At Cool Savannah Tours and Gifts, we’d originally thought of creating a top five list . . . that turned into a top ten list . . . that turned into the top 15 things to do in Savannah GA. Here are the top 15 things to do in Savannah GA in 2017!

1. Visit Historic Savannah Squares
2. Enjoy Delicious Ice Cream at Leopold’s
3. Celebrate with First Friday Fireworks
4. Remember the Past: Alcohol and Prohibition Museum
5. Shop at Paris Market & Brocante
6. Up-Close and Personal Aquarium
7. Visit Tybee Island
8. Enjoy a Rousing Good Lunch at the Pirates House
9. Tour Iconic Symbol of Historic Savannah: Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
10. Head out for an Incredible Evening: Savannah’s Best Tales and Spirits
11. Yesteryear of Cotton: the Savannah Cotton Exchange
12. Natural Cathedral of Bonaventure Cemetery
13. Historic Savannah’s Unique History of Drinks and Revelry
14. More of Historic Savannah’s Unique History: Vic’s on the River
15. Flexibility Squared: Hop on / Hop off Trolley Tour

Things to do in Savannah GA Full List

#1 Visit Historic Savannah Squares

The city of Savannah is a planned city, known as the first one of its kind in the United States. Originally, there were 24 squares and, even after two were lost as the city was developed, there are still 22 of them to explore. When you visit them, you’ll discover how they’re surrounded by historic homes, churches, museums and more, along with massive live oak trees. You can find more information about each of the surviving squares at Savannah.com.

To supercharge that experience, sign up for a history and architecture tour of Savannah led by an accredited architect. Virtually every kind of architecture can be found in historic Savannah and Ed’s expert knowledge will bring Savannah’s history to life.

#2 Enjoy Delicious Ice Cream at Leopold’s

It’s ice cream season in Savannah year-round, and Leopold’s has been offering refreshing ice cream here for nearly a century. People keep coming back to Leopold’s because their award-winning ice cream is as good today as it was when the restaurant began in 1919. Leopolds is definitely one of the top things to do in Savannah GA!  You can enjoy classic flavors every month of the year or choose a seasonal treat. Here is what is available for each of the three summer months:

June:

Blueberry Cheesecake
Dutch Utopia
Savannah Socialite
Mint Lime Sorbet
Strawberry Sorbet

July:

Firecracker
Spicy Mocha featuring The Salt Table’s Habanero Sugar
Peach
Lemon Sorbet
Passion Fruit Sorbet

August:

Birthday Cake
Blueberry Cheesecake
Mint Lime Sorbet
Strawberry Sorbet

Here is their 95th anniversary celebration:

#3: Celebrate with First Friday Fireworks

On the first Friday of every month – except for January and February – you can enjoy a free fireworks show put on by Wet Willie’s Savannah. The fireworks show takes place at the Rousakis Riverfront Plaza located at 115 East River Street, starting at 9:30 p.m. Important note: July fireworks shows are always scheduled for July 4^th – a Tuesday in 2017 – and, in December, on New Year’s Eve. You can find more information here.

#4 Remember the Past: Alcohol and Prohibition Museum

Step back in time to view numerous exhibits associated with the history of alcohol consumption in the United States – and then whisper the secret password to enjoy a cocktail, 1920s-style, at the Happy Days celebration saloon. Exhibits focus on the anti-alcohol temperance movement, plus Carry Nation, one of the movement’s fiercest advocates; the smuggling Southern run runners; moonshine makers; the flapper craze; crime and gangsters; the Model T; and speakeasies.

The museum is located at 209 W. St. Julian Street, a place that’s “bound to raise your spirits.”

#5: Shop at Paris Market & Brocante

Southern Living named The Paris Market as a “Best Shop 2017.” This shopping marvel is a tribute to the “storied flea markets of France” and is “Part gift shop, part decorating paradise, and part designer hangout,” a blend of “the brand-new and the vintage in an assortment of antiques and one-of-a-kind treasures that’s both worldly and classically Southern.”

Sound tempting? That doesn’t include the conversation-starting window displays or their coffee and tea shop that features “French press coffee, award-winning lattes, flavored seltzers, and incredible lavender iced tea as well as seasonal favorites like frozen hot chocolate topped with light pink whipped cream.”

#6: Up-Close and Personal Aquarium

Skidaway Island is part of Savannah – and is home to the UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium, Georgia’s first saltwater aquarium. Species of marine life are typically caught by staff and brought to 16 exhibit tanks to show visitors Georgia’s wide variety of marine creatures. This includes a “public touch tank” where you can get “up close and personal” with snails, crabs and other marine invertebrates.

The center also includes:
• educational exhibits
• an auditorium
• two teaching laboratories
• an art lab
• a computer lab
• a dormitory (for out-of-town groups)
• a dining room (for out-of-town groups)
• outside picnic tables along the river
• a boardwalk over the salt marsh

The UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium is located at 30 Ocean Science Circle.

#7: While in the Island State of Mind . . .

Also take advantage of the Tybee Island Marine Science Center Walks, Talks & Treks, located on another nearby island. These walks last an hour and are family friendly, appropriate for all ages. There are numerous walks available, overall, including:

• Beach Walk: North
• Beach Walk: South
• Coastal Georgia Gallery
• Jelly Jive
• Marsh Trek
• Sift & Seine
• Shark Jaw
• Turtle Talk
• Whale Tale

You can visit the site to get descriptions of each walk and it’s recommended that you check availability of each walk and reserve your space (912-786-5917) because “tides, staffing, and weather can impact programming.” You can also request a program and, if an educator is available, staff will arrange for that walk.

