Last updated: August 2026
Savannah is Georgia's oldest city, founded in 1733 on a bluff above the Savannah River, and it's built around a signature grid of 22 historic squares shaded by live oaks draped in Spanish moss. The historic district is one of the largest in the country, filled with 18th- and 19th-century homes, and the city has a reputation for being both genteel and a little eccentric, immortalized in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
Savannah's food and hospitality culture runs deep, from old-school Southern cooking to a strong craft cocktail scene tied to Georgia's status as the only state where open containers are broadly allowed downtown. It appeals to architecture lovers, history-minded travelers, food tourists, and anyone drawn to atmospheric, walkable Southern cities with a bit of gothic charm.
The historic downtown is compact enough to explore on foot over a long weekend, with River Street's cobblestone waterfront, Forsyth Park's fountain, and the surrounding squares all within easy walking distance of each other.
Quick facts
- Population
- Roughly 148,000 (city proper, approximate)
- County
- Chatham County
- State
- Georgia
- Country
- United States
- Setting
- On a bluff above the Savannah River, near the Atlantic coast
- Nearby cities
- Charleston, SC; Tybee Island, GA
- Best known for
- Historic squares, oak-lined streets, and Southern hospitality
Things to Do
Forsyth Park
The historic district's largest green space, anchored by an iconic 1858 fountain and ringed by grand homes and Spanish-moss oaks.
View in NearbylyRiver Street
A cobblestone riverfront strip of restored cotton warehouses now filled with shops, bars, and restaurants overlooking the Savannah River.
View in NearbylyBonaventure Cemetery
A sprawling, sculpture-filled Victorian cemetery on the Wilmington River, made famous by Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and worth a slow walk.
View in NearbylyTelfair Museums
Spanning three sites including the Jepson Center and the Owens-Thomas House, this museum group covers Southern art and history alongside architecture and enslaved people's history.
View in NearbylyCathedral of St. John the Baptist
A striking French Gothic cathedral with twin spires, one of the most photographed buildings in the historic district.
View in NearbylyHistoric squares walk
Wandering between squares like Chippewa, Madison, and Monterey is the best free way to take in Savannah's architecture and monuments.
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Eat Local
Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room
A beloved family-style Southern institution serving fried chicken and vegetable sides at shared tables, with lines forming well before opening.
View in NearbylyLowcountry boil and shrimp dishes
Coastal Georgia's version of Lowcountry cooking features shrimp, sausage, and corn boils alongside shrimp and grits at restaurants throughout the historic district.
View in NearbylyThe Grey
Housed in a restored 1938 Greyhound bus terminal, this acclaimed restaurant blends Southern cooking with global influences under chef Mashama Bailey.
View in NearbylyLeopold's Ice Cream
A family-run ice cream parlor operating since 1919, known for its tutti frutti flavor and old-fashioned soda fountain feel.
View in NearbylySouthern pralines
Candy shops throughout the historic district sell this pecan-and-sugar confection, a classic Savannah souvenir and snack.
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Shopping & Markets
City Market
A four-block open-air market district with galleries, shops, and street performers just off the western squares.
View in NearbylyBroughton Street
Savannah's main retail strip mixes national brands with independent boutiques and design shops in restored storefronts.
View in NearbylyForsyth Farmers' Market
A Saturday market in Forsyth Park featuring regional produce, baked goods, and crafts from Georgia and Lowcountry vendors.
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Hidden Gems
Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarters
One of the best-preserved urban slave quarters in the South, offering a fuller and more honest picture of the historic district's Regency-era mansions.
View in NearbylyColonial Park Cemetery
A quiet 18th-century cemetery downtown, less visited than Bonaventure but with graves dating to the city's earliest years.
View in NearbylyTybee Island lighthouse
A short drive from downtown, this working 1736 lighthouse is a lesser-visited counterpoint to the beach crowds nearby.
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Nature & Outdoors
Tybee Island
Savannah's nearest beach, about 20 minutes away, with a low-key boardwalk, fishing pier, and dune ecosystem worth a half-day trip.
View in NearbylySkidaway Island State Park
Salt marsh and maritime forest trails just south of the city offer a look at coastal Georgia's ecology away from downtown crowds.
View in NearbylySavannah National Wildlife Refuge
Wetlands just across the river in South Carolina host alligators, migratory birds, and a scenic wildlife drive close to the historic district.
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A little history
Savannah was founded by James Oglethorpe in 1733 as the first city in the new colony of Georgia, laid out on a distinctive grid plan with public squares that still defines the historic district today. Unlike many Southern port cities, Savannah's founding charter initially banned slavery and hard liquor, though slavery was legalized within two decades as the plantation economy took hold.
The city prospered through the 18th and 19th centuries on cotton exports shipped from its riverfront, and it was famously spared from destruction during General Sherman's March to the Sea in 1864, when Sherman presented the city to President Lincoln as a Christmas gift rather than burning it. That survival is a major reason so much of its historic architecture remains intact today.
A 20th-century preservation movement led by the Historic Savannah Foundation, founded in 1955, saved much of the historic district from urban renewal and demolition, restoring townhouses and squares that had fallen into disrepair. The city's atmospheric reputation grew further after the 1994 publication of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which drew a wave of tourism centered on its cemeteries, ghost stories, and eccentric local characters.
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