30 Best Historic Sites That Will Make You Want to Move to Savannah, GA

So many times you hear that having low or no expectations is key to avoiding disappointments and so many times it’s true. But I must confess that I couldn’t avoid having expectations about my visit to Savannah, Georgia.

So many photos of historic houses and churches delight you with their exquisite details.

So many dreamy pictures of streets packed with trees that seem to high-five each other with their long and twisted branches.

And so many squares with monuments shaded by the king of the South: the live oak. Can you blame me?

To my happiness, Savannah did not disappoint. It was everything I was expecting it to be. The fact that this was the first planned city in the United States has a lot to do with it, I’m sure.

Oglethorpe had the idea of laying it out on a grid, inserting a square (like a square roundabout) every four blocks north-south and every two blocks east-west for a total of 24 squares. 

Although this was a military strategy at its core, the aesthetic results are splendid.

Today there are 22 (he laid out the first four), with historical landmarks and manicured landscaping.

One of the best things to do in the downtown Savannah historic district is to walk from square to square to see the best examples of a variety of architectural styles in a magical setting while learning about the history of the city.

You’ll find many antebellum mansions from the 18th and early 19th centuries. The economy was booming; people had lots of money to build crazy expensive houses and hire the best architects.  

And whenever you’re ready for a change of scenery, you’ll have beaches, coastal trails, wildlife sightings, and nearby forts waiting for you.

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These are the best historical sites in Savannah.

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Savannah’s  River Street

The long riverwalk on Savannah’s waterfront is a scenic site full of monuments and landmarks that whisper the history of the city.

Here is where I’ll start our walk since the riverfront is where it all started back in 1733. General Oglethorpe attached a flag to a pole and declared This is now part of England!, and that’s how the colony of Georgia was born.

During the 18th and 19th centuries until the closure of the last cotton office in 1956, Savannah was a busy port shipping the fluffy white stuff everywhere. It was the busiest on the Atlantic and the second busiest in the world. 

In 1834 River Street started looking like you see it today, after receiving its first ballast stones.

Today the area is lively and artsy, with many restaurants, bars, and rooftops.

Check out these spots along the water:

Gallery 209

Inside this former cotton warehouse from the 1820s, you can see what local artists are working on. Jewelers, painters, sculptors, photographers, and more get together inside the original stone walls and under the exposed beams to delight you with their creations.

209 E River St.

1.912.236.4583

Open daily: 10:30AM-9PM

The African American Families Monument

You can’t talk about the glory of Savannah without talking about the inglorious events that happened here. Thousands of enslaved people were forcibly brought to America through this port..

The African American Families Monument, designed by SCAD professor Dorothy Bradley, shows a bronze statue of a black family embracing each other. 

At their feet, the shattered shackles point to a past when their ancestors were captured in Africa, shipped in inhumane conditions, sold in auctions, enslaved in the cotton and rice plantations, and whose forced labour generated great wealth for this country.

On the granite base, you’ll read powerful words from Maya Angelou about the horrors of the slave trade, the overcoming of a painful past, and the rising towards a brighter future.

A World Apart (The World War II Memorial)

One of the largest monuments is A World Apart, The World War II Memorial (The Cracked Earth). A huge globe divided in two, reflecting the global conflict, immortalizes the names of those who served from Chatham County, and who were awarded a Purple Medal or a World War II Victory Medal.

The Ship Fountain (S.S. Savannah Maritime Memorial)

One of the prettiest monuments is a fountain that serves as a memorial given by the Propeller Club of the US to people who dedicated their lives to building and servicing the ships in the Port of Savannah.

It’s a replica of the S.S. Savannah, which departed from this port and became the first steamship to complete a transatlantic trip.

It left the port on May 22nd, 1819 (establishing the celebration of the National Maritime Day every May) and arrived in Liverpool 27 days later. Doesn’t it make you feel grateful for that flight that can take you there in less than 12 hours?

