Savannah Attractions
The squares are the main event. Add one interior and, at most, one drive.
Written by Alex H., Travel editor and researcherUpdated September 2026
In short: Start with the free squares, then reserve the Owens-Thomas House if you want one interior. For a trip outside downtown, choose Bonaventure, Wormsloe or Fort Pulaski—not all three.
Savannah gives you an unusually good free day. Walk Bull Street through five of the city's 22 squares, continue to Forsyth Park, then loop back toward the old warehouses on River Street. The monuments supply the history; the shade keeps the route civilized.
The ticketed choices are where a plan helps. I would reserve the Owens-Thomas House, then choose one half-day drive: Bonaventure for monuments, Wormsloe for the oak avenue and ruins, or Fort Pulaski for the battle-scarred fort. Stack two and the day starts to feel like a tour of your car's upholstery.
Savannah attractions at a glance
- Free
- The squares, Forsyth Park, River Street, Bonaventure, Colonial Park, the Belles Ferry and the DOT shuttle
- Telfair pass
- $30 for three museums over seven days; reserve an Owens-Thomas time; closed Monday
- Fort Pulaski
- $10 age 16 and up, cashless, valid seven days; last entry 4:30 p.m.
- Wormsloe
- $12 plus tax, shuttle included; closes 4:45 p.m.
- Bonaventure
- Free entry and parking, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. daily; three miles east
- Facts checked
- September 1, 2026
The whole decision in one table
| Place | What it is | Admission | Time to allow | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Historic District and squares | The 1733 ward plan; five squares with monuments on the Bull Street line | Free public streets; individual sites charge separately | Half a day for one route and one interior | On foot, or the free DOT shuttle |
| Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters | An 1819 William Jay house, toured with a guide, quarters included; part of Telfair's three museums | $30 pass, three sites, seven days | About an hour, plus one art museum | Oglethorpe Square; closed Monday; reserve a time |
| Forsyth Park | Thirty acres, the 1858 catalog-ordered fountain, monuments and a Saturday market | Free | 20–30 minutes for the fountain; an hour for the park | Walk south on Bull Street from the squares |
| River Street | The cotton warehouses below the bluff, the free ferry, the riverboat dock and the Waving Girl | Free waterfront; cruises and food cost separately | About an hour without a cruise or meal | Steps, ramps and two public elevators from Bay Street |
| City Market | Two pedestrian blocks of artist studios, shops, food and the Prohibition Museum between Ellis and Franklin squares | Free to walk; museum, food and purchases cost separately | About 30 minutes without a stop | No surviving market hall and no universal business hours |
| Bonaventure Cemetery | A hundred acres of monuments on the Wilmington River bluff, a cemetery since 1846 | Free entry and parking; tours optional | One to two hours with the city map | Three miles east; a car, a ride or a tour |
| Chippewa Square | The Forrest Gump square, with Daniel Chester French's 1910 Oglethorpe | Free public square | 15–25 minutes on the Bull Street walk | The film bench isn't there; it was a prop |
| Colonial Park Cemetery | The city's burying ground from 1750 to 1853, with more than 9,000 graves and Button Gwinnett | Free | 30–45 minutes for a mapped loop | Gate closes at 5 p.m. in winter and 8 p.m. in summer; March and November are the boundary months |
| American Prohibition Museum | Thirteen galleries of wax figures and vintage cars ending at a speakeasy | Ticketed self-guided, guided and class options | 45–60 minutes | Upstairs in City Market; age and ID rules for alcohol |
| SCAD Museum of Art | A contemporary-art museum with rotating exhibitions | $10 general admission | Depends on what's on view | Closed Tuesday; west of the central squares at 601 Turner Blvd. |
| Fort Pulaski | The 1847 brick fort breached by rifled cannon in April 1862; the shell scars are still in the wall | $10 age 16 and up, cashless | About two hours onsite before road time | Car needed; on US-80 toward Tybee; last entry 4:30 p.m. |
| Wormsloe | The 1890s oak avenue and the tabby ruins of Noble Jones's 1730s fortified house | $12 plus tax, shuttle included | 90 minutes to two hours | Car needed; southeast on the Isle of Hope; dirt trails |
Details checked September 1, 2026. Time ranges assume no special event and only the activity named in each row.
If you only want five names: the squares, the Owens-Thomas House, Forsyth Park, Bonaventure and River Street.
The squares, the park and the river
Historic District and squares
Oglethorpe's 1733 plan, 22 squares in one grid, a National Historic Landmark since 1966. Free, and the reason the rest of this page exists.
