Savannah, GA

 

Telfair Museums
DESCRIPTION: An international resource for arts, culture and history, the museum complex encompasses two National Historic Landmark buildings: Telfair Academy (1819) and Owens-Thomas House (1819), and a new venue, the Jepson Center for the Arts (2006); the two historic venues were designed by William Jay in the Neoclassical Regency style for mansions for Alexander Telfair, the son of Revolutionary War patriot and Georgia governor Edward Telfair; between 1883-1886 the Telfair Academy (formerly called Telfair Art Museum) was renovated for use as a museum and art school by connecting the main building with the carriage house; over time, more area was converted to gallery space, enabling museum curators to conduct a larger variety of shows as Savannah's premier museum for permanent and traveling art exhibits; the sculpture garden entrance to Telfair Academy is exquisite

ADMISSION: All three museums Adults $15, AAA, Seniors & Military $14

DAYS & HOURS: Sun 1p-5p, Mon 12p-5p, Tue-Sat 10a-5p

ADDRESS: 124 Abercorn Street  MAP

PARKING: on street and nearby lots

PHONE: 912-233-9743

WEBSITE: http://www.telfair.org

 

SCAD Museum of Art
DESCRIPTION: SCAD Museum of Art features ~4,500 objects for one of the strongest assemblages of art in the Southeast, complimented with a calendar of classes, events, and exhibitions; it also provides cross-cultural studies of the periods from the 16th century to the present day as they relate to Britain, America, and African-American art; in 2010, the museum broke ground on a major expansion to support the Evans Center for African American Studies, named for Savannah native and renowned art collector Dr. Walter O. Evans; the Evans collection spans African-American art from 19^th century landscape paintings of the Hudson River School to the Harlem Renaissance, and later 20^th century works by Jacob Lawrence, Romare Bearden among others

ADMISSION: Free
DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Fri 10a-5p, Sun 1a-5p
ADDRESS: 27 Martin Luther King Blvd  MAP
PARKING: garage
PHONE: 912-525-7191
WEBSITE: http://www.scad.edu/museum

Savannah History Museum
DESCRIPTION: Housed in the old Central of Georgia Railway terminal, a National Historic Landmark built in the 1850s and 1860s; the railway used the building until 1972; today it serves as Savannah Visitors Center; inside the center, Coastal Georgia's largest history museum is home to more than 10,000 artifacts; a Black Soldiers exhibit highlights the First South Carolina Volunteer Infantry and 178,895 African-American soldiers who served in the Civil War

ADMISSION: Free

DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Fri 8:30a-5p, Sat Sun 9a-5p

ADDRESS: 303 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd  MAP

PARKING: on premises

PHONE: 912-238-1779

WEBSITE: http://www.chsgeorgia.org/shm

 

Roundhouse Railroad Museum
DESCRIPTION: A delight for train lovers, the property for this museum was first constructed by the Central of Georgia Railway beginning in 1845; thirteen original structures still stand; included in these structures are the massive Roundhouse, the train turntable, and the 125-foot tall smokestack -- a National Historic Landmark; by the 1960s, the building was nearly demolished, by the early 1960s; twelve heroic Savannahians saved the complex from demolition later that decade, enabling a series of restoration projects to follow

ADMISSION: $4 adults

DAYS & HOURS: daily 9a-5p

ADDRESS: 601 West Harris Street  MAP

PARKING: on premises

PHONE: 912-651-6823

WEBSITE: http://www.chsgeorgia.org/roundhouse

Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum
DESCRIPTION: the museum was founded in 1966 to exhibit ship models, paintings and maritime antiques of Atlantic trade and travel between England and America during the 18th and 19th centuries; the collection is housed in the elegant home built for William Scarbrough, president of the Savannah Steamship Company and for nearly 90 years, it was the West Broad Street School, one of the first public schools for African American children in the city; the Museum Garden has become a delightful oasis to sit and meditate; the gift shop is sure to pique the interest of model lovers

ADMISSION: $8 Adults, $6 Students and Age 65+, Age 5 and under enter Free

DAYS & HOURS: Tue-Sun 10a-5p

ADDRESS: 41 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd  MAP

PARKING: on premises and street

PHONE: 912-232-1511

WEBSITE: http://www.shipsofthesea.org

 

Mercer Williams House

DESCRIPTION: The Mercer House was designed by New York architect John S. Norris for General Hugh W. Mercer, great grandfather of Johnny Mercer; construction completed in 1868, by the new owner after the Civil War, John Wilder;  In 1969, Jim Williams, one of Savannah’s earliest private restorationists, bought the then vacant house and began a two-year restoration; today it is filled with lots of handcrafted mahogany antique furniture, white Carrar marble, 17th, 18th and 19th century English and American portraits and drawings for is both historic and remarkable -- no wonder there's a waiting list to visit; the affliated Carriage Shop is also a visitor favorite for gifts

ADMISSION: Adult $12.50, Student $8

DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Fri 10a-4:30p, Sat 10a-5p, Sun 10:30a-4p

ADDRESS: 429 Bull Street  MAP

PARKING: on street
PHONE: 912-236-6352

WEBSITE: http://www.mercerhouse.com

Andrew Low House
DESCRIPTION: People visit here just to the best in early 19th century urban mansion designs at their finest; this house is a gem designed in 1847 by John Norris for a wealthy cotton factor Andrew Low; tours are docent-led

ADMISSION: $8 Adults, $4.50 for Girl Scouts and Ages 12-

DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Wed & Fri-Sat 10a-4:30p, Sun Noon-4:30p

ADDRESS: 329 Abercorn Street  MAP

PARKING: on street

PHONE: 912-233-6854

WEBSITE: http://www.andrewlowhouse.com

 

Pooler, GA

 

Mighty 8th Air Force Museum
DESCRIPTION: Founded in 1996, this 90,000 square foot complex honors the men and women who helped defeat the Nazis by supporting the greatest air armada the world had ever seen—the 8th Air Force, consisting of more than 350,000 members; of that number, 26,000 were killed in action and 28,000 became prisoners of war during World War II; Museum planners from throughout the United States and Europe contributed the best hisotrical elements tothe complex; there's even a Tuskegee Airman exhibit

ADMISSION: $10 Adults, $9 Seniors, $6 Military & Ages 6-12, Free Ages 5-

DAYS & HOURS: daily 9a-Noon & 1p-4p

ADDRESS: 175 Bourne Avenue  MAP

PARKING: on premises

PHONE: 912-748-8888

WEBSITE: http://www.mightyeighth.org