The Plant Riverside District 

This is the latest addition to Savannah’s riverfront with picturesque streets that look like old postcards, street art, restaurants, live music, and seasonal events such as the Savannah Christmas Market.

A not-to-miss stop is the JW Marriott Hotel lobby. It was built inside a 1912 power plant and the design retained many original features used to create a statement. The look is a mix of a fun, chic, and industrial vibe.

The whole ambiance is elevated by a Sauropod-fossil-like sculpture, an impressive display of real fossils, gems, and rocks. It was like walking inside a museum of natural history.

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The Government Buildings on East Bay Street

One block south of River Street you’ll find these three gems:

The United States Custom House Building 

The United States Custom House was completed in 1852  and it stands on the same spot where Oglethorpe’s house stood, next to where John Wesley preached his first sermon in Savannah.

Each fluted column, adorned with tobacco leaves in the capitals, came by ship. Like the rest of the building they’re made of granite and each weighs 15 tonnes.

1-3 E Bay St.

The Savannah City Hall

You’re now looking at the second structure built on this site after the first one (the City Exchange) was destroyed in 1904. But Savannahians were determined to have a proper seat for their municipal government and in 1906 the Renaissance Revival building you see opened its doors. (Architect: Hyman W. Witcover).

2 E Bay St.

The Old Savannah Cotton Exchange

This is one of the city’s most stately buildings, built in 1887. It was designed by architect Willian Gibbons Preston in Romanesque Revival style with an ornate arch and a roof balustrade. Its impressive look matches the importance of the activities that took place inside: everything related to the cotton industry, the lifeline of the colony.

It has also been known as Solomon’s Lodge No.1, the first Freemasons’ temple of Georgia whose first worshipful master was James Oglethorpe.

100 E Bay St.

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Landmarks in Savannah’s Historic District

Let’s walk South to explore the core of Savannah’s downtown area.

Johnson Square and The Christ Church Episcopal

Johnson Square is the oldest and largest square in Savannah, laid out by the one and only Oglethorpe in 1733.

Sitting across this square is Christ Church Episcopal, the first church established in the colony of Georgia in 1733 and having John Wesley as one of its first rectors. Construction started in 1744 and 47 years later President George Washington worshiped at the original church during his Southern tour.

Ellis Square and The Old City Market

Ellis Square was built in 1733 and it was recently restored by the city. I wouldn’t name it the most beautiful square in Savannah, but it has a historic significance as it was a hub for commercial activity in the 1700s where merchants sold their goods. The Old City Market gave way to the current City Market on the adjacent West St.Julian Street, where you’ll find art galleries, stores, restaurants, and bars. You’ll also find the delicious Byrd’s cookies here.

Check out the Johnny Mercer statue and, if you have kids, they will probably love playing in the fountain.

Wright Square 

Wright Square was also laid out in 1733. Here you’ll see one of the most beautiful monuments, dedicated to William Washington Gordon (a politician who was the founder of Georgia’s first railroad) in 1883.

What’s the meaning? Art, manufacturing, agriculture, and commerce work together to create a better future.

But there’s more to this monument: it was built on top of the burial site of Tomo-Chi-Chi, a Yamacraw Chief (a Creek Native American tribe), who had been buried here 100 years before, with military honours. Oglethorpe was one of his pallbearers.

The Chief was instrumental in the establishment of Savannah as an English colony, negotiating treaties with other tribes on behalf of Oglethorpe, and paving the path to his success in keeping the Spaniards, lurking in Florida, at bay.

The desecration of his tomb pissed a bunch of people and 16 years later an enormous granite boulder provided by the same railroad company was placed in the square to honour Tomo-Chi-Chi (and clean up the PR mess).

Chippewa Square (Forrest Gump Park) and the Independent Presbyterian Church of Savannah

Chippewa Square is the beautiful square where Forrest Gump amazes bypassers with his incredible life, but don’t look for the bench. You won’t find it, as the prop (it was there just for the movie) was moved to the Savannah History Museum. 

Now you’ll find a rope and a whole bunch of plants.

