Savannah: Oglethorpe Plan (1733 founded 12th and last original colony, 22 of 24 original squares surviving, most intact 18th-century urban planning US, Forsyth Park 1858 fountain, SCAD 15,000 students revitalized historic buildings), Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (Berendt book 1994 216 weeks NYT bestseller longest nonfiction, Mercer House Jim Williams shooting, Chablis Lady drag performer, Johnny Mercer 1,500 songs Moon River Oscar 1961 Breakfast at Tiffany's), Bonaventure Cemetery (live oak allees Spanish moss, Little Gracie Watson 1889 most visited grave, Bird Girl statue moved to Telfair Museums, Telfair Museums oldest Southern public art museum, Owens-Thomas House 1816 finest US Regency architecture), Savannah food (Olde Pink House 1771 James Habersham Georgian mansion, Pirate's House 1734 oldest building Georgia shanghaied sailors tunnel Treasure Island, Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room 1943 communal soul food), Film history (Forrest Gump 1994 Chippewa Square bench now Savannah History Museum, Midnight movie Clint Eastwood 1997, Savannah Film Festival SCAD October), Practical (Historic District 2.5 sqkm National Historic Landmark walkable, Tybee Island 30km lighthouse 1736 second oldest US site, Jekyll Island Rockefellers Morgans, Cumberland Island wild horses Carnegie ruins)
Savannah highlights: Oglethorpe Plan (February 12 1733 founded, 12th and last original colony, 22 of 24 squares surviving the most intact 18th-century urban plan in the US, Forsyth Park 1858 fountain, SCAD 15,000 students revitalized dozens historic buildings), Midnight in the Garden (John Berendt 1994 216 weeks NYT bestseller longest nonfiction ever, Jim Williams shooting Mercer House 1981, Chablis Lady memorable character, Johnny Mercer born Savannah 1909 1,500 songs Moon River Oscar 1961 Days of Wine Roses), Bonaventure Cemetery (live oak allees Spanish moss Victorian statuary, Little Gracie Watson 1889 most visited, Bird Girl statue moved to Telfair, Telfair Museums oldest Southern public art museum Owens-Thomas House 1816 best US Regency), food (Olde Pink House 1771 Habersham signer Georgian mansion dining, Pirate's House 1734 oldest Georgia building shanghaied sailors Treasure Island connection, Mrs. Wilkes 1943 communal soul food fried chicken biscuits), film (Forrest Gump 1994 Chippewa Square bench Savannah History Museum, Midnight Clint Eastwood 1997 Kevin Spacey Jude Law, Savannah Film Festival SCAD Oscar precursor), practical (2.5 sqkm walkable National Historic Landmark, SAV airport, Tybee Island 30km 1736 second oldest US lighthouse site, Jekyll Island Rockefellers Morgans Vanderbilts, Cumberland Island wild horses ferry access).
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Savannah - The Hostess City and the Grid of Squares
Savannah (Chatham County seat, population approximately 147,000 city, 400,000 metropolitan area, Georgia): the oldest city in Georgia (founded February 12, 1733 by General James Oglethorpe and 114 English colonists, the last of the original 13 American colonies to be settled), the most beautifully preserved colonial and antebellum city in the American South, and consistently ranked among the most beautiful cities in the United States. Savannah's urban design: James Oglethorpe designed Savannah on a unique ward plan (the Oglethorpe Plan), with 24 wards each centered on a public square — the result is the most intact 18th-century urban planning achievement in the United States, with 22 of the original 24 squares surviving and functioning as neighborhood parks. The 22 squares of Savannah: the squares (each measuring approximately 70 x 90 meters, lined with live oaks draped in Spanish moss and surrounded by antebellum townhouses, churches, and civic buildings) form the most cohesive and beautiful ensemble of urban public spaces in any American city. Forsyth Park (the 10-acre park at the southern end of the Historic District, with the iconic white cast-iron fountain built in 1858): the largest and most beloved park in Savannah, hosting the Forsyth Farmers Market, outdoor concerts, and the Savannah Film Festival events. The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD, founded 1978): the largest art and design university in the United States (approximately 15,000 students in Savannah, Atlanta, Hong Kong, and Lacoste France), which has transformed the revitalization of Savannah's historic buildings (SCAD has restored dozens of historic Savannah buildings as studios, galleries, and dormitories, reversing decades of deterioration).
