Museums · Savannah · United States
5 best museums in Savannah
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Jami430, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Telfair Academy and Jepson Center, Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum and SCAD Museum of Art. Together the 5 picks below take roughly 7–8 hours across 3 areas; all charge for entry.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 5
- Free entry
- 0
- Time to see them all
- 7–8 hours
- Areas
- North Historic District, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Pin Point
Museums in Savannah
Museum · North Historic District
1.Telfair Academy and Jepson Center
Telfair Academy, a Regency mansion on Telfair Square, opened as one of the oldest public art museums in the South and shows 19th- and 20th-century American and European art.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Architecture
Museum · Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
2.Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum
Housed in a former bank building on Martin Luther King Jr.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
Gallery · North Historic District
3.SCAD Museum of Art
The Savannah College of Art and Design's museum occupies restored 1850s railway buildings on Turner Boulevard, joined to a slim modern wing.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · North Historic District
4.Georgia State Railroad Museum
The 19th-century Central of Georgia Railway repair shops, with a working turntable, a roundhouse full of locomotives and a tall brick smokestack.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Pin Point
5.Pin Point Heritage Museum
In a former oyster and crab cannery on the marsh south of the city, this museum tells the story of Pin Point, a Gullah Geechee community founded by freed people after the Civil War.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Nature
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| North Historic District | Telfair Academy and Jepson Center, SCAD Museum of Art and Georgia State Railroad Museum | 2 hours + 1–1.5 hours + 1.5–2 hours |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard | Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum | 1–1.5 hours |
| Pin Point | Pin Point Heritage Museum | 1 hour |
Booking and timing
Of these 5, 4 low cost, 1 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Telfair Academy and Jepson Center; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 2 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (North Historic District): Telfair Academy and Jepson Center → SCAD Museum of Art, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (North Historic District, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Pin Point): Georgia State Railroad Museum → Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum → Pin Point Heritage Museum, at least 4 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- January: highs of 16°C (61°F), about 9 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Mild days, chilly nights and few visitors; the lowest-priced time for historic inns and good for walking.
- February: highs of 18°C (64°F), about 8 rainy days, quiet crowds. Camellias and early azaleas start to bloom; festivals and the build-up to St.
- December: highs of 17°C (63°F), about 8 rainy days, quiet crowds. Festive decorations in the squares and historic inns, mild weather and quieter streets.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- North Historic District — City Market, Ellis Square and the shops of Broughton Street
More of Savannah
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Savannah?
Telfair Academy and Jepson Center. Telfair Academy, a Regency mansion on Telfair Square, opened as one of the oldest public art museums in the South and shows 19th- and 20th-century American and European art.