Why you should experience SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, Georgia.
SCAD Museum of Art is a world-class contemporary art museum where the Historic District's architectural preservation, cutting-edge exhibitions, creative education, and adaptive reuse showcase one of America's most compelling cultural institutions.
Positioned between Downtown Savannah and the Victorian District, this striking museum blends restored antebellum brick architecture, soaring contemporary galleries, dramatic glass-and-steel additions, internationally acclaimed exhibitions, permanent collections, and innovative educational spaces into an unforgettable artistic experience. Historic masonry and bold modern interventions exist in seamless harmony, demonstrating how preservation and contemporary architecture can elevate one another. The result is a destination defined by artistic excellence, architectural ingenuity, and exceptional cultural impact.
What you should know about SCAD Museum of Art.
SCAD Museum of Art is best known for reopening on October 29, 2011 following an ambitious transformation that preserved the nation's oldest surviving antebellum railroad depot while creating a contemporary museum that serves as the educational centerpiece of the Savannah College of Art and Design, uniting nineteenth-century industrial architecture with award-winning modern design. Housed within the former 1853 Central of Georgia Railway depot, a designated National Historic Landmark, the museum incorporates the oldest surviving antebellum railroad complex in the United States into a sophisticated cultural institution through a design led by architect Christian Sottile. Originally established in 2002 as the Earle W. Newton Center for British American Studies, the institution was renamed the SCAD Museum of Art in 2006 before undergoing its comprehensive expansion, which introduced an 86-foot glass-and-steel lantern, new galleries, classrooms, a 250-seat theater, conservation studios, and advanced collection facilities while carefully preserving the historic brick fabric and original heart pine timbers. Today the museum presents more than 20 exhibitions annually while stewarding a permanent collection exceeding 4,500 works, including the Walter O. Evans Collection of African American Art, the Modern and Contemporary Art Collection, the Costume Collection, photography collections, and British and American art. International exhibitions featuring artists such as Kehinde Wiley, Alfredo Jaar, Bill Viola, Carrie Mae Weems, Yinka Shonibare, and Wangechi Mutu continually reinforce the museum's reputation as both a leading contemporary art institution and a teaching museum that directly enriches SCAD's academic programs.
Award-winning adaptive reuse, carefully preserved industrial architecture, internationally recognized exhibitions, and interdisciplinary educational programming continue distinguishing SCAD Museum of Art among North America's leading university museums. The seamless integration of historic preservation, contemporary architecture, world-class collections, and creative scholarship has transformed a nineteenth-century railroad complex into one of Savannah's defining cultural institutions while exemplifying SCAD's internationally recognized commitment to architectural conservation.
How to fold SCAD Museum of Art into your trip.
SCAD Museum of Art is best experienced as part of an exploration through Savannah's celebrated creative and historic destinations.
Begin at Poetter Hall, where SCAD's original restored armory introduces the university's nationally recognized preservation philosophy before continuing to SCAD Museum of Art. Continue to Forsyth Park, whose celebrated landscapes and historic fountain provide one of Savannah's defining civic spaces. Conclude at Telfair Academy, where one of the South's oldest public art museums provides a memorable finale celebrating Savannah's extraordinary artistic heritage. The progression moves naturally from SCAD's architectural origins to its premier museum before concluding with one of Georgia's most distinguished art institutions, revealing why SCAD Museum of Art stands at the center of Savannah's creative identity.
Where your story begins.
Start the planning journey with Foresyte Travel.
Experience immersive stories crafted for luxury travelers.
