Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art, courtesy Marietta CVB
Atlanta’s metropolitan museum scene isn’t limited to the city limits. Marietta, a suburb north of the city, has five different historic districts and five museums that give visitors a variety of views of local art and history.
Groups will enjoy a visit to the Marietta Museum of History, which is located on the second floor of the historic Kennesaw House downtown.
“This is the oldest commercial building in Cobb County,” said museum director Jan Galt Russell. “It was built in 1845 as a cotton warehouse, then converted to a hotel in 1855.”
Today, the galleries of the museum showcase interesting items from Georgia history. Groups begin by learning about the Native Americans who lived in the area, then learn about local business and culture throughout the 19th century, including the area’s Civil War history. The museum’s military gallery has a fascinating display of uniforms and weapons, including a collection of guns featuring some of the world’s rarest firearms.
Nearby, the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art is the Atlanta area’s only museum dedicated to American art. Housed in a 1909 building built as the area’s first U.S. Post Office, this charming museum combines historic architecture with work by some well-known painters.
“We have about 180 pieces in our permanent collection,” said executive director Sally Macaulay. “It’s all American art. We have N.C. Wyeth, Charles Willson Peale and other famous American painters.”
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