Here’s a glimpse of the “eclectic place” of Tybee Island:

#8: Enjoy a Rousing Good Lunch at the Pirates House

Located at 20 E. Broad Street, just one block from the Savannah River, the Pirate’s House has been a beacon of welcome to visitors to historic Savannah since 1753. The Pirate’s House “first opened as an inn for seafarers, and fast became a rendezvous for blood-thirsty pirates and sailors from the Seven Seas. Here seamen drank their grog and discoursed, sailor fashion, on their exotic high seas adventures from Singapore to Bombay and from London to Port Said.”

The restaurant consists of 15 different dining rooms. Cuisine is southern, significantly but not exclusively consisting of seafood, and attire is casual. Come as you are!

Here is one of the 800+ reviews of the restaurant found at Yelp.com:

The Pirate House was great! The individual dining rooms were so cool – we ate in “The Oldest House in Georgia”! The Crabcake sandwich was one of the best meals I had in Savannah. The service was great, food was served quick and delicious, and make sure you ask for a tour! Our pirate showed us the tunnel, the optical illusion staircase and other cool parts! He really knew his pirate history. Super cool restaurant, a cool gift shop upstairs, and the bar had all kinds of pirate themed cocktails – some served in a skull grog! That’s what I’m talking about. Thank you, Savannah!

And, of course, any building that’s been part of historic Savannah for hundreds of years must be haunted, right?

#9: Tour Iconic Symbol of Historic Savannah: Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

“The Cathedral represents historically noteworthy architecture as well as over a century of faith and civic traditions in Savannah.”

This stunningly majestic church located at 222 East Harris Street is known as the Sistine of the South, its steeples seeming to reach the sky.

The church is available for self-guided tours. Times are typically on Monday through Sunday from 9:00-11:45 a.m. and then from 12:45-5:00 p.m., but it is recommended that you check the church calendar for exceptions to the rule before planning your visit, such as weddings and funerals; the church is also closed for tours on most holy days. If you’d like a guided tour, you can request one.

Below the image is a video that describes what it’s like to visit this cathedral for the first time:

The church was originally dedicated on April 30, 1876, but was largely destroyed in a February 1898 fire; a headline in a newspaper read: The Magnificent Cathedral of St. I John, the Baptist, Lies a Mass of Ruins. Rebuilt quickly, it was opened again in 1900.

Here, you can get a glimpse of the magnificent murals inside the church:

#10: Head out for an Incredible Evening: Savannah’s Best Tales and Spirits

After a wonderful day touring the sites of Savannah, end it with an amazing haunted pub tour where you’ll hear fascinating stories of the ghosts, pirates and more that are part of historic Savannah’s 300 years of history. Your engaging guide will take you to at least three of our city’s most haunted pubs, where you can choose to order drinks at your own expense and discretion. This tour is for adults aged 21 and older (no exceptions!).

Advanced reservations are required, so we suggest that you book your haunted pub tour at Cool Savannah online at least 24 hours ahead of time. You can also call us at (912) 231-3571 or just stop by 42 E. Bay St to make your reservations. Same day reservations may be available, but it’s always best to plan ahead. On the day of your tour, be sure to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the tour and give yourself some extra time to check out the unique items in our store.

#11 Yesteryear of Cotton: the Savannah Cotton Exchange

If you’re in town on the first Saturday of the month – any month – and you are looking for things to do in Savannah GA, then be sure to tour the Savannah Cotton Exchange. Located at 100 East Bay Street, right by Cool Savannah, this building takes you back to days when cotton was king. The original structure was built in 1872, when Georgia was the leading cotton producer in the United States ($40 million annual revenues!). In the 1880s, this area was known as the Wall Street of the South because of this incredible commerce in cotton.

The current Savannah Cotton Exchange building was designed by William G. Preston and built in 1886. The outside is red brick, designed in the Romantic Revival style, with a terra cotta façade. The elaborate iron fence contains medallions featuring statesmen and authors, and contains within it a landscaped fountain and statue of a gryphon. The Cotton Exchange was opened for tours only a few short years ago – after nearly 40 years without such public access.

The Solomon Lodge operates inside of this building.

#12 Natural Cathedral of Bonaventure Cemetery

Located three miles from the heart of historic Savannah along the Wilmington River, this is one of the world’s most beautiful cemeteries. Live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss and the blooming of azaleas and camellias, plus the wildlife, make it a place of natural splendor, its winding paths reminiscent of a Victorian garden.

This land is also rich in history, an overview of which can be seen here:

As a brief historical overview, this land was once part of an enormous plantation, owned by families that were loyal to the British crown. When the Revolutionary War began going the way of the colonies, loyalists – including the owners of land that is now Bonaventure Cemetery – found themselves stripped of their property.

In more modern times, this cemetery became especially well known after the bestselling book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, was published in 1994 – with the Bird Girl statue in the cemetery featured on the cover. In 1997, Clint Eastwood directed the film adaption, which starred Kevin Spacey and John Cusack. In 2014, the Bird Girl statue was moved to the Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center for the Arts on West York Street.

There is far more to say about Bonaventure Cemetery than we can include here. So, please watch for an upcoming blog post about the cemeteries of historic Savannah.

