Cartersville, Ga., located northwest of Atlanta off I75 North, boasts a quaint downtown area with a number of shops and restaurants, not to mention some of the most incredible museums in the South! There is a ton to do in the city for a day trip or even for an entire weekend. Here are our top picks!
If you like cowboys and Indians, you are going to love the Booth Western Art Museum. It features contemporary Western American art, historic Western art, Civil War art, Presidential portraits and letters, Western movie posters and illustrations. Make sure to visit the new wing with all the Indian chieftain statues. For great summer memories, visit the Sagebrush Ranch where kids can be kids. This interactive gallery allows kids to role play riding in a stage coach, dressing like a cowboy and even cooking a meal at the chuck-wagon.
For more Indian history, visit the Etowah Indian Mounds a native American archaeological site near the juncture of the Etowah River and Pumpkinvine Creek. The Etowah Indian mounds were built on a chieftain trail and the largest mound is easily 63 ft tall! The 54-acre site includes 7 mounds, borrow pits, a plaza, portions of the original village and a museum.
Dreaming of space travel? You can certainly count the stars at Tellus Science Museum where North Georgia’s only digital planetarium is showing “Stars” this summer. The digital projector will take you through our solar system to the edge of the galaxy and beyond. Kids can go dig for fossils or pan for jewels.
Add a bit of nostalgia to your trip, visit the world’s first outdoor Coca-Cola sign at Young Brothers Pharmacy in downtown Cartersville. It was painted in 1894 and restored in 1990 when it was authenticated by Coca-Cola as the first outdoor advertisement. You’ll want to visit it first thing in the morning as the sun illuminates the sign as it rises in the east.
There are lots of locally-owned opportunities for dining in the city. Some of my favorites include: Slopes BBQ where they have great barbeque and banana pudding, Moore’s Market known for their signature sweet potato biscuits, home-makde chocolate, chocolate cake and blueberry pie. Knight’s offers lots of southern options including a beautiful wood bar that will remind you of Cheers. Make sure to try their ribs.
If after a long day, you just want to sit and watch the world go by, consider a visit to Dellinger Park where you can see the giant cat fish at pond, as well as a myriad of ducks and geese! Visit the Cartersville-Bartow County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau for more information on Cartersville, or to book your hotel – www.notatlanta.org.
There are lots of homes for sale in Cartersville. If you decide to stay for longer than a weekend, make sure to visit our Cartersville real estate listings.