Savannah has more than 40 cultural attractions and amusements to keep the inquisitive traveler busy. Savannah’s past is told in the many house museums and cultural centers that populate the Savannah area.

The Andrew Low House
Location: 329 Abercorn Street
Phone: 912.233.6854
www.andrewlowhouse.com

This structure was built in 1848 by cotton merchant Andrew Low. Low’s son, William MacKay Low, married Juliette Gordon, founder of Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. It is owned and preserved by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of Georgia. The carriage house was left to the Girl Scouts as their Savannah headquarters. Hours of operation are Monday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sunday from Noon- 4 p.m. Closed on Thursdays.


The Coastal Heritage Society
Location: 303 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
Phone: 912.651.6840
www.chsgeorgia.org

The organization provides a number of services for the Savannah community. The society currently manages three significant historical sites: Old Fort Jackson, the Savannah History Museum and the Roundhouse Railroad Museum. The society is open to the public.


City Market
Location: Between Barnard, Congress and Bryan Streets
Phone: 912.232.4903
www.savannahcitymarket.com

Four blocks in the heart of the Historic District have been renovated to capture the authentic atmosphere and character of the city’s old open marketplace. The market features artists working in their lofts and exhibits of works for sale. There are also restaurants, open-air cafes, jazz clubs, theme shops and stores offering crafts, accessories and gifts.


Davenport House Museum
Location: 324 East State Street
Phone: 912.233.8097
www.davenporthousemuseum.com

Located on Columbia Square the Isaiah Davenport House was built between 1815 and 1820 and is an exceptionally fine example of Federal architecture. It was the proposed demolition of this home that served as a catalyst in the founding of the Historic Savannah Foundation. It features a fine collection of Davenport china and period decorative arts.



Factors Walk and River Street
Location: Between Bay and River Streets
Phone: 912.234.0295

Located along the river bluff on Bay Street, this area was a 19th century meeting place and center of commerce for cotton merchants. The top contained offices for cotton brokers, and the lower warehouses on River Street contained the cotton that was shipped from Savannah to the world. Bridge ways connect the buildings now used for quaint shops and restaurants. Cobblestones used as ballast in ships from England pave each ramp and form the walk-ways.



The Georgia Historical Society
Location: 501 Whitaker Street
Phone: 912.651.2125
www.georgiahistory.com

The Georgia Historical Society is the oldest cultural institution in the state and one of the oldest historical organizations in the nation. For 160 years, GHS has fulfilled its mission to collect, preserve, and share Georgia history through a variety of exciting educational outreach programs and research services. The library and archives contains diaries, personal letters, ledger books, minute books, account books, church records and many other primary sources related to Georgia’s History. Library hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.


Green-Meldrim House
Location: 1 West Macon Street
Phone: 912.232.1251

Completed by architect/builder John S. Norris for wealthy cotton merchant Charles Green, the Green-Meldrim house was the headquarters of Union General William T. Sherman after he captured the city at the conclusion of his “March to the Sea.” It is now the parish house for St. John’s Episcopal Church and has been fully restored and furnished. The house is graced with magnificent carving and plaster work. Call for hours of operation.


Jepson Center for the Arts
Location: 207 W. York St.
Ph: 912.790.8800
www.telfair.org

Jepson Center for the Arts features two large galleries for major traveling exhibitions; galleries for African American art, Southern art, photography and works-on-paper; a community gallery; a 3,500-sq. ft. hands-on gallery for young people; two outdoor sculpture terraces, education studios, a 200-seat auditorium, café, and store. Covered with glistening white Portuguese stone and consisting of two separate structures connected by glass bridges over a protected lane that is part of Savannah’s town plan originally conceived in 1733 by Georgia’s founder General James Oglethorpe, the building has a soaring, light-filled atrium and sweeping, three-level staircase that provides access to its expansive galleries.


Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace
Location:142 Bull Street
Phone: 912.233.4501
www.girlscouts.org/birthplace

Built between 1818 and 1820, the Center is the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts. The building has been restored and furnished to depict the 1870s and was named Savannah’s first National Historic Landmark in 1965. It is owned and operated by the Girl Scouts of the USA as a memorial to their founder and is a program center for all members.


Massie Heritage Interpretation Center
Location: 207 East Gordon Street
Phone: 912.651.7380
www.massieschool.com

Massie is the only remaining original building of Georgia’s oldest chartered school system. he Heritage Classroom Program, operated by the public school system at Massie, is an enrichment program to increase students’ understanding of Savannah’s historic and architectural heritage.


The Mercer-Williams House Museum
Location: 430 Whitaker Street
Phone: 912.236.6352
www.mercerhouse.com

Known for its “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” fame, the Mercer-Williams House was designed by New York architect John S. Norris for General Hugh W. Mercer, great grandfather of singer/songwriter Johnny Mercer. In 1969, Jim Williams, one of Savannah’s earliest and most dedicated private restorationists, bought the then vacant house and began a two-year restoration. Previously open only to benefit local historic and charitable organizations, the house is now open to the public since its restoration was completed.


Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home
Location: 207 E. Charlton Street
Phone: 912.233.6014
www.flanneryoconnorhome.org/

Author Mary Flannery O'Connor was born in Savannah, Georgia in 1925 and lived in this house until 1938. Today, it is maintained partly as a memorial to her and partly as a literary center for Savannah. The house is open to the public free of charge Saturdays from 1-5 p.m. and Sundays from 1-4 p.m.