#13 Historic Savannah’s Unique History of Drinks and Revelry

Tours of the Ghost Coast Distillery are currently available five days a week where you can discover how people have enjoyed drink and revelry in Savannah (find days and times of tours). These tours can be free (with no spirits tasting) or $12.50 for a tour with a tasting. Or, you can do a tour/tasting/souvenir bottle package for $32.00 per person. Tours are available for people aged 21 and up (ID required) and children accompanied by a parent or legal guardian; children do not need to pay when accompanied by a paying adult.

You can go back in time, hearing about when liquor and lawyers alike were banned from historic Savannah. General James Oglethorpe banned alcohol in 1734 and this was in effect for 21 years. When that prohibition was lifted, spirits began flowing in the parks and streets, and hasn’t stopped since. Now, in 2017, the city has its first legal distillery in nearly a century.

Ghost Coast Distillery offers a smooth triple-distilled Vodka 261, made of corn and wheat. Another option is the orange-flavored version. Why orange? Well, nearly 300 years ago, city leaders decided to grow mildly sweet, delicately tart oranges and the enticing scent filled the air. Just take a look at these cocktails!

The distillery is located at 641 Indian Street.

#14 More of Historic Savannah’s Unique History: Vic’s on the River

Enjoy a delicious lunch or dinner in an historic building. Built in 1858 by a famous New York architect, John Norris, this building originally belonged to John Stoddard and served as a warehouse; lower floors were called John Stoddard’s Lower Range, the upper as John Stoddard’s Upper Range. Later, it housed the Steven Shipping Company.

During the Civil War, some of General William Tecumseh Sherman’s lesser-ranked officers resided in this building and made plans here. The main dining rooms features a relic from this era: a map hand-drawn by Northern soldiers that shows the march from Tennessee to – and then through – Georgia. As the building was being renovated in 1901, workers were removing the old finish from the walls and noticed lines that had been drawn, long ago. It was this map. A small portion of this map could be saved, while the rest needed covered.  When looking at things to do in Savannah GA, look no further than Vic’s for superb food and drinks!

Browse this menu of contemporary Southern cuisine and check out the wine list, and also check out Zagat reviews of the restaurant. Dishes of note include (but are not limited to!) shrimp & grits, award winning crawfish beignets and fried green tomatoes. When you go there to eat (26 East Bay Street), tell them that Cool Savannah Tours & Gifts sent you!

#15 Flexibility Squared: Hop on / Hop off Trolley Tour

At Cool Savannah, we partner with the very best so we can provide a top-shelf experience to all of our guests. If you’d like a trolley tour of Savannah (and we highly recommend it!), know that we partner with Old Town Trolley Tours. This company is superb, the only tour company endorsed by the Savannah Historic Foundation, which has a mission to “preserve and protect Savannah’s heritage through advocacy, education, and community involvement.  One of the top things to do in Savannah GA!

In fact, four different historic Savannah trolley tours are available:

Hop On Hop Off Savannah Trolley Tour

90-minute Savannah Trolley Tour

Haunted Savannah: Ghosts and Graveyards

If you have questions about our trolley tours of Savannah, contact us online, or call (912) 231-3571 or email [email protected] today. You can find more things to do in Savannah here and here. Oh, and one more thing! Check out the benefits and value of our combo sightseeing tours of Savannah!

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Author/Scriptwriter Rick Garman will offer a signed copy of his new buzz-worthy novel INTERITAS Volume 1: Beginning of Sorrows at Cool Savannah Tours & Gifts

Interitas Volume One by Rick Garman

Fourteen-year-old Caden Roth knows Savannah. Its grand history dating back to 1733 as the first planned city in the new colony of Georgia, the last of the original 13 colonies that formed the nascent United States of America. Its distinction as Georgia’s first colonial capital and its first state capital. She appreciates the way the city’s leadership through the centuries wisely maintained so much of Savannah’s historical infrastructure and ambiance – the cobblestone streets and walkways in parts of the city; the open plaza on River Street down on the southern bank of the Savannah River; the row of former cotton factories and other workaday businesses rising three floors up above it known as Factor’s Walk, carefully converted over time into shops, tour stops, restaurants, bars, inns and the like. The stately 18th and 19th century homes and other buildings dotting the downtown Landmark Historic District, sporting a variety of ornate architectural styles.

But it was the 22 park-like squares that remained of Savannah’s original 24 that most enthralled Caden. Each was graced with the city’s iconic ancient live oak trees, draped in Spanish moss, adorned by Mother Nature during much of the year with various colorful flowers and flowering bushes. Most also contained handsome statuary.

Indeed, Caden was lucky enough to live beside one of Savannah’s squares – Troup Square – in a renovated 19th century home. An armillary sat in the center of the square supported by six turtles atop a marble base, the whole of it surrounded by concentric circles of stone and brick. The open-globe metal structure modeled the celestial spheres. Its center was pierced by a lance and several metallic rings encircled the globe, one with gleaming golden three-dimensional zodiac symbols. Another had etched-in Roman numerals. In ancient Greece, armillary spheres were used to track celestial orbits and to mark solstices and equinoxes. This one served also as a sundial. The armillary was one of Caden’s favorite things in Savannah.

Yes, Caden knew Savannah…until the fateful day she realized she didn’t know Savannah at all! The day she met her guardian angel Grey and realized that Savannah was infused by a spirit world known as Interitas, where angels and demons do battle and she – and her beloved Troup Square armillary – play key roles.

