The Museum offers permanent and temporary exhibit spaces. These spaces feature in house and traveling exhibits that focus on different topics and themes in Marietta and Cobb County’s history.
Marietta 1899: Color Captured in Black and White–This special exhibit highlights the photography of New York photographer James Shaw and his visit to Marietta in the spring of 1899. The exhibit showcases never-before-seen images of the Marietta Square, the Marietta National Cemetery, Kennesaw Avenue, Kennesaw Mountain, and rural Cobb County.
Marietta History Center at 30–This retrospective exhibit traces the museum’s evolution from its 1996 founding to its status today as Marietta and Cobb County’s home for history, housed within the historic Kennesaw House. Included are four chronological chapters that mirror the museum’s rise over three decades. Beyond just a timeline of events, the exhibit offers a rare look at the “inner workings” of the museum. Along with a special area of focus on the the Kennesaw House itself. This exhibit opens on Saturday, January 31st, 2026 and runs through late Fall 2026.
Forgotten No More: The Story of John Bailey–This exhibit examines the life of Bailey and the events surrounding his lynching on the Marietta Square in March 1900. Through historical documents, photographs, and contextual interpretation, the exhibit places this within the broader story of Marietta’s Black community at the turn of the twentieth century. This new permanent exhibit was developed in partnership with the Cobb County Remembrance Coalition and Kennesaw State University, with support from the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Together, this collaborative effort helps ensure that important stories from Marietta’s past are remembered and shared.
