Everything you should do when visiting Savannah, Georgia

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I recently spent five days in Savannah with Homestay, staying with the lovely Patty in her homestay out on Tybee Island. I’ve written a post about why you should head out to Tybee Island for this blog as well – suffice to say, it’s worth a day of your time.

In today’s post I want to cover some of the essential activities you should be including on a visit to Savannah. There’s enough to do in Savannah to fill a few days – below are some of my suggestions to get you started, and I’ve provided a link at the end of the post to give you even more ideas!

Take a Movie Tour

oak-tree overhanging an avenue of Savannah, Georgia

Remember that little movie with Tom Hanks called Forrest Gump? Well, the part of the movie where he sits on a bench waiting for a bus whilst relating the story of his life was filmed on a square in Savannah.

And Forrest Gump wasn’t the only movie to be filmed Savanna. This picturesque city with its old historical district and Spanish moss draped trees has drawn all sorts of film makers, with movies like Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, The Generals Daughter, Magic Mike XXL and many more being filmed here.

The best way to find out which parts of which movies were filmed where, and to buff up on your movie trivia in the process, is to take a movie tour. A number of tour companies offer movie themed tours of varying lengths – you should find something to suit your tastes and budget without any problem.

Terrify Yourself on A Ghost Tour

Andrew Low house entranceway in Savannah, Georgia with flowers in the garden

Savannah is thought to be the most haunted city in the US east of the Mississippi, with nearly every historic building claiming to have some ghost or spirit haunting it. It only makes sense therefore for you to hop right onto a ghost tour and get yourself terrified.

Some buildings to consider visiting include the Moon River Brewing Company, Pirate’s House, Andrew Low House, and the Owens Thomas House. Lots of firms offer spooky tours, so you’ve got no shortage of choice.

Visit Old Fort Jackson

archway of Old Fort Jackson, military fort in Savannah, Georgia in the sunshine

A couple of miles outside Savannah is the restored Fort Jackson – the oldest standing brick Fort in Georgia, constructed between 1808 and 1812 at the orders of President Thomas Jefferson to defend Savannah against possible wars with France and the UK.

This turned out to be a good bit of foresight, as the fort saw action in the two and half year long War of 1812 against the British, and was later used in the American Civil War by both Union and Confederate troops.

Today, this restored fort is a good place to learn about civil war history and the history of the area, as well as see a daily cannon firing demonstration.

Go To Pin Point Heritage Museum

If you’re interested in learning about the Gullah / Geechee history of Savannah and surrounds, then you need to head to Pin Point Heritage Museum. Not sure what I’m talking about when I say Gullah / Geechee? The Gullah (also called Geechee) were the African slaves, brought to the US to work in the various industries that the south relied on to prosper, including rice and cotton cultivation. They, and their descendants, developed their own culture and language, and in 2006, U.S. Congress created a Gullah / Geechee Heritage Corridor to help protect and conserve this unique part of US history.

If you want to learn more about all of that, beyond my paragraph summary, then the Pin Point Heritage Museum is the place to go!

Visit the Georgia State Railroad Museum

train engine outdoors at the Savannah Railroad Museum in Georgia

Image courtesy of Bruce Tuten.

Savannah is home to the oldest and largest 19th century railroad operations complex in the US – this city certainly had a lot of rail traffic back in the day! Now, the railroad complex has been converted into a multi-use visitor attraction, with parking, trolley tours, the National History Museum, and more, all available on site.

Of course, there’s also the railroad museum. This national historic landmark is a must-visit if you’re into trains on any level, with guided tours, historic railcars, and a fully operational turntable. Plenty to see and do.

Try a Craft Beer

The craft beer revolution sweeping the nation certainly hasn’t skipped Savannah, with plenty of places to get your craft beer fix on. A slight hiccup in this process are the prohibition-era laws that forbid breweries from selling beer on site, although some smart breweries have gotten around this by selling souvenir glasses instead, with which you can taste beer for free! Cunning.

Three breweries not to miss are the Service Brewing Co, run by veterans of the US military, the Moon River Brewing Company, where you can also do that aforementioned ghost tour and the Southbound Brewing Company.

Also, don’t forget that Savannah has some unique laws, for the US at least, in that in the historic district, you are allowed to drink alcohol on the streets (from approved containers). So don’t hesitate to ask for your beer to go, and head on down to the river front for some spectacular sunset scenes.

And that sums up my post on exploring Savannah. If you’re looking for even more to do in Savannah, do check out my post on 11 Things To Do in Savannah to get even more ideas!


Cover image courtesy of Kevin Muncie.


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