Savannah’s Webb Military Museum explores the personal history of America’s wars, with a special focus on the wars of the 20th century.
It is one of two Savannah museums centered around a private collection (the other is the Savannah Museum of African Art), showcasing the wealth of military artifacts owned by local resident Gary Webb.
Webb, who grew up in a military family, opened the Webb Military Museum in 2015 to display the artifacts he has collected since his early childhood, parts of which were spent in Europe (his mother lived through World War II in London, England).
The well-curated and well-documented exhibits display hundreds of artifacts from all over the world, with many items from the World Wars and the American Civil War, including several items of local interest. Military artifacts are also sometimes available for sale in the museum store.
The museum is suitable for older children upwards (there is quite a lot of reading). Allow 45-90 minutes for your visit. Tours of the museum are usually self-guided, but owner Gary Webb is sometimes present to discuss the exhibits and the history of the artifacts.
See also:
– National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force (Pooler, GA)
– Other Savannah museums
– Civil War history tours
– More attractions and things to do in Savannah
!Please check hours and other details at the official website before visiting the museum.
The Webb Military Museum displays around 400 artifacts (around a third of Webb’s total collection — he hopes to expand the museum’s display space), exhibited in a dozen and a half display cases packed into a small warehouse building half a block east of Columbia Square.
The collection is organized by specific wars and battles, including wars fought on American soil and those in which the country has otherwise involved itself: the Civil War, the Indian Wars, the Spanish-American War, both World Wars, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and the Iraq Wars.
Rather than focus on the history of these wars, the curation of the museum highlights the personal experience of war, providing an insight into the experiences of the (often named) people who participated in them through the objects they left behind.
One of the centerpieces of the museum is its large collection of military uniforms, with almost 100 examples from over the world, including a uniform of the local Chatham Artillery.
Other artifacts include military helmets and other clothing, historic photographs, paintings, weapons used in various wars, letters and diaries of combatants and their families, contemporary newspaper articles, propaganda posters and medals. You can also see the front end of a Russian-built MiG-21 airplane.
Many of the items in the collection are European, from World War II, reflecting the personal experiences of owner Gary Webb and his family members. There are German Nazi objects, and also items from Russia and the United Kingdom, and from Korea and other parts of the world.
Some of the artifacts are items owned or worn by Webb’s own relatives. Many items are accompanied by personal stories about its owner or how Webb obtained it. Other pieces in the museum have a Savannah connection.
Location 411 East York Street, Savannah, GA (eastern Historic District, near Columbia Square).
Hours Open daily. Monday-Saturday, 11am-5pm; Sunday, 12pm-4pm.
Admission Adults $10, seniors (62+) $9, veterans $8, children (8-17) $6, active duty military/young children (0-7) free.
For more information, call 912-663-0398 or visit the official website.
– American Prohibition Museum
– Georgia State Railroad Museum
– King-Tisdell Cottage
– Massie Heritage Center
– National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force (Pooler, GA)
– Pin Point Heritage Museum
– Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum
– Savannah History Museum
– Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum
See also:
– Guided tours of Savannah
– Black history sites in Savannah
– Historic house tours
– Savannah cemeteries