Mercer-Williams House, Savannah (must see)

Because of its role in the hugely popular Clint Eastwood movie "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," the Mercer-Williams House has no shortage of visitors. While this grand building created by John Norris is now primarily known as a crime scene involving late antiques dealer Jim Williams and his lover, if you take a tour of the house, you might hear less about all that than expected.

Today proudly owned by Jim Williams's sister, an established academic in her own right, the house deliberately concentrates on its early history and Jim Williams's prodigious talent as a collector and conservator of fine arts and antiques. Tours are well worth it for art aficionados even though the upstairs, being a private residence of Dr. Kingery, is off-limits.

Williams bought this elegant Italianate mansion, cited as "nationally significant" for its architectural style, back in 1969. Indeed, with its tall arched windows and ornate ironwork balconies, it is rightfully considered to be one of the most beautiful in Savannah.

And yes, even if you only get to see the garden and the first floor, the house itself is so interesting, and the guides are so committed to telling the stories that it makes the tour worth it all the while.

Tip:
Try to check the neighborhood out at night, as the garden/park in the center of the block is eerily beautiful and well-lit.