Read the guide →Chippewa Square
The Forrest Gump square, with Daniel Chester French's 1910 Oglethorpe in the middle. The bench was a prop; the statue is real.
Read the guide →Forsyth Park
Thirty acres at the end of the Bull Street walk, with the 1858 fountain and a Saturday market. Free, 20 minutes for the fountain, an hour for the park.
Read the guide →River Street
The cotton warehouses below the bluff, the free ferry, the riverboat dock and the Waving Girl. Reached by steps, cobbled ramps or two public elevators.
Read the guide →City Market
Two pedestrian blocks between Ellis and Franklin squares: artist studios, food, bars and the Prohibition Museum. Free to walk; no old market hall and no shared business hours.
Read the guide →House museums and galleries
Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters
An 1819 William Jay house toured with a guide, quarters included. One $30 pass covers it and two art museums for seven days. Reserve a time; closed Monday.
Read the guide →American Prohibition Museum
Thirteen galleries of wax figures and vintage cars upstairs in City Market, ending at a speakeasy. Forty-five minutes to an hour.
Read the guide →SCAD Museum of Art
A contemporary-art museum with rotating exhibitions at 601 Turner Boulevard. $10, closed Tuesday. Look at what's on before you decide how long to give it.
Read the guide →Cemeteries
Bonaventure Cemetery
A hundred acres of monuments on the Wilmington River bluff, a cemetery since 1846. Free, open 8 to 5, three miles east; give it one to two hours with the city map.
Read the guide →Colonial Park Cemetery
The city's burying ground from 1750 to 1853, with more than 9,000 graves and Button Gwinnett, two blocks from the Bull Street line. Free, 30 to 45 minutes.
Read the guide →Forts and ruins outside town
Fort Pulaski
The 1847 brick fort that rifled cannon breached in April 1862, shell scars still in the wall. $10, cashless, two hours, on the road to Tybee.
Read the guide →Wormsloe
An 1890s avenue of oaks leading to the tabby ruins of Noble Jones's 1730s fortified house. $12 plus tax with the shuttle included; closes at 4:45.
Read the guide →If you only have one day
Walk Bull Street from the river to Forsyth Park, with a reserved Owens-Thomas House visit along the way. Finish at the park or River Street; trying to do both makes a long loop. Save the car-dependent sights for another day.
The half-day decisions
Bonaventure is for sculpture and burial history. Wormsloe is the oak avenue followed by ruins and dirt trails. Fort Pulaski is the strongest historical site and pairs neatly with Tybee. Pick by subject, not by fear of missing out.
Book the connection between the sites
These tickets cover the getting around. Admission to each place is still bought from the place.
- Check availability →
Old Town Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley Tour
★ 4.7 (1,872 reviews) · 1 day · from $46
Narration and reboarding across the central sights on a first day, so the walk has context.
See the catalog breakdown - Check availability →
Bonaventure Cemetery & Wormsloe State Historic Site Tour
★ 4.8 (286 reviews) · 6 hours · from $74
Transport to Bonaventure and Wormsloe in one booking for a group without a car.
See the catalog breakdown
Catalog prices and ratings can move. Checkout shows the final terms. These links may earn the site a commission at no extra cost to you.
Which museum?
For a first trip, buy the Telfair pass: the Owens-Thomas House supplies the history, while the Academy and Jepson cover old and contemporary art. Choose the Prohibition Museum for a shorter, more theatrical hour. Choose SCAD only after checking the current exhibitions; its rotating program is the whole point.
SCAD depends on what's hanging
SCAD Museum of Art is $10 and closed Tuesday. Check the current exhibition list before going; unlike a collection museum, the answer can change with the calendar.
Rain, heat and stairs
Telfair, the Prohibition Museum and SCAD are useful storm or heat breaks, but mind their Monday and Tuesday closures. The Owens-Thomas main house has no elevator. Outside town, expect uneven ground even where the main paths are paved.
My cut line
Reserve Owens-Thomas. Walk the squares and Forsyth. Give Bonaventure room or leave it out. At Wormsloe, go beyond the avenue; at Fort Pulaski, stay long enough to understand the breach. Chippewa Square's movie bench was a prop, so enjoy the square that actually exists.
The traps that catch a first visit
Reserve one thing
Choose an Owens-Thomas time online; the $30 Telfair pass covers it and two art museums for seven days. Fort Pulaski is cashless, so bring a card.
Know when you need wheels
Walk or take the free DOT shuttle downtown. Bonaventure, Wormsloe and Fort Pulaski need a car, a ride or a tour with transport.