But you can still recognize the trees (now bigger) and the statue in the background,

However, you (like many others including yours truly) can still take a picture of this famous spot.

You’ll learn about another famous character (real, not fictional): James Oglethorpe, the general who proclaimed that the land he was stepping on was going to be part of the English Empire.

His monument presides over the square with a statue of him in a Don’t mess with me stance, with a saw palmetto frond at his feet. 

Why? Well, the Spaniards were hanging out in Florida thinking We have to go back North!, but Oglethorpe said Nah! Not a chance. Not in a million years.

Daniel Chester French was the sculptor behind the bronze statue and Henry Bacon designed the base of the monument, the same team who was behind the Lincoln Memorial in DC.

One block north from here you’ll find the Independent Presbyterian Church of Savannah. 

You may remember how a white feather floats in front of a church steeple landing at Forrest’s feet before he picks it up and puts it in his suitcase. 

That’s the opening scene of Forrest Gump and if you look up, you’ll see that same steeple. 

This is not the original building of the church. A fire consumed it in 1819 so a second church was built in 1891. (Architect: William G. Preston).

Walk two blocks south on Bull St. and take a look at 4 W Liberty Street. Enjoy!

Lafayette Square and the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist

The cobblestone footpaths of Lafayette Square will lead you to the Cathedral Basilica of St. John The Baptist, a Roman Catholic Cathedral dedicated in 1876 and restored in 2000. A great example of French Gothic architecture, with beautiful stained glass and 34 murals adorning the interiors which have earned the Cathedral the title of “The Sistine of the South”.

Suggested donation: $3 per adult
222 E Harris St.; Call 912.233.4709 for tour reservation

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The Sorrel-Weed House

Across Madison Square, you’ll find the Sorrel-Weed House (c.1840), a Greek Revival mansion by architect Charles B. Cluskey, typical of the early to mid-1800s.

This is one of the best houses to visit in Savannah and I fully recommend taking the History Architecture Tour they offer. The interiors are superb and you’ll learn about the interesting and cruel history of the family and the house, and the history of Savannah.

It all began when little Francis Sorrell was spending his childhood in his native Haiti, a prosperous French colony (named Saint-Domingue back then).

But the people of Haiti wanted freedom, and a revolution was brewing.

One day Francis’ father, a French Colonel, sailed away and never returned, abandoning the child.

The revolution exploded and people were going after the colonists, their family, and their property. Little Francis was in danger.

One of his nurses decided to hide him and care for him.

Francis started working at the port, moved to the United States and started a shipping company. He shipped goods like butter, cotton, and corn, and what was seen as a commodity, enslaved people. 

Talk about being ungrateful.

He amassed incredible wealth from trafficking people (including children), built this 16,000 square feet luxurious mansion on grounds where the British army fought to keep control of the city in 1779, and claimed a spot in Savannah’s elite.

Now here’s the irony.

Francis was hiding a secret that could topple him down from his pinnacle faster than a Speedy Gonzales sprint.

His mother was a freed mulatto woman, but he looked white.

Oh, I can’t imagine the scandal and all the ladies clutching their pearls if they would’ve known that they were hanging out with someone who wasn’t “pure”.

The tour of the house started at the Carriage House. We took the narrow steps to the second floor to access the slave quarters. 

A crowded room shared by up to 15 enslaved people where they all slept in what looked like uncomfortable wooden bunk beds with nothing more than a thin blanket.

In the same room are a fireplace, some sort of a kitchen, and a bucket that served as a “bathroom” (we were told that back then you needed to cover your nose with a handkerchief to withstand the smell in the streets).

Privacy, the most prized possession in this space, was reserved for the supervisor (kind of the “slave boss”), who had his own room.

This is a stark contrast to the living quarters in the mansion a few feet away.

The basement was the first room we visited, with ample space for kitchens to cater for regular meals and for the sumptuous banquets thrown for larger-than-life parties.

There was always a servant (who would sleep at the house) ready to prepare whatever anyone wanted at any time.

