Things to Do in Savannah, Travel to Savannah

There used to be two reasons to visit Savannah, Georgia’s first city, founded in 1733. One was its historic beauty. The town’s visionary layout—a street grid punctuated by shady public squares—is still studied by urban planners. Those streets, lined with beautifully kept old buildings, are a preservationist’s dream.

The other reason for a Savannah vacation was the city’s almost caricatured Southernness. The place was famous for its snootily eccentric aristocrats and dreamily moss-draped live oaks.

History and Southern charm still abound, but now Savannah has an additional dimension: It has become a vibrant center for contemporary art and design. The city has a great dining scene, too. Add the subtropical climate and the pristine nearby coastline, and you’ve got a holiday heaven.

An Explosion of Art

Art is everywhere in Savannah these days, largely because of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), founded in 1978. Instead of a campus, SCAD has restored and adapted dozens of buildings throughout the historic district, resulting in new activity and youthful energy all over town. Cool shops and restaurants followed.

 

• A SCAD student shows off her art during the school’s annual Sidewalk Arts Festival.

iJimC

Many SCAD buildings have public galleries showing the work of both students and established artists. And many former SCAD students have settled in Savannah, further enriching the scene.

SCAD Museum of Art, 227 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Tel. 912-525-7191. Admission: Free, donations accepted. Hours: Mon. to Fri. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; after Sept. 1, open Sundays 1 to 5 p.m. www.scad.edu

Savannah’s museums also bridge the old and new. The Coastal Heritage Society operates the Savannah History Museum, the Roundhouse Railroad Museum and several battlefields from the Revolutionary War, as well as the War of 1812. Many grand old townhouses are now house museums, with period furnishings and decorations.

Coastal Heritage Society. 303 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Tel. 912-651-6840. www.chsgeorgia.org. Savannah History Museum. Located at the same address as the Coastal Heritage Society. Tel. 912-651-6825. Admission: Adults, $5; seniors, students and military, $4.50; children under 6, free. www.chsgeorgia.org/shm.
Roundhouse Railroad Museum. 601 West Harris St. Tel. 912-651-6823. Admission: Adults, $10; seniors, students and military, $9; children under 6, $4. www.chsgeorgia.org/roundhouse

 

• Open since 1886, the Telfair Museum of Art was the first public art museum in the South.

Courtesy of the Savannah Area CVB

The Beach Institute, built as a school for freed slaves in 1867, now houses the collection of amazing folk carvings by the late Savannah barber Ulysses Davis, plus exhibitions by contemporary African-American artists. And the Telfair Museum of Art has several facilities. One, a splendid 1819 classically styled mansion, shows historic works. But another, a glassy modern structure (opened in 2006), is dedicated to contemporary art.

Beach Institute. 502 E. Harris St. Tel. 912-234-8000. Admission: Fees for exhibitions vary, call for prices. www.kingtisdell.org 
Telfair Museum of Art, 121 Barnard St. Tel. 912-790-8800. Admission: Adults, $15; students kindergarten through college, $5; children under 5, free. www.telfair.org

[Read more in our Savannah Art & Architecture article.]

Exploring, by Foot and Otherwise

With its handsome streets and parks, Savannah is a delightful place to wander. Along the waterfront, historic warehouses that once held cotton and slaves have been converted to shops, restaurants and inns. The old downtown commercial strip of Broughton Street, formerly moribund, is alive again with cafés, and fashion and interior design boutiques. Almost everywhere you go there are SCAD buildings.

 

• Relax in the shade at Forsyth Park.

byrdiegyrl

Even when those buildings do not have galleries to visit, the ebb and flow of art students outside them make for great people watching. Throughout the historic district, big old trees provide welcome shade, even in the heat of a Georgia summer. And the public squares, with their monuments, gardens and benches, offer frequent spots for rest.

[Read more in our Savannah Walking Tours article.]

Next: Midnight in Savannah, and Dining and Deen