Watch the closing days
Telfair closes Monday; SCAD Museum of Art closes Tuesday. Fort Pulaski stops entry at 4:30 p.m. and Wormsloe closes at 4:45.
Dress for the ground
Expect brick, cobbles and, outside town, dirt or uneven paths. Take the city map at Bonaventure and carry water in summer.
Keep the free day free
The squares, parks, riverfront, cemeteries, ferry and DOT cost nothing. Paid interiors and outlying sites generally run $10 to $30.
Check access before booking
The Owens-Thomas main house has no elevator. Fort Pulaski mixes paved paths with uneven surfaces and steps; Wormsloe includes a shuttle to the ruins.
What to reserve, what needs a car
What is the main attraction in Savannah?
The Historic District itself: 22 squares, house museums and the riverfront in one walkable grid. Reserve the Owens-Thomas House if you want one interior.
What are the top five attractions in Savannah?
The squares, the Owens-Thomas House, Forsyth Park, Bonaventure Cemetery and River Street. Four are free; only Bonaventure sits outside downtown.
Which Savannah attractions are free?
The squares, Forsyth Park, River Street, the Belles Ferry, the DOT shuttle, Bonaventure and Colonial Park Cemetery are free. Paid interiors generally cost $10 to $30.
Which attractions need a car?
Bonaventure, Wormsloe, Fort Pulaski and Tybee Island. Downtown sights are walkable or served by the free shuttle.
Is the Owens-Thomas House worth it?
Yes. The timed tour covers both the 1819 house and the quarters of the people the household enslaved. Allow about an hour, reserve ahead and note that the main house has no elevator.
Is Fort Pulaski worth the drive?
Yes if you can give it about two hours or pair it with Tybee. It is poor value as a ten-minute photo stop.
Is Wormsloe worth it?
Yes if you go beyond the oak-avenue photograph to the ruins and trails. Admission includes the shuttle; the avenue is behind the gate.
How long do I need at Bonaventure Cemetery?
One to two hours with the city map. Entry and parking are free, and the gates are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Which Savannah museum should I choose?
Choose the Telfair pass for a historic house plus two art museums. Choose the Prohibition Museum for a shorter, theatrical stop, or SCAD for rotating contemporary art.
What is on the Bull Street walk?
Five monument squares between the river and Forsyth Park. Allow half a day if you add one interior.
Can I see Bonaventure and Wormsloe in one day?
Yes, but they are separate drives in different directions. A transport-included tour makes the combination easier; otherwise watch their 5 and 4:45 p.m. closing times.
Which attractions are closed on Monday or Tuesday?
All three Telfair museums close Monday. SCAD Museum of Art closes Tuesday; the main outdoor sights are open daily.
Bookable tours
Tickets and tours tied to one attraction
The Prohibition Museum entry, the Bonaventure cart tour and a central-squares walk each cover one place on this page. Every other admission is bought at the gate.
★ 4.9 (261)1 hourfrom $38
Bonaventure Cemetery Golf Cart Guided Tour
Check availability →Current terms shown at checkout
★ 4.8 (255)2 hoursfrom $25
Highlights & Hidden Gems Guided Walking Tour
Check availability →Free cancellation listed
Primary sources
Checked September 1, 2026. Schedules, fees and policies can change, so recheck a linked source when the detail will affect your visit.
- National Park Service: Savannah Historic District nomination — 1733 plan; 1966 listing
- The Cultural Landscape Foundation: Savannah squares — 22 of 24 squares
- City of Savannah: Forsyth fountain restoration — 1858 fountain
- Savannah's Waterfront: getting here — elevators to River Street
- City of Savannah: Bonaventure Cemetery — hours, free entry, 1846 and 1907
- City of Savannah: Colonial Park Cemetery — seasonal hours
- Georgia Historical Society marker: James Oglethorpe — the 1910 statue
- Telfair Museums: hours and admission — three-site ticket
- Telfair Museums: Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters — timed visits
- American Prohibition Museum — City Market; 45–60 minutes
- SCAD Museum of Art — hours and admission
- National Park Service: Fort Pulaski fees — admission and hours
- National Park Service: The battle for Fort Pulaski — April 1862
- Georgia State Parks: Wormsloe — admission, hours, tabby ruin
- Andrew Low House: admission and hours — house museum tours
- Davenport House Museum: preservation — museum since 1963
- Chatham Area Transit: DOT shuttle — free downtown shuttle
Choose one interior and one drive
Once those two decisions are made, the free squares, river and park can fill the space between them. The shortlist turns that into a day.
Disclosure: booking links go to GetYourGuide and may earn this site a commission at no extra cost to you. Commission never changes the rankings; see how Alex chooses.