Savannah, Georgia is one of the most beloved cities in the U.S. and for a good reason. It is very much left in its natural state, with its gorgeous, tall oaks everywhere and full of rich history. It makes a great stop on any road trip, even if it is a quick one, but to visit it as a homeschooling family is a wonderful way to give your kids a great time that they will remember and cherish while giving them some great education at the same time. Let me share the top things to do in Savannah GA as a homeschool family.
Things to do in Savannah GA When Visiting as a Homeschooling Family
I am going to give you the top 5 must-see places to visit in Savannah as homeschoolers and hope you will find it to be helpful and enjoyable when you go.
Historic Downtown Savannah
The first place you have to go is the historic downtown area and famous River Street no things to do in Savannah GA list would be complete without it. My first piece of advice with this area is to get yourself a map of the streets and the squares. The city is laid out around these famous “squares.” It is not really huge, but it tends to look the same in some areas.
There are parking garages in more than one place that will help you park easily and without worry of having to feed a meter and one perk of parking in them besides keeping your car cool.
I highly suggest taking the trolley tours around downtown. You can get on and off all day after your tour but you can see downtown and you learn so much history! We would have missed so much if we hadn’t done the historic Savannah downtown trolley tour.
All over town you see beautiful sculptures, benches, ironwork and great historic buildings that are full of detail you just don’t see many places anymore. The combination of those things with the huge oaks make for one of the prettiest cities you’ll ever visit. There are lots of neat little shops, some novelty, some antiques, and some clothing ones too, and lots of places to eat. If you are there at night, there is lovely lighting all over the place.
River Street is to the furthest point out, right by the river (go figure…) and it is a really fun place to see. It does get crowded more at night and there are some bars there, so you may run into some rowdiness in the crowds if it is very late out. Otherwise, it is a long strip of shops and restaurants that range from the famous candy kitchens to unusual shops that aren’t so much in the normal chain-type stores, and there are a few of the more tourist feeling ones but not too many. The Savannah Bee Company is a favorite where you can sample some great honey and they actually have a video on honey and bees playing, so your kids can sit down and watch while you shop. You can also sample the famous Pralines at the candy kitchens too, and they are so yummy.
The view of the river and the bridge is beautiful as well. There is often live music to enjoy and the breeze is so nice.
Jepson Center for the Arts
The second place to visit is also located in the downtown area and is called the Jepson Center for the Arts. It is a museum that is near Telfair square and is one building in the Telfair museum group, but is the one with the most focus on things for your kids to see and do. It is the more modern of the buildings and the main one that houses exhibits that change periodically, so even if you have gone before, chances are, there’s new things to see. It is also free for the kids, which is a really great bonus.
You can read all about the museum and history, as well as see the exhibits and hours at: www.telfair.org/visitjepson
The building is awesome, mostly glass and high windows with a huge lobby.They house many great artworks and sculptures, including the famous Bird Girl statue of Savannah. Then there are many things for the kids to do, including some hands on activities like sculpture building, blocks and even a literal glass house they can walk through.
I would say it would take just a few hours of your day, so it is a good thing to pair up with the historic downtown area.
Tybee Island Beach
Third place to visit is Tybee Island Beach. This one might not make every ones things to do in Savannah GA list since it is not right in Savannah, but you do drive through the downtown to get to it and then you venture out a few miles before you reach it. There is a lighthouse there you can visit and the beach is really a beautiful one with great temperatures and lovely shells, so bring something to collect some in.
There is a huge boardwalk you can go out over the water in and periodically on the beach there are swings you can sit in and enjoy the view. The wind is normally fairly high and so are the waves, so if you are not used to that, just keep your kids aware or nearby you.
Georgia Railroad Museum
The fourth place to see for sure is the Georgia Railroad museum. It is located very near to the historic downtown and as you come in to town, it is likely you passed right by or very close to it. There is a great collection of trains and it has a working roundhouse where you can go up in several of the trains and the building, as well as take a ride on one, too. They take you out on to the property and tell you about the history there, and show you some of the other buildings and artifacts. They do have a really great gift shop and a couple of very cool restaurants, one is located inside a train car. It is a very impressive collection but it doesn’t have a stiff museum feel to it, it feels like you are welcome. It is great place for taking photos, too, as pretty much all of Savannah is.
Mighty 8th Air Force Museum
Last on the list is the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum, which is located about 15 miles from Savannah in Pooler, Georgia. There is a really deep history in Savannah for our military and this is the heart of it. It is right next to I-95 and when you drive past it, you will see a large airplane right by the road, so you may be familiar with it already.
The museum is extremely well done and has some awesome photography and information on Nazi Germany, which is good for our children to learn about, but there is nothing too graphic there either. There are tons of artifacts and some great small models they will enjoy too. The middle section of the museum houses several airplanes, a few interactive activities, and an art gallery, and then outside there is a huge memorial garden and chapel to remember those lost in the war. There is a great video experience that you should be sure to do that helps explain things more clearly about what it was like to be flying in the war.
It is a great learning experience and if you have kids that love aviation, they will really enjoy this place. There is a restaurant located inside the museum, as well as a very nice gift shop that has some awesome military items and some smaller, less expensive things too.
Overall, Savannah has much more to offer but for families trying to combine their learning with their vacation or trips they take, these places are a perfect solution and your whole family will enjoy each one of them.
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