Information
Landmark: Savannah History MuseumCity: Savannah
Country: USA Georgia
Continent: North America
Savannah History Museum, Savannah, USA Georgia, North America
Overview
You’ll find the Savannah History Museum at 303 Martin Luther King Jr.Boulevard, right in the heart of Savannah, Georgia, where the brick façade catches the late-afternoon sun.The museum sits inside a historic brick building that once served as the Central of Georgia Railway’s passenger depot.This structure goes back to the mid-19th century, with parts added between the 1850s and 1870s, and once bustled with trains carrying goods and passengers through Savannah and beyond.For more than a hundred years, the railway depot powered Savannah’s growth, moving goods, carrying travelers, and feeding its factories with the steady clang of arriving trains.The building, celebrated for its striking architecture and rich history, earned National Historic Landmark status in 1976.In 1990, the Coastal Heritage Society took over the site and turned it into the Savannah History Museum, safeguarding its worn brick walls and the vivid stories they hold.The museum sits in Tricentennial Park, a lively cultural district with historic sites and kid-friendly spots-think old brick buildings and shaded benches-making it a must-visit for anyone drawn to Savannah’s heritage.The museum sits inside the old Central of Georgia Railway passenger shed, a spacious hall with high, echoing ceilings and warm brick walls that speak of its industrial-age roots.Visitors step into a place that captures Savannah’s transportation past-imagine the scent of old timber and iron-while offering a flexible space for showcasing rich, detailed exhibits.Historic railway arches stand beside sleek museum exhibits, creating a space where visitors can trace the city’s rail story while immersing themselves in the wider sweep of history.The Savannah History Museum holds more than 10,000 artifacts, each telling a piece of the city’s story from the past 300 years-like a faded Civil War uniform resting behind glass.Wandering among the artifacts and exhibits, you move through the city’s story step by step-past turning points, influential figures, and moments when its culture changed, like the clang of a new factory bell echoing across town.The museum opens its story with Savannah’s 1733 founding by General James Oglethorpe, setting the stage for its Colonial and Revolutionary era, where the creak of wooden docks once marked the busy port.You’ll find pioneer tools worn smooth by decades of use, intricate beadwork from Native American artists, and vivid displays telling how Savannah served as a key port in the American Revolution.The displays show how the city was founded, depict its bustling colonial trade-crates of tea stacked high-and trace its role in the fight against British rule.During the Civil War, Savannah’s role comes to life in uniforms stiff with age, rifles that smell faintly of oil, and worn keepsakes once carried by its soldiers.The museum delves into Sherman’s March to the Sea, the fall of the city, and the hardships of Reconstruction, with maps dotted in faded ink guiding the story.In this section, we look back at the era’s social unrest, political battles, and economic turmoil-like streets buzzing with protests and markets swinging wildly.The museum shows how Savannah grew into a bustling industrial and commercial hub, from the clang of shipyard hammers to the hum of busy storefronts.On display, you’ll find a rare 1902 Crestmobile gleaming under the lights, alongside an antique cotton gin that speaks to the city’s deep agricultural and industrial roots.In this section, you’ll see the surge of shipping, railroads, and manufacturing, a boom that drove Savannah’s economy forward in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the air smelled of pine from freshly milled lumber.The museum honors remarkable people who’ve shaped Savannah’s cultural legacy, from artists whose brushstrokes capture the city’s golden light to musicians who keep its rhythms alive.You’ll find Juliette Gordon Low, who founded the Girl Scouts of the USA, alongside artifacts-a worn handbook, a faded sash-that share her story and reveal her influence.The collection pays tribute to Johnny Mercer, the legendary songwriter from Savannah, with memorabilia that lets visitors hold a piece of the city’s rich artistic past.Pop culture gets a nod here-the museum showcases a replica of Forrest Gump’s famous bench, the one where he sat with a box of chocolates, marking Savannah’s spot in cinematic history.This exhibit connects rich tales from the past with today’s vibrant cultural awareness, like the scent of fresh ink on a newly displayed mural.The Great Savannah Exposition Mural stretches across the wall, capturing lively scenes from the 1984 celebration of the city’s tricentennial-vendors calling out, flags snapping in the breeze.The mural anchors the room as a striking centerpiece, capturing Savannah’s rich, varied past in bold swirls of color and shadow.At the Savannah History Museum, you can dive into hands-on lessons and guided tours that bring the past to life-whether you’re a fourth-grade class tracing Civil War maps or a traveler curious about the city’s earliest streets.The programs feature guided tours, where friendly docents weave Savannah’s history into the exhibits, bring artifacts to life, and slip in surprising stories you won’t find on the placards.The museum offers lively workshops and talks where historians, authors, and local leaders dig into Savannah’s past and present-sometimes pausing over a faded map or a weathered diary to bring the story to life.School and youth programs offer hands-on activities designed to fit curriculum standards, letting students explore local history by, for example, handling artifacts or joining interactive workshops.Temporary Exhibits: These rotating displays shine a light on unique slices of Savannah’s past or wider historical themes, from Civil War letters to vintage river maps, drawing people back again and keeping the community involved.The museum welcomes all kinds of visitors, offering easy access and thoughtful amenities, and keeps its doors open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., except on major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.Admission is $12 for adults and $8 for kids ages 2–12.Families with SNAP EBT benefits get in free when they show proof, even if it’s just a worn card pulled from a wallet.The museum welcomes visitors with wheelchair access, smooth ramps, clean restrooms, and plenty of seating so everyone can explore in comfort.You can park for free on-site for the first hour, then pay a small fee if you stay longer, so it’s easy to pull in and get where you need to go.The gift shop sells books, souvenirs, and handcrafted pieces made by local artisans, each tied to Savannah’s rich history-like a soft cotton scarf printed with the city’s oak-lined streets.Self-guided tour materials are available-pick up a map or brochure, then wander through the exhibits at your own pace, maybe pausing to study a carved wooden mask up close.The Savannah History Museum sits at the heart of Tricentennial Park, surrounded by other local attractions that together form a lively cultural hub.Nearby, you’ll find the Georgia State Railroad Museum, where gleaming restored locomotives and worn wooden railcars bring Savannah’s transportation history to life alongside the exhibits at the Savannah History Museum.Savannah Children’s Museum is an open-air, interactive space where kids can dig into history, explore nature, and spark their creativity-maybe while building a fort from giant wooden blocks under the warm Georgia sun.Battlefield Memorial Park honors the 1779 Battle of Savannah, offering visitors vivid glimpses into the fight-like the crack of muskets echoing across the field.