The Oatland Island Education Center
Location: 711 Sandtown Road
Phone: 912.898.3980
www.oatlandisland.org

The Center features a "Native Animal Nature Trail" that winds through maritime forest, salt marsh and freshwater wetlands. Along the way, visitors can observe native animals such as Florida panthers, Eastern timber wolves, alligators, and many more in their natural habitat. The Center is open for self-guided trail walks Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and most Saturdays from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.


Owens-Thomas House
Location: 124 Abercorn Street
Phone: 912.233.9743
www.telfair.org

Designed in 1816 by William Jay, this house is generally considered to be the finest example of Regency architecture in America. Now serves as a house museum and features one of the few intact slave quarters in America.


River Street
Location: Below Bay Street
Phone: 912.234.0295
www.savriverstreet.com

Bordering the thriving river port, River Street imparts old world charm. The nine-block brick concourse is ideal for strolling and ship watching. More than 75 boutiques, galleries, artist’s studios, restaurants and pubs are housed in one-time cotton warehouses that have been restored to their rustic beauty. First Saturday festivals are held here each month.


The Roundhouse Railroad Museum
Location: 601 Harris Street
Phone: 912.651.6823
www.chsgeorgia.org

Savannah's Central of Georgia Railway National Landmark District is the oldest and most complete antebellum railroad manufacturing and repair facility still in existence in the United States. The Roundhouse Railroad Museum now has permanent exhibits in seven of the 13 structures on the site. Exhibits focus on steam engines, belt-driven machinery, locomotives, railroad rolling stock and model railroad layouts. This is one of the most extensive collections of rolling stock and machinery in Georgia. Hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday - Friday and 9 a.m. 5 p.m. on Saturday – Sunday.


Savannah History Museum
Location: 303 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Phone: 912.238.1779
www.chsgeorgia.org

Adjacent to the Savannah Visitor Information Center, the museum is operated by the Coastal Heritage Society. The structure is on the site of the 1779 siege of Savannah, a Revolutionary War battle. The attraction has artifacts and displays depicting Savannah’s history, a film about the founding of the city and a diorama depicting the siege. Included in this collection is a large quantity of historic women's clothing and accessories from the 1800s to the present as well as military uniforms and weapons and railroad items. Hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday - Friday and 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday – Sunday.


Savannah Ogeechee Canal Museum & Nature Center
Located: 681 Ft. Argyle Road
Phone: 912.748.8068
www.socanalmuseum.com

Ogeechee Barge Canal is one of the prime relics in the history of southern canals. In cooperation with Chatham County’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, the Savannah – Ogeechee Canal Society is working to turn the canal into a multipurpose linear park. A half-mile walk along the Heel or Tow paths provides a delightful and attractive setting to enjoy this unique waterway. Hours of operations are seven days a week, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.



The Savannah Theater
Located: 222 Bull Street
Phone: 912.233.7764

The Savannah Theater opened its doors for the first time December 4 ,1818 with a production of the comedy “A Soldier’s Daughter.” Through the centuries and a few face lifts, the Savannah Theater houses the performance ensemble “Lost in the 50s” and remains the oldest continuously operating theater site in America.



The Ships of the Sea Museum
Location: 41 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Phone: 912.232.1511
www.shipsofthesea.org

William Jay designed this house for merchant prince William Scarbrough, one of the principal investors in the S.S. Savannah, the first steam vessel to cross the Atlantic. This maritime museum houses a large collection of ship models, artifacts and memorabilia representing man’s 2,000 year quest to conquer the sea. Hours of operation are Tuesday - Sunday 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.


Tybee Lighthouse and Museum
Location: Off U.S. 80 at Fort Screven
Phone: 912.786.5801
www.tybeelighthouse.org

Located on Tybee Island, the Lighthouse has been the guardian of the Savannah River since 1736. The existing 154-foot tall lighthouse was rebuilt in 1887. The museum was built in 1897 as a coastal artillery battery on Tybee Island. The museum features exhibits of early life on the Island, Indian and Civil War weaponry and dolls. Hours of operation Monday, Wednesday and Sunday 9 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.


Tybee Island Marine Science Center
Location: 1510 Strand Avenue
Phone: 912.786.5917
www.tybeemsc.org

Discover the Atlantic Ocean’s mysteries at the center where visitors can experience touch tanks, aquariums and year-round beach walks. The museum consists of aquariums and a touch tank containing specimens indigenous to the coast of Georgia. Exhibits provide information on shells, sharks, marine mammals, sea turtles, marine pollution, the salt marsh and maritime forest. There is also a gift shop and classrooms for group programs and special events. Hours of operation are Monday, Wednesday and Sunday 9 a.m.- 5p.m. an Tuesday from 9a.m.- Noon.


Telfair Museum of Art
Location: 121 Barnard Street
Phone: 912.232.1177
www.telfair.org

Designed and built in 1818 by William Jay, the Telfair Mansion was the site of the royal Governor’s residence. The mansion contains many family furnishings. A large wing was added in 1883 which contains superb American and European paintings and sculpture. It is the oldest art museum in the South. Hours of operation are seven days a week, call for times.


Wormsloe State Historic Site
Location: 7601 Skidaway Road
Phone: 912.353.3023
www.wormsloe.org

Located on Isle of Hope, Wormsloe was settled by Noble Jones, one of Georgia’s first colonists. Wormsloe was received into the Jones family by a royal grant in 1756 and has remained the only Savannah plantation in possession by its original owners until 1974, when it was given to Georgia Heritage Trust. This historic site has a visitor center with exhibits and audio-visual programming on Georgia’s colonial period and is the site of the ruins of tabby fortification and the Fort Wimberly earthworks. Hours of operations are Tuesday-Saturday from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. and
Sunday from, 2- 5:30 p.m. Closed on Mondays.