10 Best Sights in Savannah, Georgia

 Designed by William Jay, the Owens-Thomas House is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of English Regency architecture in America. Built in 1816–19, the house was constructed with local materials. Of particular note are the curving walls, Greek-inspired ornamental molding, half-moon arches, stained-glass panels, original Duncan Phyfe furniture, the hardwood "bridge" on the second floor, and the indoor toilets, which it had before the White House or Versailles. In 2018, the site renamed itself the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters and revealed a new interpretive exhibition that includes the restored dwellings of those enslaved here and stories of their lives and work. Owned and administered by Telfair Museums, this home gives an inside perspective on Savannah's history.

Semicircular stairs with wrought-iron railings lead to the recessed doorway of the redbrick Federal home constructed by master builder Isaiah Davenport for his family between 1815 and 1820. Three dormered windows poke through the sloping roof of the stately house, and the interior has polished hardwood floors and fine woodwork and plasterwork, showcasing Davenport's talents to potential clients. The proposed demolition of this historic Savannah structure galvanized the city's residents into action to save their treasured buildings. The home endured a history of dilapidation that had lingered since the 1920s, when it was divided into tenements. When someone proposed razing it to build a parking lot in 1955, a small group of neighbors raised $22,000 in 24 hours to buy and restore the property. This action was the inception of the Historic Savannah Foundation and the first of many successful efforts to preserve the architectural treasure that is the city today.

 Flannery O’Connor, Southern Gothic's literary grand dame, lived in this three-story house on Lafayette Square until she was ten (when her family decamped to Milledgeville, Georgia, to live at Andalusia Farm), experiencing her first brush with fame when she taught a chicken to walk backwards.

50-minute fully guided tours of the home are scheduled Thursday through Sunday at 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm; self-guided tours are also possible. The gift shop sells copies of  Flannery's novels and other souvenirs. 

 A staple on the tourist circuit, this house museum has been the stuff of legend since the release of the longtime best-selling novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which was based on the murder trial of local architectural restorer and antiques dealer Jim Williams. Williams, who purportedly killed his lover in the front den while sitting at the desk where he later died, purchased the house in 1969. Scandal aside, Williams was an aficionado of historic preservation, and the Mercer House was one of some 50 Savannah properties that he purchased and restored. Designed by New York architect John S. Norris for General Hugh Mercer, great-grandfather of Johnny Mercer, the home was constructed in 1860 and completed after the end of the Civil War in 1868. Inside are fine examples of 18th- and 19th-century furniture and art from Jim Williams's private collection. Don't miss a look around the charming gift shop.

This exuberant Greek Revival mansion was the home of William Scarborough, a wealthy early-19th-century merchant and one of the principal owners of the Savannah, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic. The structure, with its portico capped by half-moon windows, is another of architect William Jay's notable contributions to the Historic District and Regency-style architecture. These days, it houses the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, with displays of model ships and exhibits detailing maritime history. The ambitious North Garden nearly doubled the original walled courtyard's size and provides ample space for naturalist-led walks and outdoor concerts.

Built on the site of the former city jail, this residence was constructed in 1848 for Andrew Low, a native of Scotland and one of Savannah's merchant princes. Designed by architect John S. Norris, the residence later belonged to Low's son, William, who inherited his father's wealth and married his longtime sweetheart, Juliette Gordon. The couple moved to England and several years after her husband's death, Juliette returned to this house and founded the Girl Scouts here on March 12, 1912. The house has 19th-century antiques, stunning silver, and some of the finest ornamental ironwork in Savannah, but it is the story and history of the family—even a bedroom named after family friend and visitor General Robert E. Lee—that is fascinating and well told by the tour guides.

 This early-19th-century townhouse, attributed to William Jay, was designated in 1965 as Savannah's first National Historic Landmark. "Daisy" Low, founder of the Girl Scouts, was born here in 1860, and the house is now owned and operated by the Girl Scouts of America. Mrs. Low's paintings and other artwork are on display in the house, restored to the style of 1886, the year of Mrs. Low's marriage. Droves of Girl Scout troops make the regular pilgrimage to Savannah to see their founder's birthplace and earn merit badges. In addition to its value as a pilgrimage site for Girl Scouts, the home is a beautiful look into the lives of Savannahians during the Victorian era. Tickets sell fast, so book in advance if you want to tour the house on a specific day.

Celebrated Southern author Flannery O'Connor lived in this austere Charlton Street home from her birth in 1925 until 1938 when the family moved to Milledgeville, Georgia. The beautifully renovated home includes oddities like the "kiddie coop," a cage for children designed by O'Connor's father. In fall, the home hosts a reception with lectures by academics and experts discussing different aspects of O'Connor's life and work. Events are free and open to the public.

Designed by New York architect John Norris and built in 1850 for cotton merchant Charles Green, this Gothic-revival mansion cost $93,000 to build—a princely sum in those days. The house was purchased in 1892 by Judge Peter Meldrim, whose heirs sold it to St. John's Episcopal Church in the 1940s to use as a parish house. General Sherman lived here after taking the city in 1864. Sitting on Madison Square, the house has Gothic features such as oriels, a crenellated roof, and an external gallery with filigree ironwork. Inside are mantels of Carrara marble, carved black-walnut woodwork, and doorknobs and hinges of either silver plate or porcelain.