Must Do Savannah GA: The Complete Guide to the Historic District and Beyond
Must do Savannah GA experiences include walking the historic district’s 22 squares, visiting Forsyth Park, and touring the Telfair Museums. With moss-draped oaks framing nearly every block and more house museums than any single trip can cover, deciding where to actually spend your time is the real challenge here.
How Do You Explore the Savannah Historic District?
On foot, and it’s genuinely one of the best walking cities in the United States for it. The Savannah Historic District holds the title of the largest National Historic Landmark District in the country, packed with 22 squares connected by cobblestone streets that make wandering without a fixed plan a perfectly reasonable strategy. Bull Street, the district’s oldest street, and Johnson Square, dating back to 1733 as the oldest of the four original Savannah squares, both anchor the area near City Market and the River Street waterfront. A common mistake first timers make is renting a car and driving between stops, when picking up a free walking map from a hotel front desk and covering the district entirely on foot delivers a far better sense of the city’s layout.
Is a Trolley Tour Worth It in Savannah GA?
Yes, particularly for a first visit or anyone wanting historical context without doing their own research beforehand. Old Town Trolley Tours offers hop-on, hop-off access across 15 stops throughout the historic district, with a complete narrated circuit taking about 90 minutes if you stay aboard the whole time. Old Savannah Tours runs a similar service, and travelers who’ve compared both generally find the choice comes down to which specific stops and departure times fit their itinerary rather than one company being clearly superior. The real value of a trolley tour is the flexibility, letting you hop off at Forsyth Park or a historic cemetery, explore at your own pace, then catch the next trolley to continue.
Which Historic Cemetery Should You Visit in Savannah GA?
| Cemetery | Known For | Best For |
| Bonaventure Cemetery | Riverfront setting, famous from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil | Photography, atmosphere |
| Colonial Park Cemetery | Oldest cemetery, Revolutionary War era burials | History buffs |
| Laurel Grove Cemetery | Notable burials including the writer of “Jingle Bells” | Quieter, less crowded visit |
Bonaventure Cemetery is by far the most famous of the three, made popular by both the book and film Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, with a riverfront setting and gorgeous oak canopy that photographs beautifully in any season. Colonial Park Cemetery, Savannah’s oldest, holds the grave of Button Gwinnett, one of three Georgia signers of the Declaration of Independence, alongside many burials tied to what’s remembered as the bloodiest hour of the American Revolution. Laurel Grove Cemetery rounds out the trio with notable names including James Pierpont, who wrote “Jingle Bells,” and Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts. Travelers with time for only one should default to Bonaventure for the atmosphere, while history-focused visitors will get more out of Colonial Park.
Are the Telfair Museums Worth Visiting?
Yes, and the smart move is buying the combined ticket, since one admission price grants access to all three Telfair Museums properties rather than paying separately for each. Telfair Academy, the eighth oldest art museum in the country, houses a magnificent Rotunda room and, fittingly, a Before Midnight exhibition connected to the same famous book that made Bonaventure Cemetery a household name. Jepson Center sits just steps away on the same Telfair Square, functioning as the contemporary art counterpart to the Academy’s more classical collection. Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarters, a short seven minute walk away, rounds out the trio and is included in that same combined ticket, making it easy to see all three properties in a single afternoon without backtracking across town.
What Is the Open Container Law in Savannah GA?
Savannah allows visitors to carry alcoholic drinks in the historic district as long as they’re poured into an approved 16-ounce plastic cup, a detail that surprises a lot of first timers used to stricter open container rules elsewhere. This applies specifically within the historic district boundaries and nowhere else in the city, so a drink that’s fine to carry down River Street isn’t automatically fine once you wander outside that zone. It’s one of the more distinctive parts of a Savannah night out, letting visitors move between bars and restaurants without finishing a drink first, though staying aware of exactly where the historic district ends matters if you’re planning to walk drink in hand.
Is the American Prohibition Museum Worth Visiting?
Yes, and it’s genuinely one of the more interesting things to do in Savannah’s City Market, holding the distinction of being the only museum in the country dedicated specifically to US Prohibition. Exhibits cover the gangsters, bootleggers, and most notorious troublemakers of the 1920s and 1930s, and the museum leans into its subject matter with a genuinely fun payoff: remember the correct password, find the hidden secret door, and you can order a 1920s era cocktail inside an actual working speakeasy tucked within the museum itself.
