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

Being that this was my first visit to Rome, I decided to stop in at the Rome Area History museum…read moreand visitor welcome center right next door. This was the perfect way to begin my exploration of the downtown area, because it provided a great overview of the history in the area. Selena Tilly, the Director, graciously answered all of my questions regarding the history of the surrounding area. I highly recommend visiting the History Museum and Welcome Center if you're new to the area. Cheers

This is a gem of a museum in downtown Rome. It is FREE. It is worth taking and hour out of your day…read moreto see the history of the Rome area. The History starts in the 1800's after the Indians have been removed and goes to around 2000. It includes pictures of steamboats, trains,wars, and civil rights to name a few things. We could have stayed longer, but this gives us a reason to come back to Rome.

For the last few years we have visited Santa at The Marietta History Museum. This visit, like those…read morein the past, did not disappoint. All of Santa's "elves" are so friendly and kind; most start of up conversations with my little girls asking what's on their Christmas List. I always buy the digital photo with a photo ornament. The ornament is a great memory for our tree.

Marietta History Museum; Kennesaw House…read more Sooooo much history in this building. I highly recommend. Not a huge museum so it won't take much of you're time but there is a lot of good stuff to see here. Built as a cotton warehouse by John Glover in 1845, the Kennesaw House is one of Marietta's oldest buildings. On May 1, 1855, Dix Fletcher purchased the warehouse from John Glover for $12,000 and transformed it into a hotel. Fletcher named his hotel the Fletcher House until 1867 when he renamed it the Kennesaw House. It was not until the Civil War that the Kennesaw House gained notoriety and expanded its fame. On April 11, 1862, James Andrews and 18 US soldiers spent the night here on the 2nd floor. The next morning James Andrews and the "Raiders" left the Kennesaw House, boarded a train to Kennesaw, and stole 'The General' when its Confederate crew stopped for breakfast. The purpose of this raid was to help cut the Confederacy into smaller pieces by stealing a Confederate locomotive while destroying bridges and supply lines along the way. The raid was ultimately unsuccessful but the Kennesaw House gained fame as the starting location of the "Great Locomotive Chase." In July of 1864, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman used the house for his headquarters during his "Atlanta Campaign". That November, departing US Calvary started to burn anything that could be of use to the Confederate army. Sherman spared the hotel because Dix Fletcher was a Mason and because his son-in-law, Henry Cole, was a Yankee spy. However, the fourth floor did catch fire as ashes from other burning buildings blew onto the roof. The fourth floor was never rebuilt. During Reconstruction, Dix Fletcher re-emerged the hotel "as a resort destination free from the ice and chill wind of the North and the oppressive heat and relentless bugs of the South." It is now owned by the Downtown Marietta Development Authority, and since 1996 functioned as the Marietta Museum of History.

Leave your wallet at home…read more... Its a blast from the past. It's Woodstock's Welcome center and a museum all in one. Dean's store was opened in 1906 by Dr. W. H. Dean-one of the original settlers of Woodstock, GA and it serves as a testament to a by gone era. There is a little of everything at this mini museum from medical equipment used on actual Civil soldiers to old bus tickets schedules to old calculators. One of my favorite is an old licence to sell opium....Fun fact: they were the first in Woodstock to sell Coca Cola.... It's located in the old part of downtown Woodstock across from the restaurant Freight Kitchen & tap. You can park up front or turn on Town Lake pkwy and park in the back. It's a cool little place to check out if you have some time.....

Finally stopped at the Museum Of Coca-Cola Memorabilia while visiting family. They have limited hrs…read moreso check the website or Facebook page. Response time on FB is pretty quick. The cost is $5 for adults, worth the price. Free parking on the side of streets, we had no issues on a Saturday afternoon. No crowds, wear your mask. Once you enter pay the fee to the friendly host, and she explains the self your & will start the video when you are ready. Don't miss the video, lots of history of how the museum started and where the items came from. I loved the decor and all the memorabilia. A few items came from abroad per the host. The place is spacious and absolutely beautiful! It was a step back in time but in a more modern form. They have done a excellent job with all the items, explanations are on everything. You need at least 1.5hrs if you really read and stroll thru without rushing. There is a patio out pack with seating if you wanna have a cold cola! They sell drinks, snacks and a few souvenir items. Put this on your list to do in Cedartown if your in the area, its completely different from the one in Atlanta. I was completely surprised, glad I spent some time here!

Very informative and a good exhibit! They offer tours especially for school age kids. Check them…read moreout!

