The Nook

Travel down the hall to discover The Nook, our hands-on interactive exhibit designed for children and the young at heart. Visitors can explore Bartow County history by listening to stories from local history makers in an authentic 1940s telephone booth, interacting with items from a general store, and reading a book at an old-fashioned school desk.

Feature Exhibition Gallery

Also located on the first floor is our Feature Exhibition Gallery, where visitors can discover fascinating artifacts and stories from our collection that are not featured in our permanent exhibits. These rotating exhibitions change throughout the year and highlight a variety of historical topics with local, regional, and national significance.

Current Exhibit: Voices and Votes: Democracy in America

Bartow History Museum is hosting Voices and Votes: Democracy in America, a Smithsonian traveling exhibition presented with Georgia Humanities. On view from July 23 through September 5, it explores the history of U.S. democracy, civic participation, and the ongoing expansion of voting rights over nearly 250 years.

The exhibition examines how American democracy has developed “of, by, and for the people,” highlighting voting rights, civic engagement, protest, and the systems that support elections. It features historical artifacts, archival media, photographs, and interactive displays that trace both the evolution and challenges of democratic participation.

Part of the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street program – a national partnership between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, state humanities councils, and local host institutions – the exhibition brings public history programming to rural communities. The Georgia tour is supported by Georgia Humanities and partners including Oglethorpe Power, Georgia Transmission, and Georgia System Operations, with additional support from the U.S. Congress.

To learn more about Museum on Main Street exhibitions, visit Museum on Main Street.

To learn more about the Georgia US250 Commission, visit Georgia US250 Commission.

Dellinger Family Exhibition Gallery

Move upstairs to explore our permanent exhibitions in the Dellinger Family Gallery, where engaging vignettes and artifacts bring Bartow County’s history to life. Travel through time from the era of the Cherokee people before the county’s establishment to the headlines of today. The Bartow History Museum tells the story of Georgia’s Bartow County, preserving the past while connecting it to the present.