Things to Do in Savannah GA With Kids

The historic city of Savannah has long been on my travel bucket list. When I had the opportunity to visit during a press trip before the Travel Media Showcase, I immediately jumped on it.

I had the best time touring the city over the two days, but it wasn’t enough time. There are lots of things to do in Savannah GA with kids, and you’ll want more than two days. Include it on your United States travel bucket list because there’s so much to do including lots of things for the entire family.

When visiting Savannah, you’ll find warm, friendly people, beautiful sites, historic sites, fun activities, and a whole bunch of southern charm. It really is a special place. If you are planning to visit Savannah, you are probably wondering what to do in Savannah with kids. Here are our recommendations.

As you visit this beautiful city, you’ll notice that the people are extremely friendly. Take your time to talk to the various people you’ll find, because they all have great stories and they really seem to love their home.

Disclosure: My stay, meals, and activities while visiting Savannah were provided at no cost as part of my press trip. This post contains affiliate links and a purchase/click through one of these links may result in a commission paid to us at no additional cost to you.  All opinions are our own.

Things To Do in Savannah With Kids

Old Town Trolley Tour

Like other cities, Savannah offers an Old Town Trolley Tour. This is a great thing to do in Savannah GA – especially for one of your first days. It’s an easy way to get a feel for the local area and see which Savannah attractions you want to visit on your vacation.

The family-friendly Old Town Trolley Tour has a one-day and a two-day ticket option. It’s a hop-on, hop-off trolley with narration, so you can also use it to get around the city as you visit the different tourist attractions. If you are using it for that purpose, you may consider the two-day pass so that you have more time.

There are 15 different stops on the journey, and you’ll get narration about the city as you drive by the various attractions. For our trip, we just stayed on the trolley for about 90 minutes, learning about the history of the city and the various attractions.

We didn’t get off the trolley but saw other tourists doing that during our trip. Stops include the historic River Street, Pirates House, Davenport House, Madison Square, and the Ships of the Sea Museum.

Trolleys run about every 20 minutes and start at 9 am. They run throughout the year, but the ending time of the day varies based on the season. You can learn more about them and purchase tickets here.

Another option is Old Savannah Tours. They offer several tours, including a land and sea tour (with a ride of the Savannah River Queen), ghost tours, a 90-minute trolley tour, and a hop-on, hop-off tour.

Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace

As a former Girl Scout and Girl Scout leader, I was most excited to visit the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace in Savannah. Girl Scouts of America founder Juliette Gordon Low is an icon among scouts. I’d heard about the historic home for many years, and so it was definitely at the top of my Savannah attractions to visit list.

The home is located on Oglethorpe Avenue, right in the heart of the historic district. Guided tours are offered six days a week, from Monday through Saturday. The home is busiest in the summer months, so it’s recommended that you purchase tickets in advance for your tour.

Tickets for the home can be bought at the door, but the tours can fill up, especially when Girl Scout troops are visiting. Purchasing online with a reservation is also an option, and is probably the best choice for a visit during the peak travel time.

Luckily, we arrived during a quiet time and were able to get on the next tour – about 10 minutes later. While we waited, we enjoyed looking around the gift shop and bookstore which offers lots of fun Girl Scouts memorabilia.

The tour runs for about 40 minutes and includes the interior of the house as well as a glimpse into the gardens. During your tour, you’ll find out about the history of Girl Scouts and will get an overview of Juliette’s (known affectionately as Daisy) life.

It is a kid-friendly tour, although non-Girl Scouts may not enjoy hearing the history. If you have Girl Scouts (or former Girl Scouts) in your family, it could be something fun to do on your family trip to Savannah GA.

City Market

I arrived in Savannah in search of a quick snack (instead of lunch) and a place to do some shopping. The concierge of my hotel sent me out with a map and directions toward Broughton Street and Savannah City Market.

Savannah City Market is a city block filled with shops and restaurants. This pedestrian-friendly area features a few things that kids will enjoy. These include the Byrd Cookie Company and Savannah’s Candy Kitchen.

Even as an adult, I was enchanted by Savannah’s Candy Kitchen. As you walk into the door, you’ll smell all of the delicious confections being prepared in the shop, including pralines and various varieties of popcorn. Samples of pralines are handed out as you enter.

There’s also a train running around a track at the top of the shop – something kids will enjoy seeing. It’s such a fun candy store and it has a nostalgic feel. Be sure to add this to your Savannah family vacation agenda.

City Market is also home to the American Prohibition Museum. Although I didn’t have the chance to visit the museum, others on my trip were raving about it. Combo tickets with the Old Town Trolley Tour are also offered so you can save some money on your visit.

Shopping on Broughton Street

I always love shopping, regardless of the destination, so I read all about Broughton Street before my arrival. This street, just two blocks from my hotel, offers chain and local shops, as well as restaurants and cafes.

For chain shops, you’ll find popular stores including Vineyard Vines, Banana Republic, H&M, the Gap, and MAC Cosmetics. There are also smaller chains including Spartina 449 and Kendra Scott.

I enjoyed walking through the independent shops on the street. My favorite is Nourish, which offers natural bath products. There’s also the Savannah Bee Company offering honey, as well as smaller boutiques and gift shops with clothes, jewelry, and other gifts.

One highlight on Broughton Street is the famous Leopold’s Ice Cream. I saw the lines outside the shop on my first night in Savannah and had the chance to visit on my second evening.

