10 Best Museums and Galleries in Savannah

Located in lush Tricentennial Park, the Savannah Children’s Museum promises a fun day out for the whole family thanks to its imaginative outdoor play. Set in the historic Central of Georgia Railway Carpentry Shop, this open-air venue is beloved by the young (and young at heart) because of its innovative exhibits and easy accessibility.

Kids can wander the exploration maze, discover story books in the reading nook, or develop their green thumb in Frogtown: the museum’s beautiful sensory garden. There are also plenty of activities to keep little ones happy including exhilarating water play and arts and crafts.

Billing itself as Savannah’s best-kept secret, the American Prohibition Museum is a celebration of all things Roaring 20s. Immerse yourself in a heightened era of rumrunners, bootleggers, gangsters, flappers… and those notorious Southern moonshine makers.

Learn about the age of jazz, illegal speakeasies, and temperance movement abstainers including the towering Carry Nation (who shattered saloon windows with her infamous metal hatchet). Take a tour with a costumed guide before enjoying a swanky handcrafted cocktail.

Set in Savannah’s heavenly historic district, Telfair Museums promises an exceptional day out across 3 important sites. Visit the Telfair Academy, Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarters, and the Jepson Centre for Children’s Art.

The first public art museum in the Southern United States, Telfair’s Neoclassical Regency-style mansion boasts a wealth of American and European art (dating back to the 19th and 20th centuries) as well as princely period interiors. Owens-Thomas House focuses on the architecture, art, and history of the property through the painful but important lens of the state’s enslaved people.

Located in hip-and happening Downtown, award-winning Kobo Gallery is a thought-provoking showcase of Savannah’s diverse creative talent, from jewelers, painters, and mixed media artists to sculptors and photographers.

A collaborative effort, Kobo is known to rotate its spaces – fostering new talent through fresh acquisitions while putting an exciting twist on existing works of art. Discover pieces by painter Antoine de Villiers, woodworker Marta McWhorter, and jeweler Gillian Trask.

Focusing on art from West and Central Africa, the Savannah African Art Museum is a not-for-profit cultural stalwart that teaches visitors about the diversity and power of African art. Explore the venue’s permanent collection and discover over 1000 ceremonial and spiritual objects, dating back to the 1800s and 1900s.

SAAM also features rotating exhibits exploring cross-cultural belief systems, connections to ancestral spirits through music and dance, and the symbolism of the humble cowrie shell. Committed to community engagement, this vital organization hosts lectures and workshops so check their website to find out more.

Founded in 1966, Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum casts its gaze at Savannah’s renowned nautical history. Located in the stately William Scarbrough House, the venue overflows with rare marine artifacts, oceanic paintings, and highly detailed ship models.

View miniature replicas of the RMS Titanic, Steamship Savannah, and the 1857 pleasure yacht: The Wanderer. Afterward, stroll the verdant gardens to take in the scent of camellias, azaleas, and magnolia flowers before visiting the copper-roofed pavilion and the cool and tranquil carp pond.

The Pin Point Heritage Museum offers a fascinating glimpse into Savannah’s Gullah-Geechee people who built their community on the banks of the Moon River. Set in an old oyster and crab factory, this unique venue celebrates the lives of this closeknit group through documentary storytelling and restored historic buildings.

Stop by the Deviled Crab House to learn more about the Gullah language, admire the bright blue bottle tree, or spend a tranquil hour out by the marsh. The on-site gift shop offers items you can’t find anywhere else including Gullah-Geechee books, artworks by local people, and baskets made from braided sweetgrass.

An impressive feat of Federal-style architecture, Davenport House has been under the curatorship of the Historic Savannah Foundation since the 1960s when it was transformed into a museum. Behind its red brick walls and black shuttered windows, you’ll learn the stories of the inhabitants of the house (both free and enslaved) when they resided here in the early 19th century.

Take a fascinating guided tour of the old-world interiors, marvel at the spiral staircase, or sit in the courtyard and soak up the sun. A proud recipient of the Preserve America Presidential Award, Davenport House aims to educate, enrich, and inspire its visitors with its fascinating Southern storytelling and its gorgeous collection of artifacts.

For contemporary pieces from emerging and established artists, nothing beats a visit to SCAD Museum of Art. This keystone of creativity showcases dynamic commissions and alternating exhibits while providing SCAD’s students with access to a wonderland of culture.

Boasting multiple galleries and a 250-seat theatre, the Savannah College of Art and Design is jam-packed with mixed media artworks, paintings, fashion photography, and other-worldly sculptures. The on-site TAD Café serves gourmet coffee, loaded sandwiches, and a dreamy range of sweets including lemon poppy seed bread and rocky road cookies.

Dedicated entirely to glass, Liquid Sands is a quirky Savannah art gallery that glints with beauty from every angle. Located in the heart of Historic Downtown, this funky space is filled with an eclectic range of mini masterpieces like handblown jellyfish and iridescent petal vases.

Shop sculptural decor like the graceful glass barnacle ray or the candy apple red cube with its prismatic shimmer. Jewelry lovers will fall head over heels with the gallery’s dazzling collection of dichroic pieces including teardrop pendants and crescent moon earrings.