Gullah Museum of Hilton Head Island
A small Gullah museum at 12 Georgianna Drive, open for tours on Monday, Wednesday and Friday by appointment.
- 12 Georgianna Dr, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
- (843) 681-3254
Hours
Tours, Monday, Wednesday and FridayBy appointment only
- Where: 12 Georgianna Drive
- Tours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday
- Admission: $25
- Founded: 2003
The Gullah Museum of Hilton Head Island is a nonprofit museum at 12 Georgianna Drive, off Gumtree Road. Louise Miller-Cohen, who grew up in the island’s Gullah neighborhoods, founded it in 2003 to protect, preserve and promote Gullah culture. Its mission is “maintaining Gullah customs, traditions, language, stories, songs and structures on Hilton Head Island.” This is a hands-on, guided stop rather than a walk-through gallery, so it pairs well with the island’s other Gullah Geechee heritage sites and tours.
What You See on a Visit
The main building is a 1930 house that Georgianna Jones Bryan built for her brother William “Duey” Simmons, restored in 2010 and 2011 for the museum. The museum shows about 500 artifacts of Gullah life across several spots on the property: the Little Blue House (also called the Dewey House), a Great Dane trailer and two migrant houses that hold the newest exhibit. The visit is a live presentation by appointment, built around life on the island before the 1956 bridge joined it to the mainland. Ms. Miller-Cohen is a Gullah storyteller, and her presentations draw on the language, songs, cooking and medicinal plants she grew up with.
Tours and Admission
The museum is open for tours on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, by appointment only. Admission is $25. Reserve through the contact form on the museum’s site, or call (843) 681-3254. Because there is no walk-in schedule, book before you drive over.
Events at the Museum
The museum also holds events on its grounds. Its annual Gullah Food Festival is on October 17, 2026, at 12 Georgianna Drive, with Gullah food, music and storytelling. The museum runs educational programs, storytelling sessions and workshops through the year, and a Cultural Enrichment Summer Camp; its site lists what is coming up.
Make It a Gullah Day
For the wider story, take the Gullah Heritage Trail Tours bus tour, then walk Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park, the site of the first self-governing town of freed people in America. The museums guide lists the island’s other places to learn the history.
Nearby and related
Gullah Geechee culture on Hilton Head: who the Gullah people are, their language and food, the Gullah Museum, Mitchelville, and Gullah heritage tours.
Gullah Heritage Trail Tours: a narrated bus tour of Hilton Head's Gullah neighborhoods with native guides, from the Coastal Discovery Museum. From $25.
Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park, on the site of the first self-governed town of freed people in the US: free trail, exhibits and guided tours.
Hilton Head museums: the free Coastal Discovery Museum, The Sandbox Children's Museum and the small museums inside the lighthouse and clubhouse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Gullah Museum of Hilton Head Island?
At 12 Georgianna Drive, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926, just off Gumtree Road.
When can I tour the Gullah Museum?
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, by appointment only. Use the form on the museum’s site or call (843) 681-3254.
How much does the Gullah Museum cost?
Admission is $25, as listed on the museum’s own site.
Who founded the Gullah Museum?
Louise Miller-Cohen, a Hilton Head native raised in the island’s Gullah neighborhoods, founded it in 2003.
When is the Gullah Food Festival?
October 17, 2026, at the museum, 12 Georgianna Drive.
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