                                                                                                                             Wayne Waters

Caden Roth’s creator, Rick Garmen, is the author of “INTERITAS Volume 1: The Beginning of Sorrows,” the new novel that features the young Savannah heroine. Rick will be signing copies of the book at Cool Savannah Tours & Gifts on Friday, February 23 from 5 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. and donating the proceeds to the important work of the Historic Savannah Foundation. For a suggested $20 donation, visitors will receive a signed copy of the book.

About T. Wayne Waters

Wayne is a downtown Savannah resident who has been an independent journalist for more than a decade, a WRUU 107.5 radio show host and producer, and also regularly mans the shop at Cool Savannah Tours & Gifts.

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It is with very mixed emotions that Mike and I are announcing that we have decided to sell Cool Savannah Tours & Gifts. We cherish the relationships we have formed both professionally and personally while ‘at the helm’ of our little slice of heaven down on Bay St. With the birth of our grandson in Boston and a recent health scare (everyone is ok!), we have decided to scale back on our activities. Along with our daughter, Tracy, we will remain operating Cool Savannah Photography. We will also take some time to focus on our candle and scented product line. And, while Winston is disappointed that he will not be hanging out daily at the store, we have created a Facebook page for him so he can keep in touch with everyone! He is ‘Winston of Savannah’ on facebook.  Please look him up and ‘like’ his page. We proudly continue to call Savannah our home and will remain active in both the business and social communities.

From the very bottom of our hearts, we wish to thank each and every one of you for welcoming us, supporting us and becoming like family to us. Please continue to stay in touch. This is not the end of our book, but simply the beginning of a new chapter.

Please join us in welcoming Jeff Mitchell as the new owner of Cool Savannah Tours & Gifts. Jeff is 25 yrs old, has  an adorable 4 yr old son, Jase. Born and raised in  the Savannah, Ga area. Jeff recently transitioned out of the Army where he served 7 years in Special Operations.  In 2013 he was the Soldier of the Year for all of Special Operations. He is 6th Generation military so it was a big deal to be serving, but due to an injury sustained overseas, he is medically retired and now on to a new path in life. They love animals! His son is just recently single due to his girlfriend at daycare moving away. He enjoys watching his favorite cartoons and being outdoors with Dad. Jeff is very excited about purchasing Cool Savannah and cannot wait to build new relationships! He is an ‘open door policy’ type of person and always willing to help others. Jeff and Jase are excited about this AWESOME journey and are looking forward to doing business with you all! 

Mike and I will remain at Cool Savannah Tours & Gifts for the next several weeks as we assist with a smooth transition to the new ownership. If you get a chance to stop by, we’d love to see you and I’m sure Jeff would love to meet you! Thank you again for your support.

Sincerely,

Brenda, Mike, Tracy & Winston

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Ryan Dunn

Ryan is the author of “Savannah’s Afterlife: True Tales of a Paranormal Investigator,” which is a book that features historical and paranormal research findings at some of Savannah’s most haunted locations. Ryan and his wife Kim own and operate Afterlife Tours, a ghost tour that features real paranormal evidence captured by their research team, the Savannah Ghost Research Society. Ryan and his team have been featured on A&E’s My Ghost Story: Caught on Camera, Destination America’s Paranormal Lockdown, SyFy Channel’s Paranormal Witness, and most recently Travel Channel’s Haunted USA. Ryan and his team at the Savannah Ghost Research Society are the ones who conducted the investigation at Cool Savannah Tours & Gifts and discovered our very own inhabitants from the spiritual world!

Michael Karpovage

Michael has worked in the graphic design and marketing field for over twenty years as an award-winning art director and map illustrator. He has created a broad range of commissioned 2D and 3D maps. The Savannah Historic District Illustrated Map (2012) was his first birds-eye-view pictorial map available to the public. In 2015, he released a companion title, the Haunted Savannah Illustrated Map, to capture tales of the dead in America’s Most Haunted City. 2016 saw the release of the Bonaventure Cemetery Illustrated Map. Michael is also a published novelist; Crown of Serpents (2009) followed by Map of Thieves (2014). Michael is a native of western New York and a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology. He lives in Roswell, GA.

Brandon McLeod Humphrey

Brandon is the author of “Spirits,” a fictional book about horrifying encounters by a ghost hunting team that decides to take one case that pushes them too far. Brandon, along with his wife Christy, own and operate Voodoo Blue Paranormal, a ghost research team that travels throughout the United States investigating haunted asylums, abandoned prisons, and many other locations. The two recently moved to the Savannah area from Minnesota as they continue to follow their passion for all things haunted.

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The majority of our walking tours focus on the ghostly legends of historic Savannah.  Our first tour of the evening is our Haunted Savannah Pub Tour, starts at 7:15 pm daily.

The first stop is the Moon River Brewing Company, the oldest brewpub in Savannah (since 1996).  Moon River originally opened in 1821 as the City Hotel and had many famous visitors over the years.  Among the most notable visitors to the old City Hotel were folks that include Winfield Scott, the Marquis de Lafayette, three commodores of the U.S. Navy, and naturalist James Audubon who resided six months in the hotel. There are also other visitors who may choose to sit with you, which may be a soldier or two. That is, Confederate soldiers who never left before Sherman arrived with his Northern soldiers on the March to Sea.   Today, Moon River is considered the most haunted brew pub in Savannah.  Cool Savannah Tours is glad to be among the few tour companies with access to restricted areas of Moon River.