Leopold’s Ice Cream recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, and it’s obvious that both locals and tourists love to visit. The shop is now owned by Stratton Leopold, one of the owner’s sons and a Hollywood producer.

In addition to delicious ice cream, you’ll also find a soda counter and cafe. There are lots of unique flavors on the menu, including specials each month. It’s fun for the whole family. and one of the most fun things to do in Savannah GA for families.

As the mom of a child with a nut allergy, I asked about how they handle allergies when scooping ice cream. The restaurant is great about using free containers and clean scoops and can help with information on ingredients.

Ghost Tour

Savannah has long been rumored to be a haunted city. If you’ve got older kids, you may consider taking a walking ghost tour of the city. I’d probably recommend it for kids who are at least tweens or teens because younger kids may be a bit scared by the stories.

After dinner on our first night, we met our guide in the center of town. From there, we walked around the city, learning about the ghost tales of the city.

If you are thinking of taking a walking ghost tour, I’d recommend bringing comfortable shoes. There’s definitely a lot of walking around the city, and some of the streets have bricks and cobblestones that are uneven to walk on.

Research the tour that you are doing, as some of them aren’t necessarily kid-friendly. One family-friendly option is the Grave Tales Tour, which is specifically meant to be appropriate for kids.

Savannah History Museum

This small history museum is located in the former home of the Georgia Railway passenger depot. Combo tickets are offered with other attractions including Old Fort Jackson and the Pin Point Heritage.

It’s a very small museum, but includes the bench where Forrest Gump sat in the movie. It also features exhibits showcasing the history of Savannah from 1733 to the present. In the back of the museum, there’s an exhibit focused on Juliette Gordon Low and the Girl Scouts.

If you are taking the trolley, the history museum is at the first stop. It’s not a must-do, but it’s fun to see the bench and the other exhibits.

Georgia State Railroad Museum

Adjacent to the Savannah History Museum is the Georgia State Railroad Museum. I didn’t have the opportunity to visit during my stay because it was temporarily closed. But if you have train lovers, it’s a good option.

In addition to exhibits, the museum also offers scheduled train tours on specific days. You can find more information on their website, including the schedule.

Telfair Museums

The Telfair Museums includes three separate facilities – the Jepson Center, Telfair Academy, and the Owens-Thomas House. One ticket gets you admission to all three. They are all within walking distance of each other.

The Jepson Center is a new building housing a large collection of art. Of particular interest to kids here is the new TechSpace – an area where you can learn about technology-based art.

Within the Jepson Center, there’s also the ArtZeum, a kids’ space offering interactive exhibits and art activities.

The Owens-Thomas House offers a guided tour through the home, gardens, and slave quarters. These tours do fill up, so you’ll want to go early to book your tour time.

Savannah Children’s Museum

Do you have young children with you on your family vacation to Savannah GA? You may consider visiting the Savannah Children’s Museum. This entirely outdoor museum offers about a dozen exhibits and other fun things for kids. It’s a great place to go to get your kids’ energy out.

Tybee Island

If you are looking to visit the beach during your Savannah vacation, you’ll want to head to Tybee Island. This barrier island is connected to the mainland through a causeway – so you won’t need to take a ferry to get there. It’s the perfect place to get away from the city for a bit.

Tybee Island features a gorgeous beach, as well as a pier pavilion with restrooms, food, and a bar. If you aren’t traveling with beach equipment, there are places nearby where they can be rented.

During our trip there, we stopped at the Original Crab Shack, a casual, delicious restaurant serving oysters, crab, shrimp, mussels, and other seafood dishes. There is also an area with alligators that you can watch, so it’s a fun restaurant for kids to visit.

Other top things to do in Savannah GA include the Fort Pulaski, Forsyth Park, Fort Jackson, and the Oatland Island Wildlife Center. Another popular spot is the University of Georgia Marine Education Center. It offers exhibit tanks with various marine life and an overview of salt marsh ecology, as well as Georgia’s first saltwater aquarium.

We didn’t have the opportunity to visit these attractions during our two-day trip, however. I’d love to return to be able to see more of them.

Where to Stay in Savannah Georgia

During my visit to Savannah, I stayed at the Springhill Suites Savannah Historic District. This new hotel is a great option for families because of its affordability and location.

My room, a king bed suite, included everything I needed including a couch, desk, microwave, refrigerator, shower, and table. The hotel offers a fitness center, outdoor pool, and jacuzzi.

The thing that most impressed me with the Springhill Suites Downtown Savannah Historic District was the two concierges I interacted with. Both were extremely helpful and knowledgeable. You could see that they were passionate about helping guests and loved the area.

Many of the popular activities in the area, including the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace and the Telfair Museums are within walking distance.

You can see more reviews of the hotel here.

Looking for other lodging options? You can find more choices on the map below (affiliate links).

Getting to Savannah Georgia

Getting to Savannah from Boston was very easy. There is a JetBlue direct flight that takes you to the Savannah/Hilton Head Airport. I loved the airport – it’s filled with local shops and is very easy to navigate.

There are lots of other hotels in the area, although I didn’t have the chance to check those out. These vary from standard chains to more luxurious hotels.

We took a private shuttle from the airport, but I did see that there were other transportation options into the city, including rental cars and a Lyft/Uber pickup area.

The trip into Savannah from the airport was less than 30 minutes, although that may vary depending on traffic. You may not need a car every day during your trip – many of the tourist attractions in the historic district are within walking distance.

When it was time for us to travel to Atlanta for Travel Media Showcase, that journey took about 4 hours.