7 Best Sights in Savannah, Georgia

Works by African American artists from the Savannah area and around the country are on display in this building, which once housed the first school for African American children in Savannah. On permanent exhibit are more than 230 wood carvings by renowned folk artist Ulysses Davis.

This museum preserves the legacy of the Central of Georgia Railway, an integral part of the industrial heritage of Savannah and of the South. A step into a different era, the museum is home to numerous railcars and boxcars, working diesel and steam locomotives, and a rare functioning railroad turntable. Around the corner is an iconic 125-foot-tall smokestack and the original quarters for workers and managers. Children of all ages will appreciate the expansive model-train exhibit, a fully operable rendition of a train traveling through the region. Ride on a historic diesel or steam locomotive.

The culturally rich community surrounding this museum lived in relative isolation for nearly 100 years before modern development reached Skidaway Island. Residents of Pin Point are Gullah/Geechee descendants of first-generation freed slaves from Ossabaw Island. Founded in 1890 on the banks of Moon River, this fishing community has a deep connection to the water. Many residents once worked at the A. S. Varn & Son oyster and crab factory, which has been transformed into this interactive museum to honor the life, work, and history of the community.

 This history museum, named after the late Dr. Ralph Mark Gilbert, the father of Savannah's modern-day civil rights movement and leader of the NAACP, has a series of engaging exhibits on segregation, from emancipation through the civil rights movement. The role of Black and white Savannahians in ending segregation in their city is well detailed and includes archival photographs and videos housed in this former Black-owned bank in what was once the heart of Savannah's Black business community. There's also a replica of a lunch counter where Black patrons were denied service.

This history museum houses exhibits on Savannah's cultural and military history. Inside you'll find much about the lives of early Native American settlers, including the development of tabby (crushed oyster shells with lime, sand, and water) for use in early construction. Subsequent historical periods are portrayed, including the Revolutionary and Civil War eras and the Industrial Revolution. More modern highlights include the city's countless Hollywood film appearances over the years, the most memorable of which might be Forrest Gump. The very bench that Tom Hanks sat on can be seen here.

 This 25-acre complex is home to the Savannah History Museum, the Georgia State Railroad Museum, and the Savannah Children's Museum, as well as Battlefield Memorial Park. This site offers an unbeatable introduction to the city and a full day of fun for the whole family. The battlefield was the site of the second-bloodiest battle of the Revolutionary War, where on October 9, 1779, 800 of the 8,000 troops who fought lost their lives.