Among the final stops is 17hundred90 Inn and Restaurant located on President Street in haunted Savannah.   The restaurant and Inn are housed in what were originally three separate residences.  The western part of the building was built as a duplex between 1821 and 1823 by Steel White; the smaller eastern section was built by the Powers family in 1888.  The ground level with its slate floor and soft brick walls are thought to date from a previous structure possibly destroyed in the great Savannah fire of 1820.   Original wood shingles are visible in the attic and wooden pegs and wedges holding beams in place can be found throughout the building.

The Inn also has 14 comfortable rooms, each with king or queen sized bed, private bath, a growing collection of antiques and ghosts waiting to tuck you in at night.  The ghost of Anne awaits visitors to the 17Hundred90 Inn.  She is just one of the two famous ghosts which seem to haunt this site.   If you f you’re feeling adventurous stay in Room 204, the room where Anne’s ghost has been seen the most. 

Join our Haunted Savannah Pub Tour to learn more about the these and more ghostly legends.  

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“They have killed me, boys, but never give up the field.” (New Georgia Encyclopedia)

This quote may be Francis Stebbins Bartow’s most famous statement, one he allegedly made after being fatally wounded in the Civil War. But, who really was Bartow?

Well, he was born in Savannah on September 6, 1816 to Frances Lloyd Stebbins and Theodosius Bartow, and graduated from Franklin College (now known as the University of Georgia). He left the state to study at Yale University Law School and then learned the practical side of his profession in Savannah, working under John Macpherson Berrien, who served in the United States Senate and as an attorney general.

In 1837, Bartow officially began practicing law and he quickly became a well-known attorney. With his increased success and wealth came an increased number of slaves owned; by 1860, he had 89. Most of them worked on his plantation along the Savannah River, and he became one of Georgia’s largest slaveholders.

His professional success came, in part, because of his marriage to Berrien’s daughter, Louisa. He and his father-in-law both belonged to the Whig Party, although Bartow also formed relationships with well-known Democrats. During the 1840s, Bartow was elected twice to the Georgia House of Representatives. Then, in the following decade, he served a term in the state senate. In 1857, he unsuccessfully ran for Congress.

But, what about his military career? That began in 1856, when he was chosen as the captain of the Oglethorpe Light Infantry, an elite fighting unit. This unit became well known for its taking of Fort Pulaski in January 1861.

Advocate for Secession

Bartow was also chosen to represent the state at a secession convention. As a believer in immediate secession from the United States, he passionately made the case for Georgia to secede, and that’s exactly what happened in January 1861. He was then chosen to serve in the Provisional Confederate Congress, where he chaired the military affairs committee. It is believed that he “selected gray as the color for the Confederate uniforms.” Bartow was not in favor of electing Jefferson Davis as the president of the Confederacy, preferring Howell Cobb. When that didn’t happen, he left the convention.

He became involved in more controversy when, after the Civil War began, he led the Oglethorpe Light Infantry to Virginia, armed with muskets that Georgia’s governor claimed were intended for state defense only. The governor insisted that he return the weapons, and Bartow refused. He ended one letter with this phrase: “I go to illustrate, if I can, my native State.”

In Virginia, Bartow officially served as a colonel and, in July, he commanded a brigade in the First Battle of Manassas. His brigade participated in skirmishes until July 20. His unit was originally supposed to be held in reserve, but was then moved to support General James Longstreet. On July 21, he grabbed the regimental colors to lead a charge, but was shot through the heart. His body was returned to Savannah and he is buried in Laurel Grove Cemetery. Bartow was the first high-ranking Georgian to die in the Civil War, with this distinction causing a town and county to be named after him.

Because he was leading a brigade when he died, he would have been promoted to brigadier general, but no actual record of this promotion can be located. So, “General” Francis Bartow actually died as a colonel. You can find more information about Bartow and his final battle at AboutNorthGeorgia.com, and more about Bartow’s final resting place in our blog post on historic Savannah cemeteries.

Savannah Sightseeing Tours

If you’re fascinated by Savannah history, including its cemeteries, we encourage you to sign up for one – or both – of these tours:

• History and architecture tour of Savannah
• Ghost and graveyards tour of haunted Savannah

If you have questions about our tours, contact us online.

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In 2012, a document containing the signature of Button Gwinnett was estimated to be worth $700,000-$800,000 – and so this is a reasonable question to ask: Who is Button Gwinnett and why is his signature so valuable? Well, the short answer is that he was one of only three men from Georgia who signed the Declaration of Independence. Here’s more a detailed answer.

Gwinnett was born in Gloucestershire, England in April 1735 to the Reverend Samuel Gwinnett and his wife, Anne. Gwinnett married Ann Bourne in 1757, and the couple had three daughters: Amelia, Ann and Elizabeth Ann. He arrived in Savannah in 1765, where he tried being a merchant. That failed. So, he bought St. Catherine’s Island and became a planter. Just four short years later, he was elected to the Commons House of Assembly – but, four more years later, he was in financial trouble. He responded by selling most of what he owned and leaving the world of politics.