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Forsyth Park, Moon River, and the Midnight in the Garden Heritage
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: the 1994 non-fiction book by John Berendt documenting the murder trial of antiques dealer Jim Williams (who shot his companion Danny Hansford in his Mercer House in 1981) and the eccentric cast of Savannah characters surrounding the case: Chablis (the African American drag performer born Frank McQueen, who became the most memorable character in the book), the Lady Chablis, the voodoo woman Minerva, and the aristocratic Savannah society that closed ranks around Williams. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil remained on the New York Times bestseller list for 4 consecutive years (216 weeks, the longest run of any nonfiction book in NYT history), transforming Savannah's national and international reputation and making it one of the most visited literary destinations in the United States. The Mercer House (at 429 Bull Street, Monterey Square, Savannah): the Italianate mansion where Jim Williams was murdered — now operated as the Mercer Williams House Museum and open for tours. Johnny Mercer (born November 18, 1909, Savannah): the most important songwriter in American popular music history, who wrote the lyrics to over 1,500 songs including Moon River (from the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Original Song — the song is a meditation on Savannah and the Savannah River), Days of Wine and Roses (another Oscar winner), Jeepers Creepers, That Old Black Magic, Blues in the Night, and Come Rain or Come Shine. Johnny Mercer's grave is in Bonaventure Cemetery.
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Bonaventure Cemetery and the Gothic Savannah
Bonaventure Cemetery (at 330 Bonaventure Road, Thunderbolt, approximately 5 km east of downtown Savannah on the bluff above the Wilmington River): the Victorian-era cemetery that is one of the most beautiful and atmospheric burial grounds in the United States, with magnificent live oak allees draped in Spanish moss, elaborate Victorian-era statuary, and the graves of notable Savannahians. Bonaventure's most visited grave: the marble statue of Little Gracie Watson (a child who died of pneumonia at age 6 in 1889, whose portrait statue became the most visited single grave in Bonaventure Cemetery after its inclusion in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil) — visitors traditionally leave gifts at the grave. The Bird Girl statue: the statue of a girl holding two shallow bowls aloft (designed by sculptor Sylvia Shaw Judson in 1936, the original cast in bronze for the Trosdal family plot at Bonaventure) became the most recognizable image in Savannah after it was used as the cover photograph of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil — the statue was moved from the cemetery to the Telfair Museums because of damage from visitors. The Telfair Museums (the three-site museum complex in Savannah): the oldest public art museum in the American South, comprising the Telfair Academy (the 1818 Regency mansion), the Jepson Center (the 2006 modern addition by Moshe Safdie), and the Owens-Thomas House (the 1816 Regency masterpiece designed by William Jay, considered the finest example of English Regency architecture in the United States). The Colonial Park Cemetery (at 201 Abercorn Street, downtown Savannah): the oldest public cemetery in Georgia (established 1750), where many of Savannah's colonial founders are buried.
