Savoy Automobile Museum Opens in Cartersville

The Savoy Automobile Museum, a world-class museum and showgrounds sitting on approximately 37 acres in Cartersville, Ga., opened its doors to the public in December.

Today, there are upwards of 100 cars in the collection.

The new museum aims to present visitors with the storied history and fascinating diversity of the automobile. Whether you are a serious car collector, a weekend car enthusiast, or simply traveling from Detroit to Daytona, the Savoy aims to educate and entertain through changing exhibits, educational programs and engaging in-person experiences. Through the Savoy Collection, as well as the rotating galleries, the museum showcases cars of different makes, models and eras in a state-of-the-art environment.

The new museum aims to present visitors with the storied history of the automobile.

Cartersville is also home to Georgia Museums, Inc., the nonprofit organization that operates the Savoy and three additional museums, including Bartow History Museum, Booth Western Art Museum and Tellus Science Museum. At the Savoy, visitors will have the opportunity to appreciate the beauty and history of automobile design and manufacturing, with a range of vehicles and a special curated collection of auto art. The museum got its name, appropriately enough, during a cleanup of the property, when a rusty 1954 Plymouth Savoy was uncovered on the grounds. The namesake Savoy automobile has been preserved and will be a part of the landscape.

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The museum features a soaring great hall, four exhibition galleries, a theater, research library, café, a store, archives and administrative offices.

The campus consists of the museum, a storage building, showgrounds and an outdoor pavilion — coming soon. The building, which is approximately 65,000 square feet, features a soaring great hall, four exhibition galleries, a state-of-the-art theater, extensive research library, café, two private dining rooms, a store, archives and administrative offices. The research library will welcome scheduled guests, and the theater, which seats 297 and includes an ultra-4k video panel wall, and turntable stage for rotating vehicles, will be available for special events. The vehicle storage building (not open to the public) is Savoy’s on-site solution for storing vehicles for upcoming exhibitions and includes a detailing bay and maintenance facility.

The showgrounds feature a lawn space for car shows, concerts, cruise-ins, swap meets, car rallies and much more. The well-manicured outdoor space will accommodate upwards of 1,000 vehicles; the landscaping replicates the contours of a Concours d’ Elegance, a highly distinguished car show. Today, there are upwards of 100 cars in the collection (and growing), with the oldest vehicle being a 1903 Oldsmobile Curved Dash Runabout. Each vehicle in the permanent collection is valuable in its own way, whether it is a rare find or has a significant story.

The museum is located at 3 Savoy Lane, Cartersville, GA 30120. For more information, visit savoymuseum.org.