Bartow History Museum

THE BARTOW HISTORY MUSEUM officially opened its doors on April 7, 1987, under the name The Bartow History Center. The museum was originally part of what was known as the Etowah Foundation whose first location was in an old pool hall building before it moved to 13 North Wall St on the Downtown Square. Finally, after years of restoration, the museum was able to move into its current home in the 1869 Courthouse, located at 4 East Church St.

The museum’s collection is comprised of a variety of objects that represent the history of Bartow County. From local pottery to military uniforms, to plows and sewing machines, this collection is as eclectic as the people who call Bartow County home. A Registrar is responsible for overseeing donation and cataloging procedures, as well as regular object maintenance. An archival/paper collection is separate from the other objects and is managed by an Archivist. Much like the Registrar, the Archivist is in charge of handling donations, cataloging, and maintenance, but she also assists researchers on a regular basis. Both of these collections are cataloged using software that acts as a digital index of each item's physical location.

The museum offers educational programming for people of all ages. They often host school field trips for grades K-12 as well as Traveling Trunks, a program that brings the museum into classrooms. In addition to these school offerings, the museum offers summer and Girl Scout camps and works with local daycares and afterschool care programs to bring a museum experience to their campuses.

And while plenty is offered for the little ones, there is so much for adults of all ages to enjoy. They host a variety of lecture events by speakers ranging from professors and historians to local business people. And you won’t want to miss their Sip n’ Strolls, which are Downtown walking tours with historic themes. Participants learn about local history, get to stop at local businesses they might not normally frequent, and sip wine and enjoy snacks along the way. You can partake in workshops, cemetery tours, bus tours, and holiday-themed programming as the seasons allow and the museum is home to the quaintest of gift shops and sells a variety of locally crafted goods.

“The thing I love most about my job is getting to be at the center of my community. I grew up in Cartersville, and as a teenager, I was pretty determined that I wanted to leave. But now, as an adult, I see it with different eyes and I think working at the museum has played such a huge role in that. Not all places are fortunate to have institutions like the Bartow History Museum, which have people that are so dedicated to preserving everyday stories. Our Director, Trey Gaines, and our Archivist, Sandy Moore, have both been at this museum for 24 years. They built the archives from nothing but a few newspapers to a fully functioning research center because they care about people having a place to connect to their past and learn about it. Nothing makes me smile more than when people come in and find the family member they’ve always heard stories about. Or when a student comes in on a field trip and learns more about something they’ve read in their history book. It clicks with them that it was real, that it happened where they live, and then their faces kind of light up with realization.”

- Lauren Storey-Rhodes, MarketingManager