One space became the office and operating room of one of Sorrel’s children, a doctor, prior to the Civil War.

There’s a display with surgical instruments used back then. Creepy.

Our guide said that a surgeon joined one of her tours and he said that it looks similar to what doctors use today. Creepy.

I asked about some pictures of a store on display. There were pictures taken in the 1960s when this space was transformed into a store. The owner tore down several walls, including structural walls. Of course, the upper floor started to crumble, requiring remediation work to keep the house intact.

Second floor, here we come!

Gorgeous interiors, period furniture (not original to the house), finishes, and tableware.

I loved the curved walls of the dining room, in Regency style.

There’s also one of the largest ceiling medallions in the city sharing the spotlight with a stunning marble fireplace and exquisitely carved trim panels.

Despite the luxurious surroundings, more sad stories developed inside these beautiful walls.

It has been said that Matilda Sorrel, Francis’ second wife and originally his sister-in-law (again, creepy) suffered from depression. 

Back then something like that would’ve received a Whatever! response.

Matilda died by suicide when she plunged from a window in the guest house. Rumour has it that she learned about the relationship that Francis was carrying with one of the enslaved women living in the house.

Back then it was common for the “Master” of the house to force himself on his servants.

Rumour also has it that the enslaved girl, named “Molly” hung herself in the house. Or…was hanged.

This has generated more speculation of ghost stories and paranormal activity. If that’s your alley, you’ll find a lot of tours in Savannah (including this house) that will satisfy your Booh! cravings.

The Sorrel-Weed House and Tours

6 W Harris St.; 1.912.257.2223; Fee (History and Architecture tour):$10

Madison Square, the SCAD Story at Poetter Hall, the Scottish Rite Building, and the Green-Meldrim House

Madison, as in James Madison, the 4th president of the US.

This square was laid out in 1839. At the centre you’ll see a monument dedicated to Sergeant William Jasper, who died in this Square, fighting in the Battle of Savannah in 1779. I tell you more about that in the next section

Beyond the cannons of the old Savannah Armory you’ll have a glimpse of the renowned Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Poetter Hall, a Richardsonian Romanesque building completed in 1892 by architect William Gibbons Preston. This was the first SCAD building (it was known as the Savannah Volunteer Guards’ Armory) and its restoration was a labour of love and a leap of faith from the family who founded the school. They now own around 70 buildings.

You can learn all about it in SCAD Story, a 4D narrative about how the school started back in 1978, and the positive impact it has had in what was a run-down Savannah. 

Let’s say that the city needed a lot of TLC, and that’s what SCAD gave it.

The story is entertaining and I was impressed with the set, the quality of the video, the sound, and the special effects, all done by students, and with a Disney-level quality. 

Yep, It’s that good.

I loved the alumni’s artistic creations for sale at the store. Don’t miss it!

In front of Poetter Hall, standing proud and tall is the Scottish Rite Building (c.1923), with yellow and blue ornamentation, big two-story Ionic columns, and an elaborate cornice just above the midsection that immediately caught my attention.

As lovely as the shells in the roof cornice.

You may notice the Freemanson’s signs in the centre section. For many years this was a Masonic temple.

You’ll also see the Green-Meldrim House, an example of residential Gothic Revival architecture by John S. Norris, now belonging to the St. John’s Episcopal Church.

This site is part of Savannah’s Civil War history as this is where General Sherman set his headquarters after the Union forces took control of Savannah in 1864 during that period, in what was the last stop in the March to Sea military campaign.

The goal was to destroy any business or industrial property that would be used to wage war, break the will of Confederates, end slavery, and reunite the nation.

An important milestone in the Emancipation movement occurred here in 1865. After Sherman met with 20 leaders of local African-American churches he issued a Special Field Order encouraging freedmen to enlist.

It also reserved land from the coast of Charleston down to Florida for the settlement of freed families.

Even though this was a step in the right direction, the road ahead was long. 

A couple of months later, the government issued aid to freedmen, but when it came to land they said No! 

To make matters worse, when President Johnson came to power he revoked the Special Order.

