Family Entertainment Tour (Self Guided), Savannah

Jepson Center for the Arts is one of three buildings that comprise the Telfair Museum of Art. This building marked the first expansion of the Telfair's nearly one hundred and twenty year history, and added more than 50% more exhibition and education space to the complex.

The Center for the Arts is housed in an ultramodern building designed by Moshe Safide. Initially, critics were skeptical about how well the new center would fit in with the surrounding buildings. The Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Owens-Thomas House are two National Historic Landmark buildings, and were built circa 1819. Fortunately, after the Jepson Center for the Arts' unveiling, public reception of the new facility has been warm.

The building itself is actually two separate entities, connected by glass bridges that pass over a protected walkway that was part of Savannah's original 1733 town plan. The center has two large galleries for traveling exhibitions. Permanent galleries include one for African-American artwork, one for Southern art, one for photography, and one for works on paper, a community gallery, a “hands on” gallery for kids and classroom groups, outdoor sculpture areas, educational art studios, a large auditorium, and more.

Hours: Sunday-Monday 12:00 – 5:00 pm; Tuesday-Saturday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Leopold’s Ice Cream was founded in 1919 by three brothers from Greece. They learned making candy and dessert from an uncle and later developed their own secret formulas for making the now world famous Leopold’s Ice Cream.

Today Leopold’s Ice Cream is a local tradition and generations of Savannahians have enjoyed it as part of their life. Locals still talk about the malts, milk shakes, black and white sodas and banana splits when they visit Leopold’s for having a dessert. Leopold’s ice cream shop is always a popular destination after concerts, dances and sporting events.

If you visit Savannah with kids, bring them to Leopold’s Ice Cream at least once and chances are they will love the ice cream there.

Opening Hours: Sunday- Thursday: 11:00-22:00; Friday- Saturday: 11:00- 23:00

The Pirate's House is a tavern and restaurant thought to be the oldest building still standing in all of Georgia. It wasn't always a tavern, though- the building was originally created to house the gardener that worked on Savannah's botanical garden in 1734. When the botanical garden was deemed unnecessary by 1754, the gardener's building (dubbed the Herb House) was reinvented as an inn for visiting seamen and traders.

Over time, the building attracted the criminal element, as more and more pirates, smugglers, thieves, and criminals visited it. Sailors would be kidnapped from their beds by sea captains in need of men. Since The Pirate's House is the entrance to one of Savannah's underground escape tunnels, the sailors were usually drunk, and many of them were from foreign ports, it wasn't easy to try to track down someone who went missing from the inn. Captain Flint, mentioned in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, is rumored to have died in one of the bedrooms of the house.

Today, The Pirate's House functions as a restaurant, tavern, and historical house museum. Visiting The Pirate's House you will get more than just a nice Southern meal. Its fun atmosphere and stories about pirates make it an interesting experience for both adults and kids.

Hours: Sunday- Thursday: 11 am- 9:30 pm; Friday- Saturday: 11 am- 10 pm.

Savannah's Waving Girl has been the source of legend for ages. Living in a lighthouse, she would by day wave a handkerchief and by night a lantern to every passing ship entering or leaving Savannah. As she did this religiously for over 50 years, she became a living legend as all sailors watched to be greeted by her. Most of her admirers never knew her real name, Florence Martus, and called her the Waving Girl.

Martus waved hello and goodbye to the ships passing by her home from 1886 to 1931. Nobody knew why she did it, but conjecture was rampant – one of the favorite myths about the Waving Girl is that she'd fallen in love with a sailor in the 1890s. Promising she'd be the first to greet him, she began waving at every ship. When he never returned, she continued waving in the hopes that one of the entering ships would have him aboard. Waving wasn't all Martus did, though – in 1893, she and her brother risked their lives to save several men from a sinking ship using nothing but a flat-bottomed rowboat.

Now, a bronze statue of Florence Martus sits on the waterfront. It was designed by famous sculptor Felix de Weldon, the creator of the equally famous Marine Corps War Memorial showing the flag raising on Iwo Jima. It was erected in 1972 at Riverside Park and depicts Florence waving her kerchief, and her pet collie by her side. The little park is a great place to sit and watch the barges and boats go by.

Tip:
There are plenty of other statues around the riverfront that are also worth taking the time to enjoy.

The embodiment of Savannah’s love of history, River Street Market Place represents an array of beautifully recreated sheds that once stood on this street, back in the mid 19th century.

The place is worth wandering through if enjoy the Savannah riverfront, especially while killing time waiting for a table at a nearby restaurant. Recognized as the most unique shopping destination in Savannah, this venue is set in a wonderfully relaxing area, with the river on one side and the cobblestone thoroughfare on the other.

It has over 70 booths altogether, containing artwork, gifts, and personalized items from around the globe. Pretty much every booth here has a vendor, and there is a ceiling overhead, so rain is not an issue. Among the most interesting things to check out are the wood burning and carved home décor designs, as well as the candles you could use as a lotion, made out of essential oils.

There are tons of other random, unique items, some handmade (such as jewelry, carvings, and wind chimes) and some pricey, but it's fine to walk through and see all the local culture anyway. And, just in case you get thirsty or fancy a bite to eat, there is a coffee, drinks and smoothies food cart right outside, with picnic tables to lounge on, should you be so inclined. The sweet tooth in you will definitely appreciate the delicious praline at the local candy shop or the honey store, as they are among the highlights.

The marketplace is rather small, so it doesn't take long to walk through. Highly recommended to those seeking to experience Southern charm, old-fashioned hospitality and shop in an open-air environment.

The market is open Monday through Wednesday from 10am–7pm; and Thursday through Sunday from 10am–8pm.

River Street Sweets is probably the best candy and sweets store in all of Georgia. With a combined history of 100 years of candy-making experience, the owner Strickland family has made the South synonymous with gourmet southern sweets.

There is so much candy to choose from here that you can easily get lost in the rows. Whether it be the world-famous pralines, saltwater taffy, crunchy, hand-stretched peanut brittle or homemade pecan pies, their made-from-scratch southern delicacies are all extremely tasty. The shop patrons have always loved the nostalgic experience of watching candy makers dip pralines onto giant marble slabs; stir glazed pecans in huge copper kettles; and see the 100-year-old saltwater taffy machine in action.

River Street Sweets smells delectable, with the capturing aroma drifting out the door, luring passers-by inside to taste a wonderful sample of freshly made pecan praline. Afterwards, you can't help buying a few of their other tasty treats! So enter at your own risk.

Tip:
Sweets's baked goods and ice creams are also delicious, so save room to try some!

Operation Hours:
Daily, 9 am-11 pm.