10 Things to Do in Savannah with Kids

Savannah is a great destination for family travel. This city of southern charm and surrounded by mysteries offers everything you need to spend unforgettable days. It has a great navigable river, super fun museums, parks where you can play freely and a natural environment of the most interesting.

That's part of the magic of this city, that the little ones can be the protagonists of incredible adventures. After all, not everywhere you can become a cabin boy, a machinist, a soldier or a ghost hunter. There are many fun things to see and do in Savannah, but the plans I'm about to tell you about are perfect for great family moments. Are you in?

Cruising is an experience that thrills the little ones. And doing it aboard a replica of an old steamboat is even more fun. It is one of the plans in Savannah that I recommend if you are traveling with children. They feel like the protagonists of a movie.

Its huge paddle wheels to glide through the water, its colorful decks or its decoration from another era: everything surprises the little cabin boys. And during the Savannah boat rides, they not only discover how people used to travel in the past, they also imagine their own adventures.

The best thing is that it's not all about fun, it's also about learning. Watching the river walk, old colonial mansions or old defensive bastions from the river is another way to learn about the history of the city. In addition, you can choose between different types of cruises: daytime, sunset or even dinner cruises.

One last interesting note: the Savannah River is navigable for many miles and riverboats played a very important role in the development of the city. In fact, one of the largest ports in the southern United States is located here.

Here's another boat tour, but a very different one. Where does the trip take you? To Tybee Island, a small paradise located a stone's throw away from the southern city. It is worth it for its landscapes and because it is a true natural sanctuary. If you have to make plans for a multi-day visit to Savannah, this excursion is perfect.

On Tybee Island, it's easy to see the bottlenose dolphins playing during the boat ride, something the kids love to do. But it's not just these friendly marine mammals that you can admire in their natural habitat. Tybee Island is also a bird sanctuary and has a pond where dozens of alligators live.

In addition to the boat ride, I recommend visiting the Tybee Island Marine Science Center and, if you have time, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. These are spaces dedicated to the dissemination and protection of wildlife where children not only enjoy themselves, but also learn a lot.

Are you tired? Then nothing like a relaxing time at the beach and, weather permitting, even a swim. Tybee Island has miles of beaches, ideal for sunbathing, playing in the sand or practicing water sports - a great plan to enjoy with children!

Did you know that Savannah has a reputation as a haunted city? There are dozens of cemeteries and haunted buildings here. The city was the scene of battles, crimes, epidemics and terrible events. That is why they say it is haunted, that it is inhabited by spirits and that many paranormal events occur.

If you thought that the tours to discover the dark side of Savannah are not activities to do with the family, you might be wrong. The little ones love ghost stories, too. Avoiding the spookiest happenings, they also have a great time learning about the history of haunted buildings like the Mercer Williams House, Andrew Low House or the Willink House.

You can even become a ghost hunter and tour Savannah looking for spooky creatures. You may not find any, but you'll get to know the city in a super fun way. What's more, the kids will take away a thousand stories and anecdotes to tell their friends later.

Taking a walking tour of Savannah to get a feel for the city is a good idea. But if you're traveling with kids, it's easy for them to get tired and lose interest right away. How do you avoid this? By finding ways to get around the city that are fun for them.

If you are visiting with very young children, I recommend the trolley bus or the streetcar. Aboard a vintage car you will pass through the most beautiful squares of the city, you will see the occasional haunted house and you can discover movie locations in Savannah, as some of the scenes of the unforgettable Forrest Gump. At the same time, this means of transportation is, besides being fun, an ideal alternative for rainy days.

If the children are of a certain age, there are other options. One of them is to tour Savannah by bicycle or, even better, take a Segway ride around Savannah. With either means you can tour the historic district and discover places like Forsyth Park or the waterfront.

If there is a perfect place to visit in Savannah with the little ones, it's the Children's Museum. This is a space designed so that they can freely develop their creativity and learn in a playful way. How? Through a myriad of activities of all kinds, from a fun maze to a sensory garden, musical games or a reading corner.

It is a wonderful plan to enjoy a different morning or afternoon, even with very young children. Besides, the museum is in the center of the city, in the old railway carpentry workshop, so it is very easy to get there.

Now I will explain an important aspect that you should take into account: the entire museum is outdoors. What does this mean? It means that you can easily include it in your plans to enjoy Savannah in the spring and fall. But in summer, you'll want to avoid the hottest hours, and in winter, it's always a good idea to take advantage of the warmer days.

Savannah has always been a strategic point in the country. As such, there was a time when many fortifications were built here that still stand today. Today they are a live history lesson that kids really enjoy, as at these forts they can become soldiers or even watch real cannons being fired.

Old Fort Jackson is perhaps the best known. In this old military enclosure there are many interactive activities for children to learn and enjoy at the same time. This place explains what military life was like and how battles were prepared. But if there is something that really excites them, it is the cannon firing demonstrations.

