Location: Savannah
Top Things to do in Savannah
What to do and see in Savannah, Georgia (GA): The Best Things to do
Charming Savannah is the picture of antebellum hospitality, thanks to period architecture and oak-lined streets. It’s tempting to spend your trip just relaxing on vast verandas and sipping mint juleps, but there are plenty of historical sites and museums to explore. Haunting (and possibly haunted) Bonaventure Cemetery is one of the hallmarks of the city, featuring beautiful obelisks, masses of flowers, and ivy-covered crypts. Dine on fresh seafood and creamy grits for a taste of Savannah home cooking.
Restaurants in Savannah
1. Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 9,384 reviews
The oldest Roman Catholic church in Georgia.
Reviewed By P5560OMamym
This enormous Cathedral is in the heart of historic Savannah and is an exotically prayerful & powerful landmark for which to visit, admire, study, film and light a candle.
2. Savannah Historic District
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 14,018 reviews
Savannah's picturesque historic district brings the traditional southern atmosphere to life.
Reviewed By mmwinters
The Savannah historic district will thrill those who love American history, especially colonial or civil war times; African American history; art and architecture; seafood or southern foods; trees and landscaping; fountains and sculptures. Several convenient modes of travel will help you get around - trolleys, horse-drawn carriages, Uber type services, and the free DOT bus system. Parking for cars is limited. I think it would be difficult to try to see things with your personal car. Be sure to wear a good pair of walking shoes and stay hydrated. It’s hard to recommend the “best” things to see and do. As a history lover, I wanted to see it ALL and hope to return someday to see the places I couldn’t get worked in. I think Savannah, budding and blooming in the spring, would be the most beautiful time to tour. August is very hot and humid, but bearable because the the sites are just so darned interesting and the beach is nearby!
3. Mickve Israel Temple
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,147 reviews
The third oldest Jewish congregation and the only neo-gothic Jewish sanctuary in the U. S. We offer tours that include our historic sanctuary and museum with many historic artifacts including two Torahs written in the 1400's (probably the oldest in the U.S.), a Jewish food festival (last Sunday in October), destination weddings and services every Friday, Saturday and holidays. See our website for calendar of events.
Reviewed By krquilts - Willis, United States
Unique sanctuary, informative and knowledgeable guide, and a small museum with 700 year old artifacts. Learned so much that I was not aware of.
4. Bonaventure Cemetery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,548 reviews
Bonaventure Cemetery was developed on the historically-significant site of Bonaventure Plantation. The peaceful setting rests on a scenic bluff of the Wilmington River, east of Savannah. The site was purchased for a private cemetery in 1846 and became a public cemetery in 1907. Citizens and others can still purchase interment rights in Bonaventure. This charming site has been a world famous tourist destination for more than 150 years due to the old tree-lined roadways, the many notable persons interred, the unique cemetery sculpture and architecture, and the folklore associated with the site and the people. The entrance to the cemetery is located at 330 Bonaventure Road and is the largest of the municipal cemeteries containing nearly 100 acres. The cemetery is open to the public daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. . The main office of the Department of Cemeteries is located in the Bonaventure Administrative Building at the entrance.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
Established in 1846 and covering nearly 160 acres on a scenic bluff overlooking the Wilmington River, east of Savannah, Georgia, the Bonaventure Cemetery is the largest of the city's municipal cemeteries. In recent years, it has become one of Savannah's most popular tourist attractions, primarily due to its role in John Berendt's best-selling book "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," which was turned into a movie directed by Clint Eastwood. The cover of the book features the "Bird Girl," an evocative sculpture which used to reside in the cemetery. After going virtually unnoticed for over 50 years, it was relocated from the cemetery in 1997 for display in the Telfair Museum of Art in Savannah. Many of the city's statesmen, prominent citizens and soldiers are buried in Bonaventure Cemetery in the shade of 250-year-old moss-laden oak trees, including Savannah founders Noble Wimberly Jones and Edward Telfair. Five Civil War generals and one admiral are buried there. So is singer, lyricist and composer Johnny Mercer and poet Conrad Aiken. In a cemetery of many unusual tombstones, perhaps one of the most unique is one in the shape of a piano, Mercer's grave site. The interesting tombstones and vaults and mausoleums, the colorful azaleas and camellias and the old oak, dogwood and magnolia trees have made the cemetery one of the most photographed in the country. The cemetery is open from dusk to dawn with tours available at the Bonaventure Historical Society Visitor's Center. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.
5. Wormsloe Historic Site
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,719 reviews
A breathtaking live oak avenue leads visitors one mile down a colonial road to a vistor center, where they can watch short historical film, tour a museum, and browse a gift shop. A walking trail leads to the 1737 tabby ruins of the oldest remaining structure in the Savannah. Trails meander past scenic marsh views to the Colonial Life Area, where costumed interpreters provide living history demonstrations in the afternoons, weather permitting. Five more miles of nature trails are available for those who are more adventurous.
Reviewed By sayrenas - McDonough, United States
Y’all...Live Oaks give me ALL the heart eyes so when we arrived at Wormsloe to drive down the Avenue of Oaks, I fell in love! The trees themselves are beautiful and made this destination well worth the visit for me; however, we continued to explore and enjoyed further exploration of the tabby ruins and the marsh. We also happened upon a blacksmith demonstration, which was quite interesting to watch. All in all, we would come back and would most definitely recommend this site to others.
6. Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,176 reviews
Built as a beautiful Regency style mansion in 1819, the Owens-Thomas House, along with its adjacent gardens, carriage house, and slave quarters, allows visitors to explore the complicated relationships between the most and least powerful people in the city of Savannah in the early 19th century. Only a seven-minute walk from Telfair Museums’ other two sites, this historic home offers a completely different experience. Telfair Museums’ Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters has paused all docent led tours indefinitely due to COVID-19. Guests may independently navigate the historic home with an audio tour available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or our website.
Reviewed By Carol757 - Springfield, United States
It’s important to recognize and acknowledge the legacy of slavery in places like Savannah, and the Owens-Thomas House (one of the three institutions that make up the Telfair Museums) does, I think, a good job doing so. In addition to point out such features as the (then) modern indoor plumbing and the balcony where General Lafayette spoke to the citizens of Savannah, the guides also do an excellent job of speaking about the slaves who lived there. It’s definitely a must-see while in Savannah.
7. Forsyth Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 8,758 reviews
Reviewed By Wavluvr - Fredericksburg, United States
Fantastic for walking, running, or strolling to take in sights of historic properties, huge trees draped with Spanish moss, the fragrant gardens, refreshing fountain, or just people watch. We brought a picnic and enjoyed the day, tossed around a football, blew bubbles, and admired the many dogs. Impressed to see so many people outdoors being social, folks doing a great job cleaning up after themselves and their pets, groups of people or individuals creating art, exercising, getting some sun, etc. We were fortunate to stay nearby and took advantage every chance we got to enjoy Forsyth. Beautiful!
8. Historic River Street
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 8,032 reviews
Reviewed By 1travelG
Loads of exciting happenings on River Street, never a dull moment! Street artists, singers, musicians, cargo ships, paddle & ferry boats, carriage rides, tour trolleys, restaurants galore, pubs, shops & more!
9. American Prohibition Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 860 reviews
Not your average "Dry" Museum, the American Prohibition Museum is the first and only museum in the United States dedicated to the history of Prohibition. While here, guests will travel back in time to the early 1900s, as anti-alcohol rallies swept the nation and the "booze problem" was pushed to the fore-front of American politics.
Reviewed By Rod_Ed - Greensboro, United States
The American Prohibition Museum succeeds at entertaining people of all levels of interest. It provides lots of political cartoons, quotes, wax figures, videos both historic and faked, newspaper articles, depictions of how folks evaded Prohibition, and a timeline of the rise and fall of this social experiment that banned legal alcohol. It records some of the most famous characters on all sides... flamboyant evangelist Billy Sunday, crime bosses like Al Capone and Bugsy Moran, and even Franklin D Roosevelt, who as President promised and delivered the end of Prohibition. Our docent Christine was knowledgeable and pleased to answer plenty of questions. One can spend plenty of time in the museum, or simply pass through and note the high spots. Either way, it is informative and intriguing. The Prohibition Museum was the highlight of my three-day visit to Savannah, and should not be missed.
10. Sorrel Weed House
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,875 reviews
The Sorrel- Weed House operates Historic Savannah Tours and Haunted Ghost Tours in Savannah. Our purpose is to educate the public on the rich neoclassical Greek Revival architecture of the Sorrel- Weed House and the the famous architect Charles Cluskey who designed it, along with and the cultural history of antebellum Savannah Georgia. A focus is also maintained on Civil War Savannah, and the role of Brigadier General Moxley Sorrel CSA. Moxley served under General James Longstreet and wrote "Recollections of a Confederate Staff Officer". We also operate Haunted Ghost Tours in Savannah, as The Sorrel- Weed House was featured on Ghost Hunters with Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson in 2005, HGTV "If These Walls Could Talk" in 2006, the Travel Channel in 2010, (the Most Terrifying Places in America) and Ghost Adventures with Zak Bagans, Nick Groff and Aaron Goodwin in 2014. In January 1940 - The Society for the Preservation of Savannah Landmarks opened the Sorrel- Weed House to the public. The name of their exhibit was "The Society for the Preservation of Savannah Landmarks Presents a Loan Exhibit of furniture and fine Arts 18th and 19th Centuries at the Sorrel-Weed House on Madison Square. Jan-April 1940" They were founded in 1939 and eventually became the Historic Savannah Foundation. 1954, The Sorrel-Weed House was designated a Georgia State Landmark. It was one of the first houses in Georgia to receive this honor. 2005- The Sorrel Weed House opened to the public for Historic House Tours and Haunted Savannah Ghost Tours. 2010. The Sorrel Weed House was designated a Museum in the State of Georgia.
Reviewed By RKS1990
We spent our last night in Savannah with Alyssa as our incredible tour guide for the evening Sorrel Weed House ghost tour! The tour was just spooky enough to still enjoy it without being terrified the entire time! Alyssa was a great storyteller, shared a lot of history about both Savannah and the house, and described various paranormal experiences guests have had in the past. I also loved how mindful Alyssa was about reminding us that these were human beings, while also giving proper warning and context about some of the saddening and explicit content we heard. Highly recommend!