What House Museums Are There to See in Savannah GA?
Savannah has an unusually large concentration of preserved historic house museums, and prioritizing matters given how many exist within the same few blocks. Owens-Thomas House and the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, the founder of the Girl Scouts and a genuine pilgrimage stop for many American visitors, both rank among the most consistently recommended. Andrew Low House, Davenport House, Harper Fowlkes House, and the Mercer Williams House each add their own architectural and historical angle, though travelers with limited time should treat these as optional add-ons after covering the Telfair-affiliated properties and Juliette Gordon Low’s birthplace first. The Pirate’s House, dating to 1734, holds the distinction of being the oldest standing building in the entire state of Georgia, making it worth a stop even for visitors who typically skip house museums.
Is Tybee Island Worth Visiting from Savannah GA?
Yes, and it makes for a genuinely refreshing complement to a historic district heavy itinerary. Tybee Beach, its pier, and pavilion sit just a 30 minute drive from the Savannah historic district, delivering a proper beach day without needing to plan a separate coastal trip. Original Crab Shack, a Tybee Island institution known for quirky roadside signs, magnificent oaks, and a taxidermied alligator reportedly among the largest ever recorded, makes a fitting lunch stop for anyone making the drive out. Pairing a morning in the historic district with an afternoon at Tybee gives a full day that balances architecture and history against sand and salt air.
Where Was Forrest Gump Filmed in Savannah GA?
Savannah has drawn countless film productions over the decades, and Forrest Gump remains one of the most enduringly referenced, with Chippewa Square specifically tied to the film’s famous bench scenes, even though the actual bench itself now lives in a museum rather than sitting in the square. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, filmed largely around Bonaventure Cemetery and several historic squares, adds another layer of movie history to the same walkable district. Even smaller, quirkier details carry film connections here, including a walk-up McDonald’s window some travelers specifically seek out for its unusually quaint, historic-district-appropriate design.
What Are Fun Things to Do in Savannah GA for Adults?
Beyond the daytime historic district circuit, Savannah’s after-dark scene genuinely earns its “drinking town” reputation, and not just around St. Patrick’s Day, which the city celebrates for more than a single day. A craft cocktail at The Grey or Treylor Park, a rooftop drink at The Bohemian, and casual local spots like The Rail Pub round out a solid evening. Ghost tours add another adult-focused option after dark, whether that means revisiting one of the historic cemeteries at night or booking a guided haunted walking tour through the district’s most reportedly active spots. Leopold’s Ice Cream, a Savannah institution for over a century, works well as a sweet stop between daytime sightseeing and evening drinks, with Hollywood memorabilia lining the walls and a honey almond flavor made with local Savannah Bee Company honey consistently earning praise.
Final Thoughts
Checking off the real must do Savannah GA list comes down to pacing the historic district’s dense concentration of squares, museums, and cemeteries rather than rushing through all of it in one day. Buy the Telfair Museums combo ticket to cover three properties at once, pick one historic cemetery to prioritize rather than trying all three, and save room for a half day at Tybee Island to balance out the history-heavy pace. Whether it’s a craft cocktail carried through the historic district in a 16-ounce cup or a scoop of honey almond ice cream at Leopold’s, the best must do Savannah GA experiences consistently reward travelers who slow down and actually wander.
FAQs
Where do you park in Savannah GA?
Parking at the visitor center rather than searching for scattered spots throughout the historic district consistently offers the best all-day rate and saves the hassle of circling for street parking near popular squares.
How many days do you need in Savannah GA?
Two to three days covers the historic district, a cemetery visit, the Telfair Museums, and a half day trip to Tybee Island, though travelers wanting to add more house museums or a deeper food scene often stretch a visit closer to four days.
Is Savannah GA good for a ghost tour?
Yes, with multiple guided options including haunted walking tours and evening cemetery visits, Savannah’s reputation for hauntings is embraced openly enough that it’s become one of the city’s signature after-dark activities.
What is Leopold’s Ice Cream known for?
Leopold’s Ice Cream, over a century old, is known for its Hollywood movie poster decor tied to the owners’ film industry connections, along with standout flavors like honey almond and cream made using local Savannah Bee Company honey.
