The First Colored Church of Savannah (renamed the First African Baptist Church in 1882) is the oldest continuously active African-American congregation in North America. It was formed in 1778 by George Liele, the first black man to be ordained by Baptists to preach in Georgia.

The present church was built by members of the congregation, among whom there were many slaves who, after laboring all day in the fields, would make bricks, lay mortar, and carve pews for the church (that are still in use even today!).

During the turbulent years of the Civil War, this temple was a haven for runaway slaves. The fugitives hid in a four-foot high space between the basement and foundation below, with 'air holes' still visible in the basement floor – in lack of better knowledge, some visitors today erroneously assume these holes to be part of an artistic design. Speaking of the design, worthy of note here are the beautiful stained glass windows depicting Liele and other early church leaders, installed in 1885.

During the 1960s, the First African Baptist Church of Savannah served as a base for the Civil Rights movement. Today, it houses a museum containing archives and memorabilia dated from the 18th century.

Those interested in history in general and that of Savannah in particular, should consider taking a guided tour of the church. The tour takes you through the main temple, upstairs, and in the basement where you can learn about the role of the Underground Railroad.

Guided tours are offered Tuesday through Saturday at 11am, 2pm, and 4pm; and on Sunday at 1pm.

The Savannah History Museum is dedicated to the rich, dramatic history of the city, from its early establishment to today. It is located inside Savannah Visitor's Information Center, which is in turn housed in the passenger train shed of the old Savannah railway. The Museum holds a wide variety of exhibits about all of the people, places, things, and events that have shaped Savannah from 1733 onward.

Some of the exhibits include displays of antique and vintage evening gowns from the 1800s to the 1960s, an antique steam locomotive from the Central of Georgia Railway, a Revolutionary War exhibit, a carriage owned by the founder of the Girl Scouts, an 1830s cotton gin, Revolutionary War uniforms and weaponry, and props from some of the movies set in Savannah, like the bench from Forrest Gump.

At the far end of the building is the Whistle Stop Cafe, which is a breakfast and lunch cafe set inside of a railroad car. One block from the Savannah History Museum is the Roundhouse Railroad Museum, dedicated to Savannah's railway history. Both of these buildings are situated on top of the site of the Revolutionary era Battle of Savannah, fought in 1779, where American troops attempted to break the occupation of Savannah by the British.

Why You Should Visit:
Family-friendly with a few exhibits that will appeal to adults. The tour is one of the most in-depth and interesting – and completely free with admission as well!

Tip:
Watch the video in the Visitor's Center first to give you context for the displays, but make sure that you stick around for the Revolutionary War tour.
They run it on Thursdays to Sundays 3 times a day and you would know that one is about to start once you see a gentleman dressed as a militia soldier beating a drum.

The Mercer-Williams House Museum sees a lot of visitors due to its role in the hugely popular "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil". While this grand John Norris building is now primarily known as a crime scene involving late antiques dealer Jim Williams and his lover, if you take a tour of the home, you might hear less about all that than you may have expected.

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

Williams bought the elegant Italianate mansion, which has been cited as "nationally significant" for its architectural style, in 1969. With its tall arched windows and ornate ironwork balconies, it is considered one of the most beautiful in Savannah.

Why You Should Visit:
Okay, so you only get to see the garden and the first floor, but the house is so interesting and the guides are so committed to telling the stories that it's a worthwhile tour.

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.

Bull Street is the main artery of Savannah’s downtown area, stretching all the way from the Starland neighborhood through Historic District. A section between Forsyth Park and the City Hall is the showroom of the city's history and beauty. Walking here you will pass via five of Savannah's iconic squares, such as Johnson Square, Wright Square, Chippewa Square, Madison Square, and Monterey Square, located precisely two blocks away from each other down the road.

This thoroughfare offers some of Savannah’s best shopping experiences, not to mention lots of other delights! The long stretch between Forsyth and the river is a home to some of the best restaurants in town.

In particular, make sure to explore the BULL STREET TACO (open Monday through Saturday, from 11am–10pm), which is a hip artsy spot with lots of contemporary artwork and vintage photos on the walls. It has a few tables inside, a bar, and a nice patio outside, where many people dine in the warmer months. Most of the drinks at the bar are tequila-based; however, their main event, undoubtedly, is the street tacos!

As you stroll down the road under the moss and oak trees past the numerous boutiques, eateries, and historic homes, keep an eye on memorial plaques here and there. The genuine feeling of presence in the Old South will come over you instantly.

Back in the early days of America, the Roman Catholics were banned from settling in the South out of fear of their potential loyalty to the Spanish crown and possible secession of the southern colonies from the English-controlled North. As a result, Savannah had no Catholic church until 1799, when the French migrants from Haiti, fleeing the French Revolution, established it for the first time. The Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist was begun in 1873. It was commissioned in 1896 upon the completion of the majestic twin spires and addition of stucco and whitewash coating to the brick structure.

The cathedral boasts a number of notable artistic and architectural features, including the Great Rose Window, a Gothic quatrefoil with the image of Saint Cecilia in the center. The windows radiating from the center also contain figures – of players of musical instruments. The Original Window of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the few to have survived the great fire that ravaged the city in 1898. The Transept Windows feature the assumption of Virgin Mary into heaven, surrounded by angels and saints. In addition to this, the church houses several murals dating from 1912, depicting saints and other religious figures with the encoded symbols indicating their lives and deaths.

