Telfair Museums

Telfair Museums

"Tell me: What’s this place all about? Telfair Museums is a collection of three unique sites in Savannah’s Historic District—all within walking distance of one another. A $20 ticket (discounts available for seniors, military, children, etc.) is valid for one week and includes access to all three sites that make up the institution: First is Telfair Academy, a two-story mansion and former home of Alexander Telfair, whose family was one of the most prominent in Georgia during much of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Located at the corner of Barnard and West State streets, the Neoclassical Regency-style mansion was designed by abolitionist William Jay and built in 1819; in 1875, the house was bequeathed to the Georgia Historical Society as a museum. Stop in for a self-guided tour of the stately nineteenth-century period rooms as well as paintings, works on paper, sculpture, and decorative arts from the museum’s permanent collection. Second, and across the square from Telfair Academy, sits the Jepson Center for the Arts, an expansive and modern building designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie, offering educational programs, traveling exhibitions, and an expanding collection of modern and contemporary art. Its TechSpace houses interactive technology-based exhibits and games for all ages, while the ArtZeum is a kid-friendly gallery designed for playful hands-on learning activities. Third is the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters, another Jay-designed, Regency-style mansion of the 19th century, located a seven-minute walk from the Jepson and Telfair sites. The home last belonged to Margaret Gray Thomas, granddaughter of former Savannah Mayor George Welshman Owens; when Margaret died, she willed the home to the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences; and the site opened in 1954. Though today’s guided tour does touch upon the Owens-Thomas family, their history and decorative arts, interpreters place emphasis on the experiences of enslaved men, women, and children who worked in the home at any given time between 1819 and the end of the Civil War. What’s it like being there? Telfair Academy is a serious museum all about period architecture and grandiose collections of classical art, while the Jepson inspires awe, curiosity, and play. At the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters, guests will find a somber but engaging  and important tour focusing less on architecture and more on the relationships of people who lived and were enslaved in the home. Is there a guide involved? Both Telfair Academy and Jepson are meant to be toured independently, though docents and historians are scattered about to answer any questions. At the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters, historic interpreters guide groups of up to five through the home, its adjacent gardens, carriage house, and slave quarters. There is also an option for a pre-recorded audio tour. Who comes here? All three locations attract trolleys of tourists interested in art, history, and architecture, though the Jepson Center for the Arts always draws a younger crowd. Because trolley tours are on a set schedule with many stops, guests are usually just passing through. So then what, or who, do you think it’s best for? The Owens-Thomas Slave Quarters/Orientation Gallery, public restrooms, and garden are wheelchair accessible. However, the house itself is not wheelchair accessible due to the historic nature of the site." - Ariel Felton