Savannah: History, Art and City Life

When looking for a hotel in Savannah, you can start by considering which themes you want to shape your trip. The city combines a planned street grid with museums, green spaces and the City Market, whose offerings range from studios to restaurants. City history, art, Gullah/Geechee culture and gastronomy offer different focal points for planning your stay.

City history and former uses

In 1733, General James Oglethorpe and the 120 passengers aboard the ship “Anne” landed on a bluff overlooking the Savannah River. Savannah is considered America’s first planned city. Oglethorpe laid it out in a grid of streets connected by public squares and parks. The relationship between streets, squares and parks makes the city’s layout a subject in its own right for anyone interested in urban planning as well as individual sites.

The former uses of individual sites are also part of Savannah’s history. Bonaventure Cemetery was established on the historically significant grounds of Bonaventure Plantation. The Georgia State Railroad Museum is located in the former workshops and terminal facilities of the Central of Georgia Railway and is a National Historic Landmark. The Pin Point Heritage Museum is housed in the former A.S. Varn & Son Oyster and Crab Factory. Together, these places relate to different subjects: a former plantation, as well as railroad and factory facilities.

Art and culture in museums

The Gullah/Geechee culture is at the heart of the Pin Point Heritage Museum. The museum is an educational center where visitors can learn about this culture firsthand from residents who grew up in the community. Ways of life explored there include everyday life, religion, language and food. This approach connects cultural history with the perspectives of people rooted in the community.

The SCAD Museum of Art offers exhibitions, film screenings, lectures and gallery talks; specific dates may change, so check the current schedule before your visit. The museum is also home to the Walter and Linda Evans Center for African American Studies. It offers public programs, workshops, lectures and symposia on African American art and culture. Tours of the SCAD Museum of Art are available by appointment; check the current booking options before your visit. Young visitors can enjoy immersive activity packs with touch boards, scavenger hunts and other art activities. You should also check whether these packs are available before your visit.

Green spaces in Forsyth Park

Forsyth Park covers 30 acres and features sports fields, walking paths and open green spaces. This offers different ways to enjoy the park: sports, walks and time in open green areas. If you want to include a park visit alongside museums or cultural institutions in your plans, these are the park’s specific features.

City Market: studios and dining

Savannah City Market spans four city blocks between Franklin and Ellis Squares in downtown Savannah. Visitors can enjoy its restaurants, bars, shops and studios. The second-floor Art Center is home to dozens of studios run by local artists, which are open to visitors. The Market therefore offers both dining and a dedicated place for local art; the studios provide a different focus from the restaurants and bars.

The City Market experience also includes freshly baked, sweet Southern pralines. Since specific vendors and availability may change, check what’s currently available if you plan to make this a definite part of your visit. The Market thus brings together art, shops and dining across an area described as spanning four city blocks—a different travel focus from city planning, museums or the green spaces of Forsyth Park.

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Go to the regional travel overview: Chatham.