Why you should experience Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia.
Savannah College of Art and Design is a world-renowned creative institution where the Historic District's architectural heritage, artistic innovation, historic preservation, and contemporary design education have transformed one of America's most distinctive cultural landscapes.
Positioned between Downtown Savannah and the Victorian District, this expansive urban campus blends beautifully restored historic buildings, award-winning academic facilities, renowned museums, contemporary galleries, professional studios, and tree-lined public squares into one of the world's most distinctive university environments. Historic architecture and cutting-edge creative spaces exist side by side, allowing centuries-old landmarks to serve new generations of artists, designers, filmmakers, architects, and entrepreneurs. The result is a destination defined by architectural preservation, artistic excellence, and extraordinary cultural influence.
What you should know about Savannah College of Art and Design.
Savannah College of Art and Design is best known for being founded in 1978 by Richard G. Rowan, Paula Wallace, May L. Poetter, and Paul E. Poetter to establish a specialized university for creative professions, growing from a single restored nineteenth-century armory into one of the world's largest universities dedicated exclusively to art and design while fundamentally reshaping the preservation and economic revival of historic Savannah. The institution's first academic building, the 1892 Savannah Volunteer Guards Armory, now Poetter Hall, was acquired and restored in 1979, establishing a preservation philosophy that has since expanded the university across more than 100 restored historic buildings, earning national recognition from the American Institute of Architects, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Historic Savannah Foundation, and the Victorian Society in America. Today SCAD offers more than 100 degree programs across disciplines including architecture, animation, fashion, industrial design, film, game development, preservation design, visual effects, and interior design while educating students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. The Savannah campus encompasses museums, galleries, professional production facilities, libraries, residence halls, and internationally recognized venues including the SCAD Museum of Art, transforming restored railroad buildings, department stores, theaters, churches, schools, and civic landmarks into state-of-the-art educational spaces. The university's preservation efforts have become a defining force behind Savannah's modern identity, demonstrating how adaptive reuse, architectural conservation, and creative education can collectively revitalize an entire historic city while establishing SCAD among the world's leading institutions for art and design.
SCAD's adaptive reuse philosophy extends across virtually every corner of the historic district, where Romanesque Revival armories, Beaux-Arts commercial buildings, Victorian residences, warehouses, and former industrial structures have been meticulously rehabilitated into studios, classrooms, galleries, theaters, libraries, and exhibition spaces. Annual events including the internationally acclaimed SCAD Savannah Film Festival, fashion shows, design conferences, exhibitions, and industry collaborations regularly attract globally recognized artists, filmmakers, architects, designers, and creative leaders while strengthening Savannah's reputation as one of America's foremost creative cities. Historic preservation, interdisciplinary education, international industry partnerships, and decades of architectural stewardship collectively establish Savannah College of Art and Design among the world's most influential art and design universities.
How to fold Savannah College of Art and Design into your trip.
Savannah College of Art and Design is best experienced as part of an exploration through Savannah's celebrated creative and historic landmarks.
Begin at SCAD Museum of Art, where internationally acclaimed exhibitions introduce the university's artistic vision before exploring the broader Savannah College of Art and Design campus. Continue to Poetter Hall, the university's original restored 1892 armory that launched SCAD's nationally recognized preservation movement. Conclude at Forsyth Park, where Savannah's iconic green space provides a memorable finale celebrating the remarkable relationship between historic preservation, public space, and creative culture. The progression moves naturally from contemporary art to architectural preservation before concluding within Savannah's most beloved civic landscape, revealing why SCAD has become one of the city's defining cultural institutions.
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