The best things to do in Savannah with kids

With its walkable center, easygoing vibe and enticing collection of kid-friendly attractions, Savannah, Georgia, is a big hit with families. There are plenty of things to do in Savannah with kids at any time of year, from museums and trolley tours to beach days on Tybee Island, and meals suitable for small travelers are always easy to find. 

On top of the city's manageable scale, downtown Savannah is packed with interesting things to do, from parks transformed into fantasy landscapes by trees dripping with Spanish moss, to family-friendly tours and museums and fountains that tots can splash in to escape the summer heat. And if you fancy a quieter experience, the alligator-stalked marshes of the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge await just beyond the city limits.

The Hostess City exudes an easy Southern charm, and there’s always a pitcher of sweet tea stocked in the fridge to welcome visitors of all ages. So, if you're tempted in by this old-fashioned Southern welcome, here are the best things to do in Savannah with kids.

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Is Savannah good for kids?

There’s something about the relaxed pace of life and lush green spaces that draws families to every corner of Savannah’s iconic center. The city's wide, flat streets are refreshingly uncrowded, and its shady courtyards are easy to explore on foot, even with a stroller in tow.

Given its claim to fame as America’s first planned city, one wonders if founder James Oglethorpe had always envisioned a city filled with families pushing perambulators and toddlers swarming its impeccably manicured squares.

Public parking garages are conveniently located across the downtown area, so families can easily find a spot to park and start walking through town without fuss – a boon in the hot summer months. If you prefer to ditch the automobile, Savannah's well-organized public transport system keeps families on the move in air-conditioned comfort.

But don’t be fooled by the city's slow-and-easy pace or that relaxed Southern drawl. Savannah bustles with life, from Tybee Beach to the riverfront, playgrounds to cemeteries, and nostalgic trolley tours to island-hopping trips on the Savannah Belles Ferry. 

Best things to do in Savannah with babies and toddlers

With babies and young tots in your party, look to museums and parks. 

Engage in hands-on play at the Children’s Museum

While it’s still cool in the morning, head to the Savannah Children’s Museum, a rainbow labyrinth situated outdoors on the grounds of an old railroad station. Amid the brick archways of what once was the Central of Georgia Railway Carpentry Shop, young children can feed their curiosity with hands-on play, exploring a dizzying maze constructed of multicolored wooden panels, building towers with blocks, and sliding down winding chutes.

Unlike many indoor kids' museums, Savannah’s Children’s Museum tempts children to linger over each activity, so there's less of that chaotic chasing after kids as they run from one station to another. The outdoor experience muffles noise, too, producing an easy-going play environment that adults will also appreciate.

Access to the play area is through the Georgia State Railroad Museum, so little ones will also be able to see and take rides on old-fashioned trains, and try out operating a vintage handcar. 

Stroll the squares and parks of downtown Savannah

The South’s history springs to life in the streets of the old town, where live oaks draped in Spanish moss, marble and cast-iron statues and Georgian architecture whisper stories of its colonial and post-Civil War past. The area is also very walkable if you're exploring with a stroller – be sure to stop into Forsyth Park to enjoy its moss-cloaked trees and calm green spaces. 

A 90-minute guided walking tour will furnish you with interesting details about the city and its residents. Learn about the Yamacraw chief Tomochichi, who assisted Oglethorpe in settling the area. Discover the stories of Catherine Greene, who invited Eli Whitney to the region before supporting him in developing the cotton gin, and of General William Sherman, who, for reasons still not confirmed today, left Savannah largely unscathed after burning down many other Southern towns on his quest to defeat Confederate forces.

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For children who lack the patience to walk for 90 minutes, a hop-on-hop-off trolley tour grants all-day access to some 15 stops dotted around town. These nostalgic, shaded vehicles are ideal for kids who get restless easily, or families who need more frequent breaks.

Splash around at the Riverside Fountain

With its southerly location, Savannah tends to heat up regardless of the season. Temperatures fall to the mid-sixties during winter, offering some reprieve, but visitors who spend the day exploring on foot are likely to warm up quickly at other times of year. 

To stay cool during the summer, kids can scamper through the streams at the splash pad just outside the Plant Riverside District, where there are also clothing, beauty and gift boutiques for parents to browse, and some inviting restaurants and event venues along the Savannah River.

To see the river from a different vantage point, take a ride on the Savannah Belles Ferry, connecting stops along River St with Hutchinson Island using ferries styled like vintage steamboats. Kids will love the vibe, and it's completely free of charge. 