There are other interesting forts to visit with the family. For example, Fort Pulaski is a fantastic example of military architecture. But it has something else: it is surrounded by a fantastic natural space to spend a relaxing day or have a picnic.

I also recommend Fort McAllister, which has been converted into an idyllic state park. Here children can see old cannons and military installations. But also enjoy playgrounds and a network of low-difficulty trails perfect for families. Not only that, camping, picnicking among century-old oak trees and even fishing are allowed in the park.

How about taking a nostalgic trip in an old steam engine? The Railroad Museum occupies part of what was once one of the largest railroad complexes in the country. It exhibits old locomotives that ran on coal or diesel, historic cars and a host of tools and utensils related to the history of the railroad.

Regardless of age, getting on one of these locomotives, learning how they worked and seeing how they evolved over time is an unforgettable experience. The museum also takes special care of the didactic part and offers interactive exhibits and demonstrations that delight the little ones.

If you want to complete the plan, a suggestion: visit the Savannah History Museum. It's just a stone's throw away, on the same grounds, and it's super interesting. By the way, the Children's Museum is also in this railroad complex. So you can put together a perfect plan to spend as a family visiting all three museums.

Forsyth Park is the largest public park and one of Savannah's landmarks. And it's perfect for kids. Here they can run wild while you relax in a tranquil space. In addition, the park has playgrounds adapted to children of different ages and sports areas for playing tennis or basketball.

And there's more. Every Saturday a unique event is held: the Forsyth Park Farmers. It is a flea market where local farmers offer their best products, from fruits and vegetables to honey, jams and cheeses. It is ideal to see, to smell and, of course, to taste.

One last recommendation: be sure to visit the fragrant garden, one of the most special corners of Forsyth Park. What is it? An area with aromatic plants designed so that people who cannot see can also enjoy the park.

Just over 20 minutes from Savannah, in Skidaway, is an ideal place to have a great time with the kids no matter if it's hot, rainy or sunny. The UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium has 16 huge saltwater tanks. They are home to a myriad of species that inhabit the Savannah coastline and delight the little ones.

But the Marine Education Center offers other interesting experiences for children beyond visiting the aquarium. Here you can spend a day full of activities related to wildlife. All very didactic and, above all, fun!

If you have time, my advice is to walk some of its trails or the promenade to learn more about the flora and fauna of the area. In addition, there are several observation decks to watch the fantastic birds that make their home in the Savannah River marshes.

There's another place I recommend you visit with kids that's wildlife related. The Oatland Island Wildlife Center is home to animals of 40 different species, including cougars, wolves, bison, snakes or alligators.

You can see them in spaces that recreate their natural habitats, following a short trail through a forest. It is a quiet and well conditioned walk that can be done without problems even with the little ones. Rain? there is an alternative: walk a virtual trail and live an immersive experience that is almost, almost, like the one you live outdoors.

Now I tell you a little curiosity. These grounds were once one of Georgia's many cotton plantations. In the early 20th century it was transformed into a retreat for railroad conductors and later into a hospital and research center. Since 1973 it has been an environmental education center thanks to the efforts of a local teacher. A very special story indeed.

Savannah is a city where you can organize a thousand activities with the little ones and have a great time. Here are some other ideas to make the most of your family visit, take note!

• If the heat is on and you need to cool off, look for Ellis Square. It is one of the liveliest corners of the city. But if I recommend it is not for that reason, but because it has a fountain in which the jets come out of the ground. The little ones love to get wet in it. In addition, it is in the heart of the city, near the City Hall and the river.

• Who doesn't love a good ice cream, especially the kids! If it's hot and you want to give them that treat, take them to Leopold's Ice Cream. It is considered one of the best ice cream parlors in the world, they will love it!

• Always take something to eat with you. There are plenty of places to relax and picnic in Savannah. Need ideas? Forsyth Park, Whitefield Park, Reynolds Square or Chippewa Square. The latter is the square where Forrest Gump sat in the movie. But don't look for the bench, it's no longer there, but at the Savannah History Museum.

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Savannah is a warm and welcoming city. You will find everything you need to have a great time. But if you are traveling with children, keep these tips in mind:

• The city enjoys a subtropical climate. Winters are mild here, which means that you can visit Savannah at Christmas time for the kids to enjoy the city's ambiance at that time. But if you do so in summer, remember that the humidity can be oppressive. June, July and August are the rainiest months- don't forget!

• The historic center is not very big, so you can walk around it with children without great difficulty. If they get tired, you can always hop on one of the tourist trolleybuses, but there is another option: the Dot. It's a bus that runs two different routes and stops around the historic district - the best part is that it's free!

• At Savannah' s museums and historic sites, children under the age of two are usually free. Children between the ages of two and twelve get discounts of around 30%.

• To save money, my advice is to buy a CSH combo ticket. For about $21, it entitles you to entry to three of the museums operated by the Coastal Heritage Society. These include the Children's Museum, the Savannah History Museum, the Railroad Museum and Old Fort Jackson.