Things to do · Savannah · United States
18 best things to do in Savannah
18 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: ---=XEON=---, CC BY 3.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Savannah are Forsyth Park, The historic squares and River Street and Factor's Walk. Of the 18 picks below, 7 are free, 8 work on a rainy day and 6 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Forsyth Park
- Free sights
- 7
- Good on a rainy day
- Owens–Thomas House and Slave Quarters
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forsyth Park | Victorian District and Forsyth Park | 1 hour | Free |
| The historic squares | South Historic District | 2–3 hours | Free |
| River Street and Factor's Walk | River Street and Plant Riverside | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Bonaventure Cemetery | Thunderbolt | 1.5–2 hours | Free |
| Owens–Thomas House and Slave Quarters | North Historic District | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Telfair Academy and Jepson Center | North Historic District | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Mercer Williams House | South Historic District | 45 minutes | Mid-priced |
| Cathedral of St. John the Baptist | South Historic District | 30 minutes | Free |
| First African Baptist Church | North Historic District | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum | Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Wormsloe State Historic Site | Isle of Hope | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| Fort Pulaski National Monument | Cockspur Island | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Tybee Island Light Station | Tybee Island | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Savannah Belles Ferry | River Street and Plant Riverside | 30 minutes | Free |
| SCAD Museum of Art | North Historic District | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Georgia State Railroad Museum | North Historic District | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| Colonial Park Cemetery | North Historic District | 30 minutes | Free |
| Pin Point Heritage Museum | Pin Point | 1 hour | Low cost |
The 18 best things to do
Park · Victorian District and Forsyth Park
1.Forsyth Park
Savannah's largest park covers about 12 hectares at the southern edge of the historic district, with a white cast-iron fountain from 1858, live-oak paths, a Confederate memorial, playgrounds and a fragrant garden. On Saturday mornings a farmers market sets up at the southern end.
Walk down Bull Street through Chippewa, Madison and Monterey squares to reach the fountain; it is the classic Savannah route.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Neighbourhood · South Historic District
2.The historic squares
General Oglethorpe's 1733 plan placed a square at the centre of every ward, and 22 remain. Chippewa Square is where the bench scenes of Forrest Gump were filmed, Monterey Square is overlooked by the Mercer Williams House and the Temple Mickve Israel, and Lafayette Square faces the cathedral's twin spires.
Walk the full length of Bull Street, then return on Abercorn or Barnard to see different squares.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Waterfront · River Street and Plant Riverside
3.River Street and Factor's Walk
A cobbled street along the Savannah River lined with 19th-century cotton warehouses, where cotton factors once graded and sold bales. Iron footbridges link the upper floors to Bay Street along Factor's Walk. Today the warehouses hold bars, restaurants and candy shops, and container ships pass close enough to read their names.
Watch for the Waving Girl statue at the eastern end, then take the free ferry for the best view back at the bluff.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- After dark
- Food
- Views
Historic site · Thunderbolt
4.Bonaventure Cemetery
A former plantation on a bluff over the Wilmington River, this Victorian cemetery is known for its avenues of moss-hung live oaks and sculpted monuments, including the grave of songwriter Johnny Mercer. It appeared in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and is about 6 km east of downtown.
Pick up a map at the entrance or join a volunteer-led tour; the cemetery is large and the notable graves are spread out.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
Historic site · North Historic District
5.Owens–Thomas House and Slave Quarters
An English Regency villa on Oglethorpe Square designed by William Jay and completed in 1819, run by Telfair Museums. The tour gives equal weight to the urban slave quarters behind the house, where a ceiling painted 'haint blue' by enslaved people survives.
A Telfair combination ticket covers this house, the Telfair Academy and the Jepson Center.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Museum · North Historic District
6.Telfair Academy and Jepson Center
Telfair Academy, a Regency mansion on Telfair Square, opened as one of the oldest public art museums in the South and shows 19th- and 20th-century American and European art. Across the square, the modern Jepson Center hosts contemporary exhibitions and a hands-on gallery for children.
Visit the Jepson for modern art and the children's gallery, then cross the square for the period rooms at the Academy.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Architecture
Historic site · South Historic District
7.Mercer Williams House
Designed for Hugh Mercer, great-grandfather of Johnny Mercer, this Italianate house on Monterey Square was later restored by antiques dealer Jim Williams and became the setting for Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Guided tours cover the ground floor and Williams's collection.
Even if you skip the tour, the view of the house across Monterey Square at dusk is one of the best in town.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Religious site · South Historic District
8.Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
Savannah's Catholic cathedral on Lafayette Square has French Gothic twin spires visible across the historic district, Austrian stained glass and a richly painted interior restored in the 1990s and 2000s. It is a working cathedral that welcomes visitors between services.
Visit on a sunny morning when light comes through the windows, and dress respectfully.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- History
Religious site · North Historic District
1.First African Baptist Church
On Franklin Square near the City Market, this congregation traces its roots to the 1770s, among the oldest Black congregations in North America. The present church was built by its members, many of them enslaved, in the 1850s; guided tours cover its history and the pews and floor patterns from that period.