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Savannah's Culinary Scene and the Pirate's House
Savannah food culture: Savannah has developed one of the most distinctive regional food scenes in the American Southeast, drawing on the Lowcountry seafood tradition shared with Charleston (shrimp and grits, she-crab soup, oyster roasts), the Southern soul food traditions of the Georgia coast (fried chicken, cornbread, collard greens), and the innovative restaurant community that SCAD has helped attract to the city. The Olde Pink House (at 23 Abercorn Street, Reynolds Square, Savannah): the Georgian mansion built in 1771 for James Habersham Jr. (a signer of the Declaration of Independence from Georgia), now operated as one of the most beloved and atmospheric restaurants in Savannah, serving the most traditional Southern cuisine (shrimp and grits, crab bisque, Georgia pecan-encrusted flounder) in the most architecturally significant dining room in the city. The Pirate's House (at 20 East Broad Street, the oldest building in Georgia, built 1734, the section of the building now occupied by the restaurant): the historic tavern that served pirates and sailors in the colonial era, with the rum cellar tunnel (allegedly connected to the river) through which shanghaied sailors were dragged unconscious to waiting ships — Robert Louis Stevenson is believed to have used the Pirate's House as the model for the Hispaniola tavern in Treasure Island (though this is disputed by historians). Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room (at 107 West Jones Street, Savannah): the legendary family-style soul food restaurant operating since 1943, where diners sit at communal tables and share platters of fried chicken, biscuits, candied yams, butter beans, macaroni and cheese, and other Southern classics — lines form well before the 11 AM opening and extend down the block.
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Savannah's Film History and Pop Culture Legacy
Savannah in film and popular culture: Savannah has served as a backdrop for a remarkable number of important American films and television productions, drawn by the photogenic beauty of the squares, the antebellum architecture, and the gothic atmosphere of the city. Forrest Gump (1994): the most famous filming location in Savannah — the Forrest Gump bus stop bench scenes were filmed in Chippewa Square (at Bull Street and Hull Street, Savannah), with the famous bench now displayed at the Savannah History Museum (removed from the square as too much of a tourist obstruction). The Magic Garden (the Savannah landmark): the Square at Whitefield was used for multiple Forrest Gump running scenes. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997 film, directed by Clint Eastwood): the film adaptation of Berendt's book, starring Kevin Spacey as Jim Williams and Jude Law as Danny Hansford, filmed entirely on location in Savannah (including the Mercer House, Bonaventure Cemetery, and multiple Savannah squares). Other Savannah film productions: Cape Fear (1962, original version), Now and Then (1995), The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000, set at a fictional Savannah golf course), and Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012, filmed in the Savannah area). The Savannah Film Festival (the annual film festival organized by SCAD, held each October-November in Savannah): one of the most prestigious college-run film festivals in the United States, with screenings in historic Savannah theaters and a significant track record of Oscar precursor screenings.
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Savannah Practical Guide - Getting Around and Day Trips
Savannah practical visitor guide: the most charming and walkable major tourist destination in Georgia, with a compact historic district that rewards unhurried exploration on foot. Getting around Savannah: the Historic District (the 2.5 square km of Savannah protected as a National Historic Landmark District, one of the largest urban historic districts in the United States) is entirely walkable, with the 22 squares serving as natural orientation points. The DOT (Dot) free bus service connects the Historic District to the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport; bicycle rentals are available throughout the Historic District, and Savannah has several miles of protected bicycle lanes. Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV, at 400 Airways Ave, approximately 15 km west of downtown): the primary airport for Savannah, served by major US carriers, with direct flights to Atlanta (1 hour), Charlotte (1 hour), and multiple other hubs. Savannah day trips: Tybee Island (the beach town 30 km east of downtown Savannah, Georgia's only oceanfront municipality): the most popular beach destination for Savannah residents and visitors, with the Tybee Island Light Station (the lighthouse first established in 1736 — the year after Savannah was founded — making it the second oldest lighthouse site in the United States) and the 5.5-km beach strip. Jekyll Island and the Golden Isles (60-80 km south of Savannah): the Georgia barrier islands including Jekyll Island (the former retreat of the wealthiest families in America — the Rockefellers, Morgans, Pulitzers, and Vanderbilts all had cottages on Jekyll Island from the 1880s to the 1940s), St. Simons Island, Sea Island, and Cumberland Island National Seashore (the 40-km barrier island accessible only by ferry, with wild horses and Carnegie family ruins).