That changed when tensions reached a peak with the British royalty. Gwinnett used his passion for Whig politics to unite people from the coast and rural areas into a coalition. His popularity with this group of men caused him to be chosen as the commander of the Continental Battalion of Georgia in the early part of 1776. This was a controversial choice and, rather than that actually happening, he instead became an appointee to the Continental Congress. He traveled to Philadelphia for that purpose, but left behind a bitter enemy in Lachlan McIntosh, who ended up commanding the battalion that originally selected Gwinnett as their leader.

In Philadelphia, Gwinnett advocated for complete separation from England, signing the Declaration of Independence in August, along with George Walton and Lyman Hall, also of Georgia. He was then named the speaker of Georgia’s Provincial Congress and played an important part in the passage of the Constitution of 1777.

Conflict erupted, though, when Gwinnett began to use his influence to remove military officers that he felt weren’t enthusiastic enough about the Whig cause. Lachlan McIntosh didn’t agree and an already poor relationship worsened.

Gwinnett was named as the replacement for the position of Georgia’s president and commander-in-chief in February 1777, and he wanted to secure part of Georgia’s border by taking the military into British East Florida. Who disagreed? McIntosh, along with his brother George, who had been arrested for treason when he disagreed about Gwinnett becoming president of Georgia. Gwinnett nevertheless moved forward – and the military expedition failed.

McIntosh was vocal in his criticism of Gwinnett, and Gwinnett challenged him to a dual. Each man successfully shot his opponent, but McIntosh survived. Gwinnett did not. He died on May 19, 1777 and is buried in Colonial Park Cemetery. You can find more information in our blog about Colonial Park and other historic Savannah cemeteries.

Most Valuable Signature

Fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence, so why is Gwinnett’s signature so valuable? In part, it’s become some of the signers were well-known statesmen who regularly signed documents, whereas Gwinnett was not as prolific. Very few of his signatures therefore exist, pre-1776, according to HistoryBuff.com. And, because Gwinnett died in 1777, he “went from relative obscurity to signing the Declaration of Independence to death in about a year.”

Starting in the 1820s, people began wanting to gather together signatures of all Declaration of Independence signers, and that’s when Gwinnett’s began going up in value. Fifty-one known examples of his signatures exist today, with about one fifth of them in private collections.

For context: his signature is considered more valuable than George Washington’s, Ben Franklin’s and Abraham Lincoln’s. In 2014, the last known sale of one of his signatures took place, and the price was $722,500.

Savannah Sightseeing Tours

If this subject intrigues you, here are two sightseeing tours that will be of interest:

• History and architecture tour of Savannah
• Ghost and graveyards tour of haunted Savannah

If you have questions about our tours, contact us online. You can sign up for our e-newsletter at the same link. Hope to see you in historic Savannah!

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Colonial Park Cemetery

This cemetery was founded in 1750 by the Christ Church Parish at the intersection of Abercorn Street and Oglethorpe Street. Visitors are greeted by a large stone Roman arch, topped with a bald eagle, and more than 10,000 people are buried within its grounds. In 1789, people of all faiths could begin being buried there, and this is where Button Gwinnett was laid to rest.

He was one of three signers of the Declaration of Independence from Georgia, serving in the state’s colonial legislature as well as the Second Continental Congress. He also was the president of the Revolutionary Council of Safety in Georgia. His signature is one of the most valuable of the Declaration of Independence signers, with a document featuring his signature valued at $700,000-$800,000 in 2012. He died after fighting a duel with Continental Army Commander Lachlan Macintosh. It wasn’t especially unusual, by the way, for duels to be fought within the actual cemetery grounds, with this occurring reasonably regularly from 1740 through 1877.

In 1820, the number of filled graves increased significantly as the city was plagued with a deadly eruption of yellow fever. Nearly 700 people in Savannah died from this epidemic. By the time the Civil War began, this cemetery was already full, and residents were being buried in the Laurel Grove Cemetery, North and South. When General William Tecumseh Sherman marched through Georgia, his army used Colonial Park Cemetery as his temporary camp.

It was said that bored Union soldiers were changing the dates on tombstones, making some people more than 1,000 years old. These scratched out (and then scratched in) dates can still be seen on some of them. The cemetery became a city park in 1896.

Bonaventure Cemetery

The word “bonaventure” means “good fortune,” making it an unusual name of a cemetery – and that’s because it started out as a plantation owned by John Mullryne and Josiah Tattnall. Located three miles from Savannah, the property winds along the Wilmington River. Because of the property’s location, and the profusion of colorful azaleas and camellias, stately magnolias, live oaks, Spanish moss and dogwood, they named their 9,920 acres of land “Bonaventure.”

After the Revolutionary War began a few years later, the owners of the property quickly became labeled as traitors because they supported the British royalty – and then they were banished from the colonies. This property served as the site of a hospital for a few years; in 1788, the property was sold back to the Tattnall family. In 1846, property was sold to Peter Wiltberger on the condition that the family cemetery located on the grounds continue to be maintained. In 1847, the new owner bought 70 more acres and officially established the Evergreen Cemetery of Bonaventure. The city purchased the cemetery in 1982.

People who visit the cemetery today will see a tranquil space set up much like a Victorian garden with winding paths. Numerous Civil War generals are buried there, along with two Savannah founders: Edward Telfair and Noble Wimberly Jones.

Fans of the bestselling book, After Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, will be interested to know that the Bird Girl statue on the book’s cover was originally from this cemetery. This book was released in 1994, with the Kevin Spacey and John Cusack movie – directed by Clint Eastwood – debuting in 1997. In 2014, the Bird Girl statue was moved to the Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center for the Arts on West York Street. A gravestone that remains there and is often photographed is in the shape of a piano. You can find significantly more information about the Bonaventure Cemetery in this helpful map and guide of the cemetery.

