digital planetarium. The Savoy Automobile Museum shows off classic and unusual cars, and the Bartow History Museum tells the county's story from the Cherokee era through the Civil War and industry.
Downtown Cartersville keeps its brick storefronts, restaurants and shops along Main Street, and the wall of Young Brothers Pharmacy still carries the world's first outdoor Coca-Cola advertisement, painted in 1894. South of town, the Etowah Indian Mounds preserve earthen mounds built by Native Americans about a thousand years ago, while Lake Allatoona and Red Top Mountain State Park offer boating, swimming and lakeside trails.
Downtown Cartersville centers on Main Street and the railroad depot, with restored historic buildings housing restaurants, shops and the Grand Theatre. Several museums lie within a short walk or drive. Pick up a walking map at the welcome center and start at the old depot, which hosts visitor information.
The Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville is one of the largest museums of Western art in the United States, with paintings, sculpture, Civil War art, a gallery of presidential letters and portraits, and a hands-on children's gallery. Allow at least two hours, and check for special exhibitions.
Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville is a Smithsonian affiliate with galleries on minerals and gems, fossils and dinosaurs, transportation and space science, plus a planetarium and observatory. Kids can pan for gems and dig for fossils outside. Plan half a day and book planetarium shows when you arrive.
The Savoy Automobile Museum in Cartersville displays a large collection of classic and historic cars in rotating themed galleries, from early automobiles to muscle cars and racing machines. It opened in 2021 next to Tellus. Combine it with a Tellus visit and check online for special themed exhibits.
Rose Lawn Museum is the restored Victorian home of the 19th century evangelist Sam Jones in downtown Cartersville, with period furnishings and exhibits about Jones and local author Rebecca Latimer Felton, the first woman to serve in the U.S. Senate. Tours are guided, so check open days in advance.
The Bartow History Museum in downtown Cartersville tells the story of Bartow County from Native American times through the Civil War, industry and the 20th century, with hands-on exhibits for children. It occupies a historic courthouse building. Allow about an hour and combine it with a downtown walk.
Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site preserves a major Mississippian town occupied from about 1000 to 1550, with several earthen mounds, including one about 63 feet tall you can climb. A museum displays artifacts and carved marble effigies. Check opening days and allow time for the river trail.
The world's first outdoor painted Coca-Cola advertisement appears on the side of a downtown Cartersville building, painted in 1894 and later restored. It is a quick and popular photo stop on a walk through the historic district. Find it at Young Brothers Pharmacy on Main Street; morning light works best.
Cooper's Furnace is the stone remains of an 1800s iron furnace near Allatoona Dam, once part of an industrial village that disappeared after the Civil War and the creation of Lake Allatoona. The day use area has picnic spots and river access. It is a short drive from town, and the furnace is beside the parking area.
Dellinger Park is Cartersville's main city park, with walking trails, sports fields, tennis courts, playgrounds, picnic pavilions and an aquatic center open in summer. It is a busy hub for local families and youth sports. Weekday mornings are calmer, and the walking loop is good for an easy outing.
Red Top Mountain State Park sits on a peninsula in Lake Allatoona just south of Cartersville, with lakeside hiking trails, a swimming beach, campsites, cottages, boat ramps and a reconstructed 1860s homestead. Deer are common at dusk. A daily parking fee applies, and the Homestead Trail is an easy family hike.
The Grand Theatre is a restored historic theater on Main Street in downtown Cartersville, home to community theater productions, concerts and special events through the year. Its small size gives every seat a good view of the stage. Check the season lineup and plan dinner downtown before the show.
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