History of Savannah Walking Tour

Begin the tour in Chippewa Square, where Sarah introduces the founding of Savannah in 1733 and the vision of James Oglethorpe. Learn how Savannah's original ward-and-square plan shaped the city's streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces.(10 min)

Stop near the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts. Learn about Low's connection to Savannah and how she went on to establish the Girl Scouts in 1912, creating an organization that became an important part of American women's and girls' history.(5 min)

At Wright Square, learn about Tomochichi and the Native American communities whose relationships with the early Georgia colonists were important to the colony's development. The square provides an opportunity to look beyond Savannah's European founding story and understand the Native American history connected to the city's beginnings.(10 min)

At the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters, explore Savannah's antebellum history and the role slavery played in the city's development. The discussion connects the wealth and architecture of the period with the lives and labor of the enslaved people who made that world possible.(10 min)

At Colonial Park Cemetery, explore what life—and death—were like in historic Savannah. The cemetery dates to the colonial period and provides a window into disease, mortality, burial practices, and everyday life in earlier generations of the city.(10 min)

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist provides an opportunity to explore Savannah's religious and immigrant history. Learn about the important influence of Savannah's Irish Catholic community and the architectural traditions represented by this landmark.(10 min)

At the Green-Meldrim House, learn about Savannah's role during the American Civil War and the building's connection to General William T. Sherman. This stop helps place Savannah within the larger history of Sherman's March through Georgia and the Union capture of the city.(15 min)

Walk along Jones Street and see some of Savannah's best-known historic residential architecture. The street provides a close-up look at the city's 19th-century homes, historic streetscape, and the relationship between Savannah's residential neighborhoods and its distinctive urban plan.(5 min)

At Monterey Square, learn about the Mercer-Williams House and General Casimir Pulaski's role in the Revolutionary War. The square brings together Savannah's architecture, notable residents, and Revolutionary-era history in one of the city's most recognizable historic settings.(10 min)

The tour concludes at Forsyth Park, where you'll see the park's famous fountain and learn how this expansive green space fits into Savannah's later development. Located at the southern end of the Historic District, Forsyth Park provides a natural conclusion to the journey from Savannah's colonial origins through its subsequent growth.(5 min)