Travel guide for planning a vacation or trip to Savannah, Georgia, focusing on historical sites and museums.
Savannah, Georgia, is a southern city that is rich in history and strives on the preservation of the past. Every year visitors from all over the world walk through the city's squares, enjoying its scenic beauty. As a city that is very much steeped in the past, Savannah, Georgia, has a variety of historic sites and museums that travelers may choose from.
One of the city's most famous museums is the Telfair Museum of Art. Located on Barnard Street, the Telfair Museum was originally opened to the public in 1886 as an art school and museum. The Telfair Museum of Art now consists of over 4,500 pieces of art from several different countries. One of the most famous exhibits is the Bird Girl statue, which was featured in the movie, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and is often used as a symbol of Savannah.
The Telfair Museum of Art is divided into two distinct buildings: The Telfair Academy and the Owens-Thomas House. The Telfair Academy specializes in fine arts and travel exhibitions. The Owens-Thomas House is located on Abercorn Street and displays decorative art exhibits. The Owens-Thomas House also consists of intact slave quarters that include objects that convey the culture and history of African Americans. In Fall 2005, the Telfair Museum of Art will include a new building, the Jepson Center, which will contain travel exhibitions, along with 20th and 21st century art. The Telfair Museum of Art is open seven days a week, excluding some holidays.
Another museum in Savannah is the Georgia Historical Society, which serves as a research center for the state of Georgia. The Georgia Historical Society is the oldest cultural institution in the state of Georgia and is the place to go to search for anything related to Georgia's history. The museum contains documents, maps, and books that relate to Georgia's past. The Georgia Historical Society has a library with numerous manuscripts that include personal diaries, papers, and records that reflect 18th, 19th, and 20th century life in Georgia.
One popular historic site in Savannah is the Andrew Low House. Located on Lafayette Square, the Andrew Low House was originally owned by Andrew Low, who worked in the cotton industry and was once the richest man in Savannah. Built in 1847, the Andrew Low House has been visited by many famous people throughout history, including General Robert E. Lee and writer, William Makepeace Thackeray.
The Andrew Low house is also famous for later being the home of Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts of America and Andrew Low's daughter-in-law. In the beginning stages of the Girl Scouts of America, Juliette Gordon Lowe, also known as Daisy, used the carriage house to hold her meetings. Upon her death in 1927, Juliette Gordon Low willed the carriage house of the Andrew Low house to the Girl Scouts of Savannah. For this reason, members of the Girl Scouts of America often visit Savannah to see the Andrew Low House and also the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, which is located on East Oglethorpe Avenue. Tours of the Andrew Low House are conducted throughout the week, except on Thursdays.
Another of Savannah's many historic sites is Colonial Park Cemetery. Located at the corner of Abercorn St. and Oglethorpe Avenue, Colonial Park Cemetery is known as the oldest city burial ground in Savannah. The cemetery serves as the final resting place for a number of local notable figures, including governors, Revolutionary War soldiers, and the signer of the Declaration of Independence, Button Gwinnett. Colonial Park Cemetery contains a number of unique monuments and crypts, including a 15-foot marble monument for Button Gwinnett and the graves of several hundred yellow fever victims. The cemetery operated as an active cemetery from 1750 until the 1850's. Colonial Park Cemetery is still available to the public as a historic site.
Savannah, Georgia attracts visitors for a variety of reasons. Because of its numerous museums and historic sites, Savannah Georgia is the perfect travel destination for those who are seeking an appealing atmosphere and old world charm.