Back to square one…

Battlefield Memorial Park

In the Fall of 1779 British soldiers had Savannah under their thumb. 

They had heard about some colonists, so-called American Patriots or Revolutionaries, making noise about freedom, independence, and telling George III to take a hike.

They weren’t going to let that happen and they started beefing up their armed camp building 14 redoubts and placing cannons around.

Here you can see a redoubt built in 2006 following original plans, as a memorial:

The walls of earth protected the men inside while the firing step behind the parapet offered a shielded attack point. Anyone approaching the redoubt would end up in the trench. Not a good place to be.

The allies formed five columns (a military formation) to fight the British. But instead of attacking all at once they arrived separately, confused, and tired after walking for hours in the woods. The left hand didn’t know what the right hand was doing.

As you can imagine, the Battle of Savannah had one of the worst outcomes for the Rebels during the American Revolutionary War.

Not only the Continentals and their allies, including troops from the regular army of France who were joining this war for the first time had to withdraw, but also around 800 men died or suffered injuries compared to 55 losses on the British side.

The allies included soldiers and noblemen from around the world: Haitians who later fought for Haiti’s independence, Irish soldiers serving France, Grenadiers, Dutch, and Swedish commanders.

Casimir Pulaski, a Polish military commander of the American cavalry (Fort Pulaski was named after him) was fatally injured. You can check out his monument at Monterey Square.

The victory had the Crown singing We Are The Champions! and fueled its ambition even more, extending the war a few more years.

To honour the victims, 800 stones lay as soldiers in an attacking column.

303 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd

Historic Houses on Jones Street

Take a stroll on this cobblestone street to find more historic houses, many of them Georgian style. They’re not as big and ostentatious as the large mansions, but they’re as lovely as their location.

Monterey Square, the Mercer-Williams House, and the Nobel Hardee Mansion

The monument presiding over the square, completed in 1854 and made of Italian marble, is for Casimir Pulaski. He was a Polish commander who was fatally wounded on the grounds of the Battlefield Memorial Park.

The lady at the top of the monument? That’s Liberty. The US was fighting for independence and Pulaski joined the fight.

Pulaski’s name is also on a nearby fort. I recommend you to visit (you could easily spend an entire day). You’ll learn about the Civil War, about life in Savannah in the 19th century, and explore the extensive grounds spotting wildlife.

On one side of the square, you’ll see the Mercer-Williams House (the same one where Danny Hansford is killed -in real life- on John Berendt’s Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil). 

You can take a tour of this house to explore the interiors.

On another side, you’ll find the gorgeous Nobel Hardee Mansion on 411 Bull Street.

I fell in love with the wrought iron in the balustrade and the window trim. The construction of this house started in 1860, but the owner died before its completion. Nowadays an antique store occupies the place.

Last, you’ll find the Congregation Mickve Israel.

Founded in 1733, it’s the oldest in the US. They built the first synagogue in Georgia in 1820, and in 1878 this building became the only synagogue in North America with a Gothic style.

Calhoun Square and the Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church

Calhoun Square was laid out in 1851. From here you can see the Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church, the first in Savannah, established in 1807. The Gothic-style building was completed in 1890, with beautiful stained glass.

Forsyth Park

Forsyth Park was born in the 1840s when William Brown Hodgson said Savannah needs a park! People listened, reserving 10 acres for the project. Today, it spans across 30 acres with walkways, playgrounds, tennis and basketball courts, eateries, an amphitheatre, gardens, and spaces to hold events.

Here’s also the emblematic cast-iron fountain -inspired by the fountains at Place de la Concorde in Paris-  adorning pictures of the city since 1858.

This is the Central Park of Savannah where many people come for their morning or afternoon walk under the shade of live oak trees, to relax, or to enjoy the beautiful fountain. 

It’s also the site for a year-round Saturday Farmer’s Market.

LeHardy House (Brockington Hall)

The first thing that caught my attention about this beautiful Italianate-style villa, steps away from Forsyth Park, was the wrought iron enclosing the porch, featuring a Chinese Chippendale style that is uncommon in the city.