Laurel Grove Cemetery

By the time Laurel Grove Cemetery was founded, other Savannah cemeteries had been filled to the brim, including Colonial Park Cemetery. So, the city purchased part of the Springfield Plantation from the Stiles family to create the Laurel Grove Cemetery, and it became the most used one throughout the 19^th century.

This cemetery was first used in 1850 in the North section, a beautiful final resting place intended only for citizens. Three years later, a cemetery (the South section) was opened for “free persons of color and slaves.” Hundreds of bodies were exhumed from what had been called the Old Negro Cemetery, moving them to this new portion of Laurel Grove. They included Reverend Andrew Bryan, a man born in 1737 as a slave. When his master died, he was left 95 pounds of sterling silver and he used 50 of them to buy his freedom. He founded the First African Baptist Church, a church that had 69 members in 1788 and about 700 in 1800. He lived a long life, dying in 1812.

Another person whose remains were transferred was Reverend Henry Cunningham. It is believed that the largest numbers of free persons of color have been buried in this cemetery when considering all cemeteries in the American Southeast.

When the Civil War hit, the plots in the North section filled up far too quickly, with about 1,500 Confederate soldiers now resting in the section devoted to deceased veterans of the era. These include eight generals, including Francis Bartow (pictured to the left) and Gilbert M. Sorrel. Other people buried in this cemetery include a US Supreme Court Associate Justice; Juliet Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts; the composer of Jingle Bells, James Pierpont; and more. By the time the 20^th century arrived, this cemetery was full.

Historic Savannah Sightseeing Tours

There is so much to see and do in Savannah. When you book a spot on the 90-minute trolley tour of Savannah, one of the many sightseeing spots includes the Colonial Park Cemetery.

The post Historic Savannah Cemeteries: Rich in History and Natural Splendor appeared first on Cool Savannah Tours & Gifts.

Yesteryear of Cotton: the Savannah Cotton Exchange

If you’re in town on the first Saturday of the month – any month – then be sure to tour the Savannah Cotton Exchange. Located at 100 East Bay Street, right by Cool Savannah, this building takes you back to days when cotton was king. The original structure was built in 1872, when Georgia was the leading cotton producer in the United States ($40 million annual revenues!). In the 1880s, this area was known as the Wall Street of the South because of this incredible commerce in cotton.

The current Savannah Cotton Exchange building was designed by William G. Preston and built in 1886. The outside is red brick, designed in the Romantic Revival style, with a terra cotta façade. The elaborate iron fence contains medallions featuring statesmen and authors, and contains within it a landscaped fountain and statue of a gryphon. The Cotton Exchange was opened for tours only a few short years ago – after nearly 40 years without such public access.

The Solomon Lodge operates inside of this building.

Natural Cathedral of Bonaventure Cemetery

Located three miles from the heart of historic Savannah along the Wilmington River, this is one of the world’s most beautiful cemeteries. Live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss and the blooming of azaleas and camellias, plus the wildlife, make it a place of natural splendor, its winding paths reminiscent of a Victorian garden.

This land is also rich in history, an overview of which can be seen here:

As a brief historical overview, this land was once part of an enormous plantation, owned by families that were loyal to the British crown. When the Revolutionary War began going the way of the colonies, loyalists – including the owners of land that is now Bonaventure Cemetery – found themselves stripped of their property.

In more modern times, this cemetery became especially well known after the bestselling book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, was published in 1994 – with the Bird Girl statue in the cemetery featured on the cover. In 1997, Clint Eastwood directed the film adaption, which starred Kevin Spacey and John Cusack. In 2014, the Bird Girl statue was moved to the Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center for the Arts on West York Street.

There is far more to say about Bonaventure Cemetery than we can include here. So, please watch for an upcoming blog post about the cemeteries of historic Savannah – and consider purchasing this helpful map and guide of the cemetery.

Historic Savannah’s Unique History of Drinks and Revelry

Tours of the Ghost Coast Distillery are currently available five days a week where you can discover how people have enjoyed drink and revelry in Savannah (find days and times of tours). These tours can be free (with no spirits tasting) or $12.50 for a tour with a tasting. Or, you can do a tour/tasting/souvenir bottle package for $32.00 per person. Tours are available for people aged 21 and up (ID required) and children accompanied by a parent or legal guardian; children do not need to pay when accompanied by a paying adult.

You can go back in time, hearing about when liquor and lawyers alike were banned from historic Savannah. General James Oglethorpe banned alcohol in 1734 and this was in effect for 21 years. When that prohibition was lifted, spirits began flowing in the parks and streets, and hasn’t stopped since. Now, in 2017, the city has its first legal distillery in nearly a century.

Ghost Coast Distillery offers a smooth triple-distilled Vodka 261, made of corn and wheat. Another option is the orange-flavored version. Why orange? Well, nearly 300 years ago, city leaders decided to grow mildly sweet, delicately tart oranges and the enticing scent filled the air. Just take a look at these cocktails!

The distillery is located at 641 Indian Street.

More of Historic Savannah’s Unique History: Vic’s on the River

Enjoy a delicious lunch or dinner in an historic building. Built in 1858 by a famous New York architect, John Norris, this building originally belonged to John Stoddard and served as a warehouse; lower floors were called John Stoddard’s Lower Range, the upper as John Stoddard’s Upper Range. Later, it housed the Steven Shipping Company.

