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Georgia (GA)
Georgia Coast
Savannah
Savannah Attractions
Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters
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Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters

See all things to do
See all things to do
Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters
4.5
#28 of 197 things to do in Savannah
Historic SitesHistory Museums
10:00 AM - 4:15 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:15 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:15 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:15 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:15 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:15 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:15 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:15 PM
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About
Built as a beautiful Regency style mansion in 1819, the Owens-Thomas House, along with its adjacent gardens, carriage house, and slave quarters, allows visitors to explore the complicated relationships between the most and least powerful people in the city of Savannah in the early 19th century. Only a seven-minute walk from Telfair Museums’ other two sites, this historic home offers a completely different experience. Telfair Museums’ Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters has paused all docent led tours indefinitely due to COVID-19. Guests may independently navigate the historic home with an audio tour available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or our website.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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Neighbourhood: Downtown
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See what travellers are saying
  • David G
    Bluffton, South Carolina530 contributions
    A snapshot of 19th century Savannah.
    Conservation and restoration are ongoing in this property that was built and home to wealthy families and their slaves. You can download a walking tour of the house and grounds, or just wander through reading the signs that offer insight and captions from letters. There is a history of the owners, slaves and families that lived here. ThIs property is one of 3 museums that are part of Telfair and Jepson museums that are all one orice
    Visited December 2022
    Written 3 December 2022
  • JosephEber
    53 contributions
    Good way to see one of the great houses and to learn about the dark side of wealth in the old south.
    The architecture is beautiful, the engineering is fascinating, some of the stories behind the lifestyle of the rich in the early 1800's is enlightening but sad. This museum shows the distinct mismatch in how the rich were treated vs how they treated others. This is one that I would recommend to Everyone visiting the city, no matter where else you go.
    Visited January 2023
    Written 20 January 2023
  • Gafilpoo
    Bluffton, Ohio484 contributions
    Great lessons in history, language and architecture
    Great historical perspective about the culture in slave owning households in the South. Innovative architecture and excellent examples of respectful language. Our guide could have enunciated more clearly for better presentation.
    Visited January 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 22 January 2023
  • carolhubb
    New York City, New York154 contributions
    Moving Experience
    Interesting site and history of the building, the family and the enslaved people who worked there. Our guide was really great and very knowledgable about the house and the slave quarters. it's also part of the Telfair museums so you can visit all 3 sites for one price. Definitely recommend.
    Visited March 2023
    Written 8 March 2023
  • Kerri C
    Chelsea, Alabama10 contributions
    Cool and interesting house.
    The house is very pretty. The tour is self guided with the use of a QR code. This is one of three of the Telfair properties. Your admission into this property gets you also into the others. The tour was informative and interesting though seems to be more about the slaves and indentured servants that lived there. This house has a very cool invention for the time indoor plumbing.
    Visited March 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 14 March 2023
  • A_Davis14
    Fort Worth, Texas132 contributions
    Savannah History
    Renee, our tour guide, made this whole experience for us. Do not wait until the audio tour in the afternoon to do your own thing. You will get so much of the knowledge from the guided tour-everything from the family to the architecture and even other families in the area. The only bummer, but not a huge deal, is that most, if not all of the furnishings, are not originals to the family or house. Only timepiece relevant. Same with some of the house details Like the wallpaper and carpet. Tour lasts about an hour.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 13 April 2023
  • 62898susan
    Atlanta, Georgia53 contributions
    Not worth it
    I don’t see any reason to pay to tour this home unless you have never had the opportunity to tour a historic home. If you have been fortunate enough to tour a lot of them,don’t waste your time with this one. There are not a lot of furnishings inside and it is not particularly pretty. I thought it was a bit of a tourist trap.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 24 April 2023
  • John L
    Fairfield, Connecticut441 contributions
    A glimpse of old Savannah
    Owens-Thomas provides a snapshot of early Savannah gentry living. Beautiful gardens and house. We had a very good docent that brought the house to life. The slave quarters are really a large empty space that has been redone. You get an idea of what life was for a slave but not actual living conditions.
    Visited March 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 30 April 2023
  • Red-Barchetta2011
    Suffield, Connecticut749 contributions
    Very good tour
    There are a lot of historic homes to visit in Savannah but this was in the area we were exploring we decided to check out the Owen Thomas house. we did not pre order so when we got there only tour was one of last one of the day. So we booked and than walked around area and came back when tour time was up. We had a nice Docent and did a nice job, it was a really interesting tour. it is worth to do a least one house visit you get a sense of the history of the area.