The original house dates back to 1832 and it had a major renovation in 1885.

Before becoming an event venue the house has been a florist shop and rental apartments. Some famous guests have been Burt Reynolds, Lauren Hutton, and Dinah Shore.

213 E Hall St.

The Johnny Mercer House

If you’re a fan of music and movies you’ll want to check out the house where songwriter Johnny Mercer was born and where he lived until adulthood. He was a prolific composer with impressive accomplishments: 18 of his songs were nominated for the Academy Awards, scoring the coveted Best Song award four times. He was the co-founder of Capitol Records.

If you want to see where he’s buried, head to the Bonaventure Cemetery.

226 E Gwinnett St.

The Thomas Weihs Haus

Right next to the Johnny Mercer House you’ll see the Thomas Weihs Haus, a lovely two-story Victorian-style structure built in 1884, and where you can still see the original wooden baluster.

The front steps were made of wood until one of the owners decided to replace them with brick.

The house has been a barbershop, a warehouse, and it was almost demolished to put up a parking lot.

Today, it’s a bed and breakfast where you can stay during your visit.

222 E Gwinnett St.

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The Bonaventure Cemetery

It may (or may not) seem weird to you that I add a cemetery to the list. 

Old cemeteries are full of beautiful statues, elaborate tombstones and hand-carved slabs. Most pieces are a work of art with stone angels guarding the graves, and Bonaventure is not the exception.

Add to that the rows of live oaks and I’m sold.

But Bonaventure wasn’t always a place for the final resting. It was originally a 600-acre plantation that became the Evergreen Cemetery in 1846. It wasn’t until 1907 that its name changed to Bonaventure after the City of Savannah bought it.

Its ticket to fame came with John Berendt’s best-seller Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Hordes of people were flocking to snap a picture of the Bird Girl statue. So many that they moved it to the Telfair Museum to preserve it.

You won’t find that statue but you’ll find many more, as beautiful. And of course the trees…

I’ll let the pictures tell you why this was one of my favourite historic sites in Savannah:

Something else you’ll find is the tomb of famous Savannhians like songwriter and Academy Award winner Johnny Mercer (you can visit his birthplace in the Historic District) and poet Conrad Aiken.

A popular site in Bonaventure is the Little Gracie grave.

This is the sad story about the only daughter of the Pulaski House manager, a charming little girl who died of pneumonia in 1889 when she was only six years old. 

A year later, sculptor John Walz carved this life-size marble statue from a photograph.

You’ll also find sections dedicated to the early colonists, to the veterans of World Wars.

The best way to get to Bonaventure is by car (or you can arrange a taxi). Once you drive through the stunning landscape you can leave your car in the parking area and walk around.

If you want to learn more you can join the Bonaventure Cemetery Tours

Bonaventure Cemetery is located on Bonaventure Rd, off Pennsylvania Ave.; Hours: 8AM-5PM

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What is the best way to get around downtown Savannah?

The best way to appreciate the architecture and landscape of Savannah is by foot. Walking from square to square under the arches created by the live oaks and their sidekick, the Spanish moss, is nothing short of magical.

Another good way to explore downtown Savannah is by bicycle. The buses come with racks for two bikes in case you need to take public transit at some point of your ride.

If you want to take the bus you can catch The Dot, for free!. It runs every 10 minutes during daytime until early evening. 

There are two routes with 18 stops, covering the historic downtown area.

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There are so many historic sites in Savannah and so much effort has gone towards preservation that you’ll have a blast taking a stroll through the streets admiring the beautiful architecture. 

Add all the line-up of dreamy squares and the never-ending rows of trees, and you’ll have a magical landscape you won’t want to leave behind. You’ll find yourself thinking “How can I move here?”.

Don’t forget to complete your visit by checking out the nearby forts and the beaches around Georgia and South Carolina.

Plan a trip to Savannah and have fun seeing how many other landmarks you can add to this list.

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