Very impressed We…read morecame down to the Marietta/Kennesaw area to spend time with my son and his wife and the two grandboys and to meet the new Granddaughter who at the time was only about two weeks old. We ended up staying at the Comfort Suites which is across the street and were surprised because I had never heard anything about this museum. Back in March, my wife and I spent 10 days in Israel and one of our visits was to the holocaust museum in Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Holocaust Museum is large and gives an excellent perspective of the horror of the Holocaust. You're overwhelmed at the atrocity of what happened and it tends to overload your senses. This place of exhibit makes the atrocity a little bit more personal and relative by it smaller size. Both add a lot to the understanding or rather the miscomprehension of this total atrocity. Gives a new perspective considering the events of the last week with Gilroy CA, El Paso TX and Dayton OH.

The Noble Hill-Wheeler Memorial Center was the first Rosenwald School building constructed in…read moreBartow County specifically designed for the education of black children. It first opened to receive students in 1924. The Rosenwald School project built not only schools, but shops and homes for the teachers (primarily in the South) during the early 20th century. Julius Rosenwald was a Jewish-American who also happened to be part-owner & president of Sears, Roebuck, and Company. He collaborated and partnered with African-American leader, educator, and philanthropist Booker T. Washington, who was president of the Tuskegee Institute. Booker was a strong voice and activist in the education of the black community and spend much time seeking funds and managing a variety of schools. By now (2021) it is no secret public education for black schools was SEVERELY underfunded, so Rosenwald created the Rosenwald Fund. It is important to note this was not a handout fund. Rosenwald required the local communities he helped to raise matching funds as well as labor in the schools construction. It was to encourage ownership and a sense of commitment to the projects long after the funds depleted. [Wilkipedia] IN ESSENCE, he was teaching them to fish and setting them up for success. Brilliant! *** [ THE EXPERIENCE ] Valerie Coleman (the Museum Curator) contacted me after receiving a message from the Bartow County Museum that I was interested in visiting. I'd called several times for several weeks but just couldn't get anyone to answer. Valerie had been away due to a death in the family but graciously agreed to meet me at the museum for a private tour. I was saddened by her news and insisted I could come back at another time, but she would not take no for an answer. She all but said "Don't make me come get you!" LOL The building is basically divided into two large rooms + an office space that protrudes from the main building. Housed in both rooms are historic photos, artifacts, letters and information about the Alma mater of the school. I was pleased to discover that not only is Valerie the curator, but is a direct descendant of the Wheeler namesake. Valerie proudly showed me old student desks, the original blackboard and a hand-made quilt honoring important contributors to the schools history. She also gave me a handbook that acts as a report to inform the public of Noble Hill's past, present and future. In it, it explains the significance of the school: ~ ~ ~ Between 1800-1835, most southern state enacted laws making it a crime to teach slaves to read or write. but by the late 1860's black education flourished for a time, albeit short lived. Black public education was decidedly inferior to white public education. So as southern agriculture (largely performed by blacks) began to suffer as blacks fled their conditions, a crusade for better black education resulted in black common schools. ENTER ROSENWALD SCHOOLS ~ ~ ~ Noble Hill was the only Rosenwald School built in Bartow County and the first in Northwest Georgia. In 1927 there were 13 schools for blacks in the county. Noble Hill was the only one built specifically as a school. The others were held in churches, lodge halls and community buildings, as they had been since the end of the Civil War. *** [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] It is worth mentioning that Dr. Susie Wheeler, an early graduate of the Noble Hill School who eventually returned to Bartow County as a teacher & supervisor, worked with her sister-in-law (Bertha Wheeler) to donate the school and land to the Noble Hill-Wheeler Memorial Center. They are largely responsible for preserving Noble Hill and diligently worked to restore it as an heritage museum. In their lineage, a woman by the name of Ruth Wheeler married the grandson of Melvina Shields, whom would become the great great grandmother of Michelle Obama (I think I got that family tree right). Noble Hill is an excellent place to see a glimpse into the lives of African Americans in the early 1900's and the impact it had on so many lives. Prominent people of old were heavily involved here, actively working to counterbalance the policies of the day so as to build a greater America and bring life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness into reality for all. 2021 / 33 BlackHISTORYSeries

This is a 2-day festival put on by the Service League of Cherokee County that is a fundraiser…read more There are over 100 artisans selling their wares and that is the main draw. When we arrived, there were multiple areas to park and the parking is free. We are already off to a good start. They also have golf cart shuttles that are free to take you to the front entrance. Admission was $5 per person and was either cash or card (there was a fee if you used a card). There is an ATM onsite for convenience. There are two main areas of artisans. The remaining sections include, the rides/games, food, and stage. The shows on the stage are free and the games/rides costs tickets, which can be purchased separately from the admission. There is also the playground that is park of the park that is free of course. The variety in food was decent, although there was not a ton of table space to eat at. Lastly, there is not a ton of shade here so beware on a sunny day. Our family had a great day!