Savannah Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau
101 E. Bay St.
Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 644-6400
Population
137560
Time Zone
Eastern
Latitude/Longitude
32.08° /-81.08°
Today's Forecast
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HIGH: 75
LOW: 45
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Modern in its outlook, Georgia's oldest city retains its charm and grace with stately mansions, cobblestone streets, impeccably kept gardens, and tree-shaded avenues. More than 1,500 buildings have been restored in the 21 "squares," or parks, of the Savannah Historic District, which General Sherman said was too beautiful to burn. The restored Trustees' Garden site was established by General Oglethorpe; Lafayette was a guest at Owens-Thomas House; Telfair Mansion has an art museum. Ships glide past the Riverfront Esplanade, which features shops, restaurants, galleries, taverns, and museums housed in restored cotton warehouses.
Savannah GA Romantic Hotels
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Modern in outlook, traditional in appearance, Georgia's oldest city retains the charm and grace of its stately mansions, cobblestone streets, impeccably kept gardens, and tree-shaded avenues. More than 1,500 buildings have been restored around 21 of the original 24 tree-lined squares that create the city's distinctive urban design. In addition to churches and homes, the National Historic Landmark District encompasses commercial buildings, libraries, cemeteries, and museums. Many organizations offer tours on foot and by various kinds of vehicles, including romantic horse-drawn carriages.
A visit to the Savannah Visitor Center will prepare you for adventure in the historic city and its surrounding areas. Below the visitors center, the Savannah History Museum occupies the restored passenger shed of the old Central of Georgia Railway station. In the museum's theater, you can watch an orientation film, then peruse artifacts and memorabilia from Savannah's famous residents like Juliette Gordon Lowe and Johnny Mercer. The museum is run by the Coastal Heritage Society which also maintains the nearby Roundhouse Railroad Museum, for fans of rolling stock and the cutting-edge of 19th-century railroad technology.
If you are interested in Savannah's unique architecture, stop by the Massie Heritage Center, located on Calhoun Square in the city's first public elementary school. Afterwards, tour the historic district, taking in sites such as the Gothic-style Green-Meldrim House, home of a rich cotton planter used by General Sherman as his headquarters, the 1821 Wayne-Gordon house where Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low was born,
and the beautifully restored Trustees' Garden established by General Oglethorpe, the leader of the English expedition who founded Savannah in 1733. Revolutionary War hero Lafayette was a guest at the superb English Regency-style Owens-Thomas House, one of two landmark buildings that make up the Telfair Museum of Art. In March 2006, the Telfair reached a new milestone with the opening of the nearby Jepson Center for the Arts, a stunningly modern, state-of-the-art facility that increased the museum's exhibition and studio space by 66 percent.
Much of the city's allure lies in the mystery of its tree-shrouded and moss-bedecked burial grounds. Among the best known and most frequently visited are the centrally located Colonial Park Cemetery, the hauntingly gorgeous Bonaventure Cemetery at the site of a destroyed plantation, and Laurel Grove Cemetery, one of the nation's oldest African American burial places.
The restoration of City Market has recaptured the ambiance of that old marketplace. Today, artists create, display, and sell their works in open loft spaces. The market also has shops, restaurants, jazz clubs, and a cafe. Ships glide past the many shops, restaurants, galleries, and taverns of Riverfront Plaza and Factors Walk. The plaza's nine blocks of refurbished 19th-century cotton exchange warehouses facing the Savannah River are popular both day and night.
East of the city lies the Atlantic Ocean and the beach-playground of Tybee Island. If you're up for more history between romps in the surf, take in the original battlements at Fort Pulaski National Monument.
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