Savannah

The most beautiful old town in the American South, with 22 oak-shaded squares draped in Spanish moss, a historic district, ghost tours and Lowcountry seafood.

Savannah lies at the southeastern tip of Georgia, near the mouth of the Savannah River. Laid out on a grid by James Oglethorpe in 1733, it is the oldest city in Georgia. The historic district covers about 2.5 square miles and preserves 22 small squares, surrounded by 18th- and 19th-century Federal, Regency and Gothic Revival mansions, with Spanish moss hanging from the oaks, making it one of the most photogenic old towns in the South.

The city falls roughly into three areas. First, the historic district: Bull Street runs north–south through Johnson, Wright, Chippewa, Madison and Monterey squares down to Forsyth Park, passing churches, historic house museums and the Telfair Museums. Second, River Street and City Market to the north, with cobblestone ramps, restaurants and bars in old cotton warehouses, and a riverside promenade. Third, the outskirts, including Bonaventure Cemetery, the oak avenue at Wormsloe, Fort Pulaski and, about 25 km away, the beach and lighthouse on Tybee Island.

The climate is humid subtropical. March–April is the most beautiful time, with azaleas and wisteria in bloom, and October–November is cool and comfortable; June–September is hot and muggy with frequent thunderstorms, and hurricanes are a risk from August to October. Getting there: Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport is about 15 km from downtown, and the Amtrak station is on the west side of town. The historic district is walkable, and the free DOT shuttle and ferry connect the main sights; you'll need a car or a tour to reach Tybee Island and other outlying sights. Allow 2–3 days: one day walking the squares and museums, half a day for River Street and a night tour (the ghost tours are famous), and one day for the outskirts and beach. Note that most downtown parking is metered; in summer bring bug spray and sun protection, and wear flat shoes, as the River Street ramps and old stone paving can be slippery.

Top sights

• Forsyth Park – A large park at the southern end of the historic district, where the white cast-iron fountain is Savannah's most classic postcard view.
• Savannah Historic District Squares – A grid-plan old town strung together with 22 oak-shaded squares, one of the largest National Historic Landmark districts in the United Stat…
• River Street – A cobblestone street along the Savannah River, where 19th-century cotton warehouses have been converted into seafood restaurants, bars and…
• Bonaventure Cemetery – A Victorian cemetery draped in oaks and moss, famous for its appearance on the cover of *Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil*.
• Tybee Island – Savannah's beach backyard, with a long sandy shore, a pier, seafood shacks and dolphin-watching boats.
• Tybee Island Light Station – Georgia's oldest and tallest lighthouse. Climb 178 steps for views over the Atlantic and the Savannah River mouth.
• Wormsloe Historic Site – A 2.4 km avenue lined with more than 400 live oaks draped in Spanish moss, Savannah's most photogenic scene.
• Mercer Williams House – An Italianate mansion beside Monterey Square, the real-life setting of the case behind 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'.
• Fort Pulaski National Monument – A moated brick fortress, breached by rifled cannon during the Civil War, a turning point in military history.
• Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist – A French Gothic Revival cathedral beside Lafayette Square. Its twin spires and stained glass make it a landmark of the old town.
• Owens–Thomas House & Slave Quarters – A Regency-style mansion designed by an English architect, with a fully preserved urban slave quarters that tells the other side of Southern…
• Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace – The birthplace of the founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA, a pilgrimage site and historic landmark for Girl Scouts across the country.
• City Market – A four-block pedestrian district of artists' studios, restaurants, bars and open-air music, the centre of the old town's nightlife.
• Chippewa Square – The filming location of the bench scenes in Forrest Gump, with a bronze statue of James Oglethorpe at its centre.
• Telfair Academy – The earliest public art museum in the American South, home to the 'Bird Girl' statue from the cover of Midnight in the Garden of Good and E…
• Jepson Center for the Arts – The modern art museum of the Telfair Museums, a white glass building designed by Moshe Safdie.
• SCAD Museum of Art – A contemporary art museum converted from a 19th-century railway warehouse, showing works by international artists and fashion design exhibi…
• Colonial Park Cemetery – An old town cemetery opened in 1750, final resting place of a Declaration of Independence signer and a must-stop on ghost-tour nights.
• Andrew Low House – An 1849 Italianate residence, the home Juliette Gordon Low lived in after her marriage, where the Girl Scouts of the USA was founded.
• Congregation Mickve Israel – The third-oldest Jewish congregation in America. Its 1878 Gothic Revival synagogue is exceptionally rare in North America.
• First African Baptist Church – One of the oldest Black churches in North America. Vent holes in the floor are believed to have been linked to the Underground Railroad.
• Georgia State Railroad Museum – A fully preserved 19th-century railway locomotive shop with turntable, steam locomotives and old carriages. Great for families.
• Old Fort Jackson – The oldest surviving brick fortress in Georgia, where costumed staff fire cannons in demonstrations every day.
• Savannah National Wildlife Refuge – A freshwater wetland spanning Georgia and South Carolina. A wildlife drive lets you see alligators and flocks of waterbirds up close.
• Skidaway Island State Park – A state park where salt marsh meets coastal forest. Observation towers and boardwalks offer views of fiddler crabs and wading birds.
• The Olde Pink House – A renowned Southern restaurant in an 1771 colonial mansion. Crispy fried flounder is the signature dish, and the underground tavern is a hi…
• Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum – A maritime museum in the 1819 Scarbrough House, telling the history of Savannah's port through exquisite ship models.
• Davenport House Museum – An 1820 Federal-style house whose demolition crisis sparked Savannah's historic preservation movement.
• Leopold's Ice Cream – A century-old ice cream parlor founded in 1919. Its retro soda fountain and classic flavors keep the line out the door.

Where to eat

• Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room – A historic family-style Southern lunch spot operating since 1943, where strangers share a table and food—a quintessenti…
• The Grey – An acclaimed chef's restaurant set in a restored 1938 Art Deco Greyhound bus terminal, specializing in Port City Southe…
• The Olde Pink House – An 18th-century pink mansion restaurant next to Reynolds Square, famous for its crispy scored flounder and crab soup.
• Leopold's Ice Cream – A century-old ice cream parlor founded in 1919, famous for its long lines at the Broughton Street location.
• Zunzi's – A popular South African-inspired sandwich shop open since 1996, whose signature Conquistador was featured on the Travel…
• Crystal Beer Parlor – A historic parlor that legally opened in 1933, beloved by locals for its creamy crab stew and burgers.

Itineraries

• Lowcountry Trio: Savannah to Charleston Tour – A scenic Lowcountry coastal route from Savannah through Hilton Head Island and Beaufort to Charleston.