Jekyll Island Historic District

Jekyll Island Historic District on the southern end of Jekyll Island, Georgia, preserves the winter retreat of some of the wealthiest American families of the Gilded Age. From 1888 to 1942, a private club composed of industrial magnates — including members of the Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Morgan, Pulitzer, and Crane families — used Jekyll Island as a winter resort, constructing a village of cottages, a central clubhouse, and support buildings in Queen Anne, Shingle, and Colonial Revival styles. At the club's peak, its 100 members collectively controlled an estimated one-sixth of the world's wealth.

The historic district encompasses 240 acres at the island's north end and contains more than 30 buildings, most of which still stand and have been stabilized or restored. The Jekyll Island Club Hotel, the central 1886 clubhouse building, operates as a hotel and restaurant open to the public. Day visitors can walk the grounds freely, exploring the network of shell-and-dirt paths linking the cottages, the hotel, and the waterfront. The Jekyll Island Museum, housed in the original stable building on Stable Road, provides orientation and exhibits on the club era.

Guided tours of approximately two hours depart the museum at 11 AM and 2 PM daily at $15 per adult, providing access to the interiors of several restored cottages. Faith Chapel, with its Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass window, and the ornate Indian Mound Cottage are among the highlights of the guided circuit. Self-guided visitors can explore the exterior of all buildings and the hotel grounds without charge beyond the island access fee.

The $8 per vehicle island access fee is charged at the Jekyll Island Causeway. The island is 70 miles south of Savannah and 5 miles east of Brunswick, Georgia. Bicycle paths connect the historic district to the island's beaches and wildlife areas.