Locals lovingly dub the cathedral "America's Sistine Chapel", referring to its amazing stained glass work, ceiling paintings, and altar. Lovely to look at, this fine piece of French Gothic architecture is like a free 'trip' to Europe, particularly impressive to those who have not traveled extensively outside of the U.S.

Whilst inside, spare some time for a guided tour of the building – you'll be glad that you did. Also, be sure to drop a few bills in the donation box at the exit, which is quite unique, and don't forget to turn the handle.

The historic Owens–Thomas House in Savannah, Georgia is one of the finest examples of English Regency architecture in the United States.

The building was completed in 1819 to a design by William Jay, an English architect. His plan was to create a house aesthetically compatible to Bath, England, which is evident in the use of the Bath stone as well as in the sophisticated architectural detail that was meant to add a gentrifying physical ornament to the then-newly emerging Southern port of Savannah. The structure is notable for its early cast-iron side veranda with elaborate acanthus scroll supports on which the Marquis de Lafayette addressed the citizens of Savannah on his visit in 1825.

The house was originally named for its first owner, Richard Richardson, whose family had earned fortune as cotton merchants and bankers. In 1830, the mansion was purchased by the local attorney and politician, George Welshman Owens, and remained in his family for several decades until Owens' granddaughter, Margaret Thomas, bequeathed it to the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences, in 1951.

In 1976, the house was designated a National Historic Landmark. Complete with the Slave Quarters, which were uncovered and restored during renovations in the 1990s, the property is now a museum. Its collection contains furnishings and decorative arts from the English Regency period, including possessions of the Owens family dating from 1790 to 1840. Among other exhibits here are English Georgian and American Federal period furniture, early Savannah textiles, silver, Chinese Export porcelain, and 18th- and 19th-century art.

The museum's highlight, though, is the carriage house that once functioned as slave quarters – one of the earliest in existence and best preserved in the American South. Previously inhabited by servants like the nanny, cook, butler and other enslaved workers, the place features slave artifacts of the period.

Although architecturally insignificant, the Slave Quarters is culturally and historically important as the showcase of the African slaves' attempt to maintain their ethnic heritage. The ceiling of the building is painted haint blue, which was customarily used in Gullah culture to deter ghosts or other malevolent spirits.

In the courtyard you can see a small parterre garden designed in 1820 English-American style.

The place is open Sunday through Monday from 12–5pm; and Tuesday through Saturday from 10am–5pm.

Tip:
Museum tours go off every 15 minutes – so try to go with a smaller group!
You can also get a pass to see the Jepson Art Center and the Telfair Museum of Art for a single price of $20 in the space of one week.

Juliette Gordon Low is best known as the woman who first organized the Girl Scouts in 1912, after meeting war hero Robert Baden-Powell, founder and first Chief Scout of the world-wide Boy Scout Movement. Always an energetic, happy woman, Low was known for jumping headfirst into new hobbies and interests, and after having learned about the Girl Guides in England, she returned inspired to bring the girl's scouting movement to Savannah, Georgia, and America beyond.

The building itself is a blend of Regency and Victorian designs, with – like many other Savannah houses from the 1800s – a basic floor plan known as a "Savannah box". In this particular case, the basic floor plan was expanded upon to create a grander house, which is considered a National Historic Landmark, both for its age and excellent preservation, and for being the site of Juliette Gordon Low's birth. After its purchase by the Girl Scouts of America in 1953, the property was extensively restored and turned into an educational center and historical museum, as it remains to this day.

Why You Should Visit:
Nice tour, reasonably priced, and there are many interesting things about the house and the lives of the people that lived there, not just Juliette, whose artwork is on display. The gift shop offers a nice variety of Girl Scout memorabilia along with local souvenirs, and you can stroll the gardens without paying. If you were ever a scout, you'll probably love this place.

Tip:
You have to do a guided tour – there is no self-guided option. They rarely book same-day tours, however, so it's best to go online and get advance tickets or purchase them at the door beginning at 10am.

Originally centered on the site of today's Ellis Square, from 1733, Savannah's main marketplace was established as a wooden building where locals gathered for their groceries and services. By 1755, the market had turned into a center of local commerce and hub of all activity downtown; a place where fishermen and farmers would bring their goods to sell.

Over time, the building survived two fires (in 1796 and 1820) which ultimately destroyed it, and was replaced the following year with a single-storey structure. The latter was torn down also, shortly after the Civil War, and its place was taken by a brick building, erected in 1876, by architects Augustus Schwaab and Martin Phillip Muller.

Albeit praised as "roomy (the structure encompassed 33,000 square feet), and capable of being kept in the highest condition of cleanliness, with ample ventilation", the cost of construction "vastly exceeded expectations". Later excavations revealed weakened arches in the basement floor that required them to be replaced.

The market suffered severe damage from a hurricane in 1896, and was even closed at one point, in 1954. But today it thrives once again, stretching for a good two blocks between Ellis and Franklin squares.

The old 19th-century cotton warehouses, once fallen into disrepair, have been restored and renovated, and turned into bistros, art galleries, casual and upscale restaurants, antique stores, jewelry shops, bakeries, sweets and candy parlors, and other specialty outlets (there's even a daiquiri dispensary and a specialty coffee joint).

The newest attraction in the market complex is the American Prohibition Museum, which has 6,000 square feet of exhibition space, housing 13 galleries.

During the day and at night the historic place offers totally different experiences. In the evenings, visitors can enjoy jazz at local nightclubs or otherwise discover the "art and soul" of Savannah while being serenaded by local musicians.