    Visited February 2023
    Written 1 May 2023
  • D J
    239 contributions
    Pause before going
    What happened? The building and site’s preservation is amazing, a well-run facility, but our tour was so heavily focused on slavery that the home itself was almost disregarded. Insights into the history or architecture were either not mentioned or downplayed with their direct connections to slavery or restrictions on women of the day, making the tour somber and even awkward for the whole group. People didn’t ask questions almost at all. It was not a well-balanced tour and an unfortunate one, leaving so much inspirational information out - for EVERYONE.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 24 May 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
2,391 reviews
Excellent
1,438
Very good
649
Average
203
Poor
48
Terrible
53
Casey C
40 contributions
Very informative tour and really interesting architecture
Oct 2023 • Family
We had a 3 year old and infant in carrier. They had a little scavenger hunt for our toddler to find things throughout the house. Unfortunately he was still a little antsy so he played in the courtyard with Dad while we finished our tour. I found our guide, Harris, very knowledgable aboit the family, architecture, and artwork. Its also the first time touring a slavery era museum or home I've encountered more appropriate terminology used consistently- enslaved people and enslavers- rather than slave and master. Tour takes about an hour and they run every 15 mins, not stroller or wheelchair friendly so bring a carrier for little ones!
Written 28 October 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.
Laurie S
Denver, NC1,559 contributions
This is a must do, but arrive early
Oct 2023 • Couples
This was my favorite house tour of our trip and I would say not to be missed. I would recommend arriving early, there is usually a line when you arrive even before it opens. You aren't able to reserve ahead of time and they only take 12 people at a time. There is a covered tent area with benchesto wait to keep you out of the sun or rain and there are bathrooms. Guided docent tours are only in the morning and only audio tours are available in the afternoon. Harris was our guide and he was outstanding. He provided history of Savannah as well as all areas of the house. The pace was just right, the tour moved along without feeling rushed. This house is a must do in Savannah!
Written 22 October 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.
Dawna
Sacramento, CA48 contributions
Do not miss
Oct 2023 • Friends
The day we wanted to visit, it was closed. We went the only other day available to our itinerary & it happed to be a free family day, so our tour was abbreviated. I'm sure it could be a full 5 star rating, if you get the entire tour. Note that the tour does fill up, so plan to arrive early.
Written 21 October 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.
EmSavageTravels
Long Lake, MN7 contributions
Family friendly tour highlights stark contrast between owners and enslaved people
Oct 2023 • Family
Great guided tour, spending equal time on enslaved and owners. Very well done. Our guide did an excellent job highlighting the stark contrast between how the owners and the enslaved lived - pointing out the incredible innovation of the house, but also the inability of the enslaved to use them. The story that stuck most was the sleeping mat for the enslaved nurse/nanny in the nursery who gave her life take care of the owners family, taking her away from the care of her own. Wonderful preservation and restoration work that really gives you the feel of the time. 45 minute tour was just right and well worth it. Had a picture scavenger hunt for the kids to keep them engaged which was great. Would highly recommend for all ages.
Written 19 October 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.
Dina H
64 contributions
Excellent historic home tour explaining lives of owners and their slaves
Oct 2023 • Couples
This was one of the best Southern historic home tours I’ve ever taken. I so appreciated how equal time was spent explaining the lives of the owners as well as the enslaved people. Very, very interesting. The home is beautifully renovated and has a number of very unique features. Well worth the admission!
Written 12 October 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.
Tim Y
Sweetwater, TN33 contributions
It’s okay
Oct 2023 • Couples
This is a self guided tour where you have to scan the code with your phone and then listen to a recording. If you do go on this tour bring your earbuds or headphones.
Written 12 October 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.
Joan S
Pawcatuck, CT6 contributions
Must See Property
Oct 2023 • Friends
Jordan provided an excellent tour. She encouraged and answered questions about the house and different periods. The house has areas both restored and conserved. If visiting only one historic house in Savannah, recommend this one.
Written 11 October 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.
Lea M
The Villages, FL36 contributions
Great tour - very informative
Oct 2023 • Family
By buying a ticket to this tour we also got access to the Jepson Museum and the Telfair Museum. All three were terrific. I love tour old homes, mansions and plantations and in some recent tours, this one included, I found there is a focus on brining back the importance of the role the enslaved people played in the success of these homes. I think it is really important not to lose our sight on how difficult of a life these enslaved individuals had. The tour was very informative.
Written 5 October 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.
Carol Ann J
Germantown, NY1,762 contributions
Historic Home and Slave Quarters
Sep 2023 • Couples
Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters is an example of a period home and quarters where their enslaved lived. The slave quarters sits opposite the home across a courtyard once full of activity and animals. The courtyard today is a lovely garden. One will tour the slave quarters on the first and second floors with an example of basic period furnishings. Inside the house one will see the first and second floors of a nice home as well as the basement where the kitchen was located.
Written 3 October 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.
cdandoy
Gilbert, AZ897 contributions
Okay
Oct 2023 • Friends
Cost of entry was $25 - kinda steep for the tour. The house tour itself was amazing. But rooms bare compared to other historic homes I have visited. Definitely a focus on enslavement which is understandable. But for the cost we spent would have expected more. I did like the connection the house has to Marquis de Lafayette.
Written 1 October 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.
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OWENS-THOMAS HOUSE & SLAVE QUARTERS: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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