Booth Western Art Museum
The world’s largest permanent exhibition space for Western art is in Cartersville, Georgia at the Booth Western Art Museum.
Open since 2003 and located just north of Atlanta along I-75, the Booth is the largest museum of its kind in the Southeast and an Affiliate to the Smithsonian Institution. At 120,000 square feet, the Booth is an architectural wonder – designed to resemble a modern pueblo and constructed from Bulgarian limestone. The Booth’s permanent collection of Western art and Presidential portraits and letters allows visitors to “See America’s Story” – the land, people, struggles, dreams, and legends – in paintings, sculpture, photography and artifacts. Sagebrush Ranch is an award-winning, hands-on experience and interactive children’s gallery.
Western art in Georgia, specifically Cartersville? Booth Museum was started by a family who call Cartersville home and have been Western art collectors for many years. It was their wish to share their art with the community, particularly young people who might not otherwise be exposed to art. The Museum was named for Sam Booth, a good friend and mentor to the founders of the Museum. Booth Western Art Museum is operated under the umbrella of Georgia Museums, Inc., which also includes Tellus Science Museum, Bartow History Museum and Savoy Automobile Museum.
Since opening, just under one million people have visited the Booth. As the buzz surrounding the Booth continues to grow, so does the Museum’s accolades, including being named Best Art Museum by USAToday Readers’ Choice award program in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Also, the 2016 Escape to the Southeast Travel Attraction of the Year by the Southeast Tourism Society, 2016, 2021 and 2022 Reader’s Choice “Best Western Museum” in America by True West Magazine, listed among “The South’s Best Museums” by Southern Living, top 10 ranking in “30 Must-See Art Museums In The U.S.” by thecareerartproject.com, and one of “5 U.S. Art Museums to Add to Your Bucket List” by thedailyquirk.com.
The Booth’s permanent collection covers more than a dozen galleries, showcasing legendary artists such as Frederic Remington and Charles Russell to contemporary masters Howard Terpning and Andy Warhol. Unique to the Booth, the Millar Presidential Gallery displays a portrait and original hand-signed letter from each U.S. President, George Washington through Joe Biden. Supplementing the permanent collection are several temporary galleries, hosting 12 to 15 exhibitions per year.
In addition to “Seeing America’s Story” in our galleries, visitors can experience American heritage through annual events, lectures, educational programing and exhibition openings. Each March the For the Love of Art Gala Weekend features live and silent art auctions generating funds needed to help support the Museum’s mission. October brings the annual “West Fest” with Native American dancing, gun fight reenactments, a Western marketplace and so much more. The Museum also welcomes visiting artists and scholars to speak at monthly lectures and exhibition openings throughout the year.
Some things are better experienced than explained. Come to the Booth and “Explore the West Without Leaving the South!”