Best things to do in Savannah with school-age kids

Families with older kids will find plenty of ways to keep busy in Savannah. 

Browse for treats at Savannah's sweet shops

The gooey treats at River Street Sweets are bound to beckon to little ones. Wall-to-wall displays showcase an assortment of luscious, gummy and chocolate-dipped treats, from freshly glazed pecans and crunchy nut brittle to barrels of glossy lollipops and hard candies.

For a bit of candy-making magic, kids can watch staff stirring Georgia pecans in copper kettles and coating them in a sticky mix of cream, butter and sugar to make the store's signature pralines. Grab some to munch as you explore the rest of Savannah. 

If it's the heat you're trying to beat, endure a few more minutes of the humidity by waiting in line for Leopold's Ice Cream, open since 1919. A buttery scoop of Chocolate Chewies & Cream on a crispy waffle cone or a fizzy float could be the perfect midday pick-me-up.

Meet the Savannah wildlife

Slather on the sunscreen and bug spray for an adventure across Savannah’s surrounding marshlands. At the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, little ones can scour Georgia's coastal ecosystems for alligators, migratory birds and turtles while traipsing along miles of short, flat trails through freshwater marshes and coastal forests.

Bring sunscreen, a hat and plenty of water. If you take a rideshare to the refuge, ask to be driven to the main wildlife viewing area, not the Visitor Center – the two are miles apart, and there is no public transportation available inside the park, which also has spotty cell phone service.

Families who prefer an indoor sensory experience can view assorted Southern critters at the UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium. Kids can get close to marine life such as alligators, seahorses and longnose gar in the aquarium tanks, and even touch species like knobbed whelks and hermit crabs in one of the touch tanks.

Plan a day trip to Tybee Island

For a change of pace, spend a day along the sudsy shoreline of Tybee Island, about 18 miles east of Savannah, building sandcastles and bouncing in the waves. Consider yourself lucky if you can find a spot to pitch your umbrella and lay out a towel, as crowds from all walks of life flock to Tybee Beach, especially in the summertime.

Families with tiny tots can spend the day basking on the sand, while those with children ages five and older can rent a jet ski or go kayaking; rentals are available near the beach pier and pavilion. Then there's the Tybee Island Light Station & Museum, which you can visit on a self-guided tour.

To get to Tybee, take US Highway 80 east from Savannah. The trip takes about 30 minutes, and there are several parking lots at the south end of the island (come early to grab a spot on weekends). Note that dogs are not allowed on the beach to protect sea turtles and local birdlife.

Best things to do in Savannah with teenagers and tweenagers

With teens in your party, look to spooky attractions and live events to lure them off their screens. 

Get spooked at a historic cemetery

Once the sun sets, turrets hovering above the squares and the marble columns of mansions cast spooky shadows over America’s most haunted city. Tweens looking for creepy tales for their next sleepover party will enjoy the eerie stories and sights offered on a Savannah ghost tour.

Guides take visitors through historic cemeteries, imposing mansions, and former bloodied battlegrounds, regaling visitors with macabre tales, like how residents ravaged by yellow fever in the 1700s-1800s were accidentally buried alive after having been assumed dead.

There's a definite Anne Rice mood to the proceedings, and more daring teens can try a tour in a hearse. Don’t forget a camera, as guides advise that paranormal activity can sometimes reveal itself in photos.

Catch a live show at the Plant Riverside District

Constructed in 1912, the city's vintage power plant has been restored and revamped, and the riverside now buzzes with life at night. Blues music croons from the speakers of waterside restaurants, and live shows light up the lofty event spaces inside. Check the Plant Riverside District website for listings of upcoming concerts and shows.

Before taking in a show, start the evening with a walk through the Grand Bohemian Gallery (before it shuts down for the night at 6pm), check out the curated offerings of the district's hip boutiques, and then grab a Neopolitan pizza at whimsical Italian restaurant Graffito.

Search for dolphins along the coast

If your tween or teen is getting too cool for cringey tourist outings, flip the script by taking to the water on a dolphin-spotting cruise. When the bay's resident Atlantic bottlenose dolphins put in an appearance, the whistles of these playful creatures are bound to bring a smile to even the most cynical teens.

Cruises leave from River St downtown. On the off chance that you don’t spot a dolphin, just the experience of being out on the water is a fun family experience. For Instagram-worthy photo opportunities, book a sunset dolphin cruise, when the golden coastline glows radiantly.