Accessibility & Policies
Accessibility at Telfair Museums
Galleries and facilities are wheelchair accessible at the Jepson Center. Wheelchairs are available in the checkroom free of charge upon availability. The wheelchair entrance is located to the right of the Jepson Center’s main entrance on York Street. Accessible parking spaces are available immediately outside the wheelchair entrance on York Street and also in Robinson parking garage behind the Telfair Academy on Jefferson Street. An elevator provides access to the upstairs galleries.
Galleries and facilities are wheelchair accessible at Telfair Academy. The wheelchair entrance is located on the south side of the Telfair Academy on President Street. There are accessible parking spaces immediately outside the wheelchair entrance on President Street and also in Robinson parking garage behind the museum on Jefferson Street. An elevator provides access to the upstairs galleries.
Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center and Telfair Academy offer programs by appointment for audiences with special needs, including touch tours for the visually impaired, signed tours for the hearing impaired, and outreach to persons who are physically challenged. These audiences are also served by outreach visits to the City of Savannah’s therapeutics program and to adult day care and other centers, often followed by museum visits.
In addition to programs, Telfair Museums hosts I Have Marks to Make, an annual exhibition celebrating the therapeutic and rehabilitative aspects of art. Each year, Telfair schedules visits to nonprofit organizations serving seniors and individuals with disabilities. Telfair annually makes outreach visits with art lessons to City of Savannah Golden Age Centers, Therapeutics programs, Savannah Association for the Blind & Low Vision, and other organizations. For more information or to request an outreach visit, call 912.790.8800.
The Owens-Thomas Slave Quarters/Orientation Gallery, public restrooms, and garden are wheelchair accessible. The house itself is not wheelchair accessible due to the historic nature of the site. A parking space for individuals with disabilities is available near the entrance on President Street.
Museum Policies
All bags are subject to security inspection before entering the Jepson Center galleries. Telfair Museums requires visitors to check backpacks of any size, shopping bags, and bags 11 x 14 inches (28 x 35.5 cm) or larger. The checkroom will not accept laptops or luggage of any size. Telfair reserves the right to refuse other items and is not responsible for items held by the checkroom. No bailment is created by the checking of items, and Telfair Museums shall not act as insurer of checked items left in its custody or control.
Sketching is permitted in the galleries (pencil only, no ink or paint) with sketchbooks no larger than 8 1/2 x 11 inches (21.6 x 27.9 cm). No easels, stools, or sketching while sitting on the floor is permitted. If galleries are crowded, guards may require that visitors stop sketching or writing.
Baby strollers are welcome in all galleries at the Jepson Center and Telfair Academy. Strollers are also welcome in some areas of the Owens-Thomas House property, including the Museum Store, Slave Quarters/Orientation Gallery, public restrooms, and garden; however, baby strollers are not permitted in the house itself due to the historic nature of the site.
Food and drinks are not permitted in any gallery.
Non-flash photography and video taken from a handheld device are permitted for personal, non-commercial use in all public spaces and galleries (unless otherwise noted at the gallery entrance). Tripods, monopods (including selfie sticks), lights, extension cords, and other equipment are not allowed. Commercial use of photographic or video images of Telfair Museums and its exhibits is strictly prohibited.
Privacy Policy
Additional Guidelines
- Enjoy the art with your eyes and not your hands. Please do not touch the artwork.
- Please step into the hallway if you need to speak on your phone.
- All museum visitors, including members, must check in at the admissions desk at each site upon arrival.
- Telfair Museums is committed to the personal safety of everyone and to the principles of welcoming, sharing, and respect for all. Telfair reserves the right to refuse admission or to remove from museum property any person, including members, whose conduct staff deems to be disorderly, abusive, in violation of Telfair Museums rules, or otherwise inappropriate.
- Please note that visitors to Telfair properties and participants in Telfair events may be photographed, videotaped, or otherwise recorded. By accepting admission to museum property, you grant Telfair Museums the irrevocable right and worldwide license, with the right to sublicense, to use photographs, audiovisual recordings and recordings in other media in which you appear for archival, documentary, publicity, advertising, or other commercial and non-commercial purposes.
Telfair Museums Weapons Policy
For the safety of our members, guests, and employees, Telfair Museums prohibits the possession of weapons of any kind on Telfair property except for law enforcement officers on duty. Weapons include firearms, explosives, knives, and other objects that staff deem dangerous. Any person who is in possession of a weapon may be denied entry or asked to leave the property. Any person asked to leave who fails to do so immediately shall be guilty of trespass.
