Why you should experience Telfair Square in Savannah, Georgia.
Telfair Square is an elegant garden square where Savannah's Historic District's artistic legacy, architectural refinement, civic history, and timeless landscape design create one of the city's most distinguished public spaces.
Positioned between Barnard Street and Whitaker Street near the Telfair Academy and just steps from the Jepson Center, this tranquil square welcomes visitors beneath mature live oaks, landscaped walkways, historic monuments, and beautifully preserved nineteenth-century buildings that celebrate Savannah's cultural heritage. Shaded gardens, stately façades, and quiet pathways create an atmosphere where art, history, and community naturally converge. Every visit reveals another layer of one of America's finest planned cities. The result is an experience defined by historic elegance, cultural significance, and one of Savannah's most treasured civic spaces.
What you should know about Telfair Square.
Telfair Square is best known for anchoring Telfair Museums, the oldest public art museum in the Southern United States, established through the visionary 1886 bequest of Mary Telfair, among Georgia's most influential philanthropists. Originally laid out in 1733 as St. James Square, among the first four public squares in General James Oglethorpe's pioneering city plan, the square was renamed Telfair Square in 1883 to honor the prominent Telfair family, whose civic leadership profoundly shaped Savannah's cultural life. The square is framed by the Telfair Academy, a National Historic Landmark designed by renowned British architect William Jay in 1819 as a Regency-style mansion before its transformation into an art museum, and by the contemporary Jepson Center, creating a remarkable dialogue between historic and modern architecture. At its center stands the Tri-Centennial Fountain, dedicated in 1933 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Georgia's founding, reinforcing the square's role as a focal point of civic remembrance. Together, its museums, monuments, and preserved streetscape demonstrate nearly three centuries of Savannah's artistic, architectural, and philanthropic evolution while preserving one of the city's original public spaces.
Beyond its historical importance, Telfair Square exemplifies the enduring success of Savannah's celebrated square system by combining museums, public gardens, civic monuments, and walkable streets into a harmonious urban landscape. The mature canopy, preserved architecture, and surrounding cultural institutions continue welcoming residents, artists, historians, and visitors while reinforcing Savannah's reputation as one of America's foremost historic cities. Urban planning, artistic heritage, architectural preservation, philanthropy, and landscape design combine to create one of Georgia's most meaningful public spaces.
How to fold Telfair Square into your trip.
Telfair Square is best experienced as the cultural centerpiece of an exploration through Savannah's Historic District.
Begin at the Telfair Academy, where exceptional American and European art introduces the extraordinary surroundings of Telfair Square. Continue to the Jepson Center, whose contemporary galleries complement the district's historic artistic legacy. Conclude at the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters, where one of Savannah's architectural masterpieces provides a memorable finale celebrating the relationship between art, history, and preservation that defines the Historic District. The progression moves naturally from historic collections to contemporary exhibitions before concluding through one of the city's defining historic homes, revealing why Telfair Square remains one of Savannah's essential cultural experiences.
Where your story begins.
Start the planning journey with Foresyte Travel.
Experience immersive stories crafted for luxury travelers.
