HISTORIC DISTRICT SQUARES
Savannah's system of squares – twenty-two small parks located every few blocks throughout the old central city – is one of the most original and beautiful city plans ever devised, and admired the world over.
Savannah's squares cannot be missed. Not only do they give the city much of its charm, but many of its most visited attractions – historic homes and buildings and other sights, monuments such as those to General Oglethorpe in Chippewa Square, or General Pulaski in Monterey Square, or to the Haitian Chasseurs-Volontaires in Franklin Square – are located either in the squares themselves or on the streets around them.
See the full list of Savannah's squares, with links to their history and surrounding points of interest.
OLD CEMETERIES
Savannah's cemeteries are among its most popular attractions. The Historic District's 18th century Colonial Park Cemetery is the oldest, and the burial place of many political and historical figures. Bonaventure, just outside Savannah, is the most famous, with its Gothic arching live oaks and its hundreds of memorial sculptures.
Laurel Grove Cemetery, the southern portion of which includes the graves of slaves and of notable African Americans, is Savannah's third historically significant burial ground, created before the Civil War.
MUSEUMS & HISTORIC HOMES
Savannah has several museums to choose from exploring the history of the city and its economic and cultural achievements, besides many historic houses open to the public.
The Savannah History Museum, attached to the Visitor Information Center, gives an overview of the city's history. The Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum is devoted to its nautical history.
Mercer House is probably Savannah's most widely known historic home, made famous by the internationally bestselling Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil.
Savannah's major art collections are at the Telfair Academy of Arts, the Jepson Center and the SCAD Museum of Art, the latter two showing contemporary works.
See all museums and all historic houses.
HISTORIC PLACES OF WORSHIP
Savannah is home to some of the oldest churches and synagogues in Georgia and the United States, mostly located within the central Historic District.
The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, with its twin white spires, is probably the most beautiful. First African Baptist Church and the Temple Mickve Israel are also popular with visitors, both offering a small museum and tours outlining the histories of the buildings and aspects of African American and Jewish life in Savannah, respectively.
See all historic places of worship.
FORSYTH PARK
Forsyth Park is one of Savannah's most unmissable sights. Located in the southern Historic District, it is a walk of only a few minutes from the city's major attractions. The park is one of the oldest in the United States, created in 1851.
Much larger than the city's numerous small squares, Forsyth Park is especially famous for its beautiful fountain. A fragrant garden, war memorials, cafe and outdoor bandstand add to its appeal.
RIVER STREET
River Street, one of the busiest parts of Savannah, was once at the heart of the shipping and merchant trades (and the landing place of imported slaves) that made the city one of the wealthiest in the South and one of the nation's leading ports. Today it is one of the first stops for tourists visiting the city, its cobbled streets forming part of a riverfront promenade, and the old warehouses converted into shops and restaurants.
