Telfair Academy
Telfair Academy
4
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Designed by British architectural prodigy William Jay in the neoclassical Regency style, the Telfair Academy is a former mansion built in 1819 for Alexander Telfair, son of Revolutionary War patriot and Georgia governor Edward Telfair. In 1875, Alexander’s sister Mary – heir to the family fortune and last to bear the Telfair name – bequeathed the house and its furnishings to the Georgia Historical Society to be opened as a museum. After significant renovation by German-born architect Detlef Lienau, whose adaptations included the addition of the Sculpture Gallery and the Rotunda, the building opened to the public in 1886 as the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences. Bird Girl, made famous by the Jack Leigh photo on the cover of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, can be found here along with the museum's permanent collection of American Impressionism.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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4.0
830 reviews
Excellent
406
Very good
263
Average
123
Poor
26
Terrible
12
Adventurer699107
7 contributions
Mar 2022 • Family
Purchased the mandatory combo ticket at Telfair Academy, was not told that you had to schedule your tour of the Thomas-Owen House (that is included in the combo). However, having a ticket does not get you into the Thomas-Owen House, you must sign up for a tour and they fill up quickly. Oh yeah, you can't sign up for tour online, only in person. So if you are following the suggested "Historian Itenirary" you will not get to tour the last stop. This should NOT be part of the ticket for the academy and the Jepson museum if they are not going to honor your ticket! Not worth the expense if you can't tour all of the buildings. I do NOT recommend!
Written 31 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
marftrip
Kernersville, NC339 contributions
Nov 2021 • Solo
This is a small, but outstanding art museum, with restored rooms of the original house as well. The holdings include a number of American Impressionists, Greco-Roman casts of statues you’d otherwise need to travel to Europe to see, and an excellent overall collection. The home is also a premier, and rare, example of American Regency architecture. I was fortunate to stumble into a tour at 11 led by docent extraordinaire Anne Gardiner, her knowledge brought the museum to life! (Thank you!) This museum is really a must when in Savannah. (Your ticket price includes admission to THREE sites, all worthwhile.)
Written 26 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A_Davis14
Fort Worth, TX136 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
This museum is also included in the Telfair Museum one ticket price. There isn’t a ton of artwork but what they do have is impressive. Most were deportations of American and impressionist artwork. Took us about 30-1 hour to walk through depending on how much you want to sit and enjoy the art.
Written 13 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bfahs
Holly Springs, NC122 contributions
Oct 2021 • Couples
Amazing building nice art. The story of the family and the creation of the museum was more interesting to us than the actual art.
Probably wouldn’t have attended if not included in cost of Owens-Thomas house too.
Audio tour on cellphone was a good addition.
Probably wouldn’t have attended if not included in cost of Owens-Thomas house too.
Audio tour on cellphone was a good addition.
Written 6 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Little Homeschool Blessings
447 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
The Telfair Academy is a beautiful building with several floors (the pamphlet says 5 floors-but there is very little art work on some of those floors). There was a docent that filled us in on the history of the house, which was wonderful. On every floor, there are docents that are willing to talk with you about all of the art work. If you are interested in the statue that was removed from the Bonaventure Cemetary (bird girl), it is located on the top floor.
The Jepson Center and the Owens-Thomas House are included in your ticket, which makes for a very good deal. You also have several days to use them. There doesn't seem to be an option to pay for only one place, so if you only have time for one, you may wish to choose another of the historic places to tour. When we were there, we were given a discounted ticket because the Jepson Center was struck by lightning and the air conditioning was out. Even so, tickets for our family were still almost $100. Way to pricey when the only thing we were able to see was the museum.
The Jepson Center and the Owens-Thomas House are included in your ticket, which makes for a very good deal. You also have several days to use them. There doesn't seem to be an option to pay for only one place, so if you only have time for one, you may wish to choose another of the historic places to tour. When we were there, we were given a discounted ticket because the Jepson Center was struck by lightning and the air conditioning was out. Even so, tickets for our family were still almost $100. Way to pricey when the only thing we were able to see was the museum.
Written 26 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ladwander
Massachusetts109 contributions
Apr 2022
This is a very small museum and does not have what could be considered a very extensive collection. What was most surprising is a lot of the artwork is not even from artists from the area or depicting much of the history of the state or city, which is what I was expecting it would be. Some relatively impressive statuary and one or two paintings that struck me, but otherwise, a rather mundane collection. Had it not been included with the Owens House tour, I might have been disappointed with paying to enter. The only highlight for me was being able to see the Birl Girl statute from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which had to be removed from Bonaventure Cemetery.
Written 17 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dan A
Holly Springs, GA22 contributions
Jun 2021 • Couples
We bought tickets on line to go to the 3 properties and we were not able to go to the Owens Thomas house because they were full. We explained we had tickets and it was are last day in Savanah but were told there was nothing they could do. I wouldn’t recommend this attraction to anyone there are to many others things to do in the city. To bad a tourist attraction turns away tourists .
Written 3 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We share your disappointment that we have to limit the capacity of the house. We have not had to turn people away since opening up our limitations due to COVID for several days. Yesterday we did sell out about 4pm, but we still were about to accommodate over 300 people. If you come close to closing, there could be a chance we sell out by then. Safe travels!
Written 4 June 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ArizonaOcotillo
Arizona54 contributions
Jun 2021
This museum has a very nice collection of paintings, many in the impressionist style (our favorite). We started on the 5th floor which has the Bird Girl statue and worked our way down. Not sure about the floor numbering on the elevator as we only counted 4 floors! My husband is not a big fan of touring art museums but he said that this one was just the right size and he did like a few of the paintings. This was our 2nd stop of the 3 Telfair museum ticket we purchased.
Written 10 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Telfair Academy is quite a lovely gem of a museum. We are so glad you enjoyed it and getting a non-fan approval is a bonus! Safe travels!
Written 11 June 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
BigWebO
Omaha, NE111 contributions
Nov 2022
I went to the Telfair Academy not knowing the quality of the building but because it was a value of $22 for a ticket to the Jepson, the Owens/Thomas House, and for the Telfair Academy.
The building itself is gorgeous and the art collection is well rounded. I spent about an hour here, enjoyed the cooler air out of the wind, and loved the different sections.
The building itself is gorgeous and the art collection is well rounded. I spent about an hour here, enjoyed the cooler air out of the wind, and loved the different sections.
Written 17 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mlc317
Browns Mills, NJ258 contributions
May 2024 • Solo
Art lovers rejoice. From sculptures to impressionists, this place has a wide mix of all types of art. There are several floors and rooms to explore within this gorgeous structure. It's part of a multi-ticket where you can see two other places for $30 total and it is well worth it.
Written 8 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Does this museum participate in NARM?
Written 18 August 2019
According to the NARM website, they are a participating member.
Written 19 August 2019
does it have a handicapped entrance
Written 19 March 2018
I answered it myself by looking at their website. Yes, they do and it is on the President St side of building.
Written 19 March 2018
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