Book a tour time in advance and allow a little extra for questions; guides are knowledgeable about the congregation's history.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
2.Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum
Housed in a former bank building on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, the museum covers Savannah's civil rights movement, including lunch-counter sit-ins and the local campaigns of the late 1950s and 1960s, with a recreated lunch counter and photographs.
Combine it with First African Baptist Church for a half-day on Black history in Savannah.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
.jpg){kind=link}
Historic site · Isle of Hope
3.Wormsloe State Historic Site
An avenue of more than 400 live oaks runs about 2.4 km to the tabby ruins of the colonial estate of Noble Jones, one of Georgia's first settlers. Trails lead through the marsh-edge forest, and a small museum and living-history area explain the colonial period. It is about 15 km southeast of downtown.
Arrive early in the morning for the oak avenue with soft light and no cars in the frame.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Photo spot
- History
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Couples
Historic site · Cockspur Island
4.Fort Pulaski National Monument
A massive brick fort on the road to Tybee, built in the early 19th century with Robert E. Lee working on its early engineering. In 1862 Union rifled cannon breached its walls within two days, showing that masonry forts were obsolete; the shell-scarred walls are still visible. Trails and a dike walk look over the marsh.
Stop on the way to Tybee Island and check the schedule for ranger talks and cannon-firing demonstrations.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Kids
- Outdoors
Landmark · Tybee Island
5.Tybee Island Light Station
Georgia's oldest and tallest lighthouse stands at the north end of Tybee Island, with 178 steps to a gallery overlooking the Atlantic and the mouth of the Savannah River. The site includes keepers' cottages and a small museum in a nearby coastal battery.
Climb it before heading to the beach; the stairs get hot and busy on summer afternoons.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Kids
- History
Experience · River Street and Plant Riverside
6.Savannah Belles Ferry
Free passenger ferries run by the city transit authority cross the Savannah River between River Street and Hutchinson Island in a few minutes. The short crossing gives one of the best views of the bluff, City Hall's gold dome and the warehouse fronts.
Ride across and straight back at sunset for a free harbour view, and watch for large container ships.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Views
- Couples
Gallery · North Historic District
7.SCAD Museum of Art
The Savannah College of Art and Design's museum occupies restored 1850s railway buildings on Turner Boulevard, joined to a slim modern wing. It shows changing contemporary exhibitions by international artists and the college's alumni.
Check what is on before you go; exhibitions change often and range from fashion to large-scale installations.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · North Historic District
8.Georgia State Railroad Museum
The 19th-century Central of Georgia Railway repair shops, with a working turntable, a roundhouse full of locomotives and a tall brick smokestack. Children can climb into cabs, and short rides run on some days. The Savannah History Museum is in the old passenger station next door.
Combine it with the Savannah History Museum and the Battlefield Memorial Park across the street.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- History
- Rainy day
Historic site · North Historic District
9.Colonial Park Cemetery
Savannah's oldest surviving cemetery, used from the 1750s to the 1850s, holds the graves of colonial leaders and victims of yellow-fever epidemics. Its walls carry headstones moved during later disturbances, and it is a regular stop on evening ghost tours.
Visit by day for the inscriptions; at night the gates close and tours stop outside.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Outdoors
Museum · Pin Point
10.Pin Point Heritage Museum
In a former oyster and crab cannery on the marsh south of the city, this museum tells the story of Pin Point, a Gullah Geechee community founded by freed people after the Civil War. Exhibits cover crabbing, oyster shucking and the community's language and traditions.
Pair it with Wormsloe, about 15 minutes away, for a half-day south of town.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Nature
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Telfair Academy and Jepson Center, Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum, SCAD Museum of Art and Georgia State Railroad Museum |
| History | The historic squares, Bonaventure Cemetery, Owens–Thomas House and Slave Quarters and Mercer Williams House |
| Views | River Street and Factor's Walk, Tybee Island Light Station and Savannah Belles Ferry |
| Outdoors and nature | Forsyth Park, Bonaventure Cemetery, Wormsloe State Historic Site and Fort Pulaski National Monument |
| Food and markets | River Street and Factor's Walk |
| After dark | River Street and Factor's Walk |
| With children | Forsyth Park, Telfair Academy and Jepson Center, Fort Pulaski National Monument and Tybee Island Light Station |
| On a rainy day | Owens–Thomas House and Slave Quarters, Telfair Academy and Jepson Center, Mercer Williams House and Cathedral of St. John the Baptist |
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Savannah?
Forsyth Park. Savannah's largest park covers about 12 hectares at the southern edge of the historic district, with a white cast-iron fountain from 1858, live-oak paths, a Confederate memorial, playgrounds and a fragrant garden.
+What can you do for free in Savannah?
Forsyth Park, The historic squares, River Street and Factor's Walk, Bonaventure Cemetery and Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Savannah when it rains?
Head indoors to Owens–Thomas House and Slave Quarters, Telfair Academy and Jepson Center, Mercer Williams House and Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.
+What is there to do in Savannah at night?
River Street and Factor's Walk are best after dark.