I have actually been to the Booth Western Art Museum.
And let me save you some time:
It is awesome.
This isn’t one of those posts where I’m telling you about a place that’s sitting on Rachel’s ever-growing “I really need to go there” list.
I’ve been.
And I think one of the coolest things about the Booth is that you walk in and very quickly realize:
Wait. THIS is in Cartersville?
Because the scale of this museum is not what you necessarily expect when somebody says Western art museum in Northwest Georgia.
The Booth is 120,000 square feet, a Smithsonian Affiliate, and home to the largest permanent exhibition space for Western art in the country.
Yeah.
Right here in Bartow County.
You Do NOT Have to Be a Cowboy Person
This is important. 😂
If somebody says Western Art Museum and your immediate thought is:
Okay…so a lot of cowboy paintings?
I understand.
But that’s really underselling what you’ll find there.
The permanent collection tells stories of the American West through paintings, sculpture, photography and artifacts. There are galleries devoted to Western landscapes, wildlife and traditions, along with a Presidential Gallery featuring portraits and letters.
And the building itself is impressive.
This is the kind of museum where you can wander around much longer than you planned because you keep turning a corner and finding something else.
Take the Kids
This was one of the reasons I wanted Booth included in our Bartow family series.
Because it’s very easy to look at the words art museum and assume:
Kids + priceless artwork = absolutely not. 😂
But the Booth specifically built family experiences into the museum.
Sagebrush Ranch is an interactive children’s gallery, and the museum also provides family guides, Western-themed activities and other programming designed to make the experience accessible to kids.
So this doesn’t have to be an adults-only afternoon where you spend three hours saying:
“Put your hands in your pockets.”
Although depending on your child, I make no guarantees. 😂
The Exhibits Change, Too
Another reason this isn’t necessarily a one-and-done visit is that the Booth hosts temporary exhibitions alongside its permanent collection.
As of September 2026, current exhibitions include Preternatural and the American West: Michael Scott, featuring more than 30 works exploring earth, air, fire and water, and the Booth Photography Guild Annual Exhibition.
That’s worth knowing if you haven’t been in a while.
There may be something completely different waiting for you.
Here’s a Local Tip I Really Like
The Booth currently offers free admission on the second Thursday of each month from 4–8 PM as part of its effort to make the museum accessible to local individuals and families.
FREE.
There’s your “we need something different to do with the kids” plan.
Also, apparently the museum stays at 71 degrees to help preserve the artwork, and they recommend bringing a light sweater if you tend to get cold.
Which means Georgia can be approximately 147 degrees outside and you can go inside the Booth and experience October.
Honestly, that’s almost an attraction by itself. 😂
Make a Downtown Cartersville Day of It
This is another reason I love the Booth as a local outing.
It’s located at 501 Museum Drive, right in Downtown Cartersville.
So you don’t necessarily have to make the museum the entire day.
Go to the Booth.
Walk downtown.
Grab lunch.
Do a little shopping.
Get coffee.
Suddenly you’ve got a really good Saturday without driving all over metro Atlanta looking for something to do.
And This Is Exactly the Point of Around Bartow
Tellus yesterday.
Booth today.
And we’re barely getting started.
Sometimes I think those of us who live here become so accustomed to what’s around us that we stop seeing it.
Meanwhile, people are traveling to Cartersville specifically to visit places sitting ten or fifteen minutes from some of our houses.
The Booth has been open since 2003, is a Smithsonian Affiliate, and has become a nationally recognized Western art museum.
And it’s ours.
So if you’ve never been because you thought:
“Eh…I’m not really into Western art.”
Go anyway.
I think you may be surprised.
I certainly was.
And if you’ve already been, tell me:
What’s your favorite part of the Booth?
Because apparently we’re spending this week reminding everybody that Bartow County is actually pretty damn cool. 😂❤️
Real Estate. Real Life. Rachel.
Exhibitions, admission, hours and programs can change. Check the museum directly before planning your visit.
Leave a comment