Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home Museum

Bec Vaughan

★★★★★

The unassuming exterior of the house in no way prepared us for the great experience we had visiting this hidden gem of a museum. My wife is a fan, meanwhile I had never read any Flannery O'Connor, and yet we both had an equally great time on the house tour with our very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and fun docent. Anyone interested in history, stories and the changing face of Savannah would find this interesting. And, unlike the usual house tours, you're left with a very real sense of Flannery the intriguing person. Upon leaving my next stop was to add a bunch of Flannery O'Connor books to my library queue. And did I say how fun it was? So many cool and funny annecdotes. Recommended!

Vladimir Prudnikov

★★★★★

It’s really unfair that this museum rarely makes it into “top things to do in Savannah” or the city’s “top museums” lists - and I hope this will change soon! Whereas it’s an absolute must-go for all Flannery O’Connor fans who can here get a sense of the living breathing person behind powerful and unsettling fiction, even the people who have not (yet) read any of her works will benefit from getting a unique glimpse of urban domestic life of the 1920s-30s Savannah. Last but not least, this place is run by an extremely passionate, enthusiastic, and friendly team that is deeply invested in carrying forward Flannery O’Connor’s legacy: I couldn’t have wished for a better guide than Jeanie!

Brian Kohlbeck

★★★★★

Absolutely one of the best tours we've taken in Savannah. The knowledge of the docent was incredible. Whether you know the author or not....this is a tour you dont want to miss.

Liam Carnahan

★★★★★

I had such a wonderful time on this tour. The docent Jane was so friendly and knowledgeable, and very willing to nerd out with me about the incredible Flannery. She was so conversational, engaging, and enthusiastic, and so able to answer all my questions. The house has been restored and decorated with magnificence. If you are a fan of Flannery s work, or just want a peek into depression-era Savannah, don’t pass this up.

Jocelyn Crumpton

★★★★★

We visited the Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home Museum and it was such a memorable experience. Our docent happened to be the Executive Director, which made the tour especially special. She was incredibly knowledgeable, engaging, and clearly passionate about Flannery O’Connor and her work. The docent’s storytelling brought the spaces to life and gave context to Flannery’s early years and her family. I also loved learning about cousin Katie, which added such a personal layer to the history and left me excited and curious to learn more. Whether you’re already familiar with Flannery O’Connor or completely new to her work, this museum and tour are absolutely worth a visit. It’s thoughtful and well-curated.

John Wells

★★★★★

When I took some visiting friends to this museum late last spring, Janie gave us a great tour of the two floors and invited us to explore books that included some of O'Connor's art. When I discovered that the museum runs a book club devoted to books Flannery read, I signed up for it and thoroughly enjoyed the November meeting devoted to Iris Murdoch's The Bell. I highly recommend the museum and the book club!

Erica Miller

★★★★★

Do not overlook this stop. The tour guide was exceptional, knowledgeable and very interactive. I left feeling like I had gotten to know the people who lived there and the life that shaped this incredible author. I've seen many homes in Savannah and this is one I'd put at the top of the list. A sweet and funny little gem in the city.

Albert Chang

★★★★★

I'm admittedly biased, as Flannery O'Connor is my absolute favorite writer, but I do think that any literature or history fan would enjoy this tour. The house is small, given that it's an actual middle-class home from the early 20th century. There are about a dozen or so, maybe fewer, original pieces owned by the O'Connor family on display; the rest of the furniture is made up of period-accurate pieces that the foundation has done an excellent job of acquiring to emulate what the house must have been like in Flannery's childhood. The entire tour will take less than an hour. What made this really special to me was connecting with Mary and Janie, our tour guide and the director of the FOCH, respectively. It's rare that I get to talk about O'Connor and her work with other folks who are genuine fans. Given my love for O'Connor's writing, my wife planned this as the first stop on our visit to the Savannah. It's always interesting to learn about the lives of other people, and it's of course especially fulfilling to flesh out one's understanding of a prominent person, particularly when it's of one's interest. Being able to talk to Mary and Janie, and see Flannery's childhood home and learn about her as a young girl that grew up to be an all-20th century writer of English prose, will add nuance and dimension to my future readings and rereadings of her work. It's also great that this wasn't a museum that served as a hagiography or tried to oversell Flannery O'Connor as a Savannah resident or American artist. It's purely educational and a simple, hearty experience that fills the soul.