During the Civil War, some of General William Tecumseh Sherman’s lesser-ranked officers resided in this building and made plans here. The main dining rooms features a relic from this era: a map hand-drawn by Northern soldiers that shows the march from Tennessee to – and then through – Georgia. As the building was being renovated in 1901, workers were removing the old finish from the walls and noticed lines that had been drawn, long ago. It was this map. A small portion of this map could be saved, while the rest needed covered.

Browse this menu of contemporary Southern cuisine and check out the wine list, and also check out Zagat reviews of the restaurant. Dishes of note include (but are not limited to!) shrimp & grits, award winning crawfish beignets and fried green tomatoes. When you go there to eat (26 East Bay Street), tell them that Cool Savannah Tours & Gifts sent you!

Flexibility Squared: Hop on / Hop off Trolley Tour

At Cool Savannah, we partner with the very best so we can provide a top-shelf experience to all of our guests. If you’d like a trolley tour of Savannah (and we highly recommend it!), know that we partner with Old Town Trolley Tours. This company is superb, the only tour company endorsed by the Savannah Historic Foundation, which has a mission to “preserve and protect Savannah’s heritage through advocacy, education, and community involvement.

In fact, four different historic Savannah trolley tours are available:

Hop On Hop Off Savannah Trolley Tour

90-minute Savannah Trolley Tour

Savannah Sightseeing Tour: Paula Deen

Haunted Savannah: Ghosts and Graveyards

If you have questions about our trolley tours of Savannah, contact us online, or call (912) 231-3571 or email [email protected] today. You can find more things to do in Savannah here and here. Oh, and one more thing! Check out the benefits and value of our combo sightseeing tours of Savannah!

The post Things to Do in Savannah: Top 15 Part 3 of 3 appeared first on Cool Savannah Tours & Gifts.

Top 15 Part 2/3

Welcome back to our series of must-see places to visit in historic Savannah! If you haven’t yet read our first post on the top 15 things to do in Savannah, you can read that here. And, here is part two, sharing five more engaging ways to visit our beautiful city.

#6: Up-Close and Personal Aquarium

Skidaway Island is part of Savannah – and is home to the UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium, Georgia’s first saltwater aquarium. Species of marine life are typically caught by staff and brought to 16 exhibit tanks to show visitors Georgia’s wide variety of marine creatures. This includes a “public touch tank” where you can get “up close and personal” with snails, crabs and other marine invertebrates.

The center also includes:
• educational exhibits
• an auditorium
• two teaching laboratories
• an art lab
• a computer lab
• a dormitory (for out-of-town groups)
• a dining room (for out-of-town groups)
• outside picnic tables along the river
• a boardwalk over the salt marsh

The UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium is located at 30 Ocean Science Circle.

#7: While in the Island State of Mind . . .

Also take advantage of the Tybee Island Marine Science Center Walks, Talks & Treks, located on another nearby island. These walks last an hour and are family friendly, appropriate for all ages. There are numerous walks available, overall, including:

• Beach Walk: North
• Beach Walk: South
• Coastal Georgia Gallery
• Jelly Jive
• Marsh Trek
• Sift & Seine
• Shark Jaw
• Turtle Talk
• Whale Tale

You can visit the site to get descriptions of each walk and it’s recommended that you check availability of each walk and reserve your space (912-786-5917) because “tides, staffing, and weather can impact programming.” You can also request a program and, if an educator is available, staff will arrange for that walk.

Here’s a glimpse of the “eclectic place” of Tybee Island:

#8: Enjoy a Rousing Good Lunch at the Pirates House

Located at 20 E. Broad Street, just one block from the Savannah River, the Pirate’s House has been a beacon of welcome to visitors to historic Savannah since 1753. The Pirate’s House “first opened as an inn for seafarers, and fast became a rendezvous for blood-thirsty pirates and sailors from the Seven Seas. Here seamen drank their grog and discoursed, sailor fashion, on their exotic high seas adventures from Singapore to Bombay and from London to Port Said.”

The restaurant consists of 15 different dining rooms. Cuisine is southern, significantly but not exclusively consisting of seafood, and attire is casual. Come as you are!

Here is one of the 800+ reviews of the restaurant found at Yelp.com:

The Pirate House was great! The individual dining rooms were so cool – we ate in “The Oldest House in Georgia”! The Crabcake sandwich was one of the best meals I had in Savannah. The service was great, food was served quick and delicious, and make sure you ask for a tour! Our pirate showed us the tunnel, the optical illusion staircase and other cool parts! He really knew his pirate history. Super cool restaurant, a cool gift shop upstairs, and the bar had all kinds of pirate themed cocktails – some served in a skull grog! That’s what I’m talking about. Thank you, Savannah!

And, of course, any building that’s been part of historic Savannah for hundreds of years must be haunted, right?

#9: Tour Iconic Symbol of Historic Savannah: Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

“The Cathedral represents historically noteworthy architecture as well as over a century of faith and civic traditions in Savannah.”

This stunningly majestic church located at 222 East Harris Street is known as the Sistine of the South, its steeples seeming to reach the sky.

The church is available for self-guided tours. Times are typically on Monday through Sunday from 9:00-11:45 a.m. and then from 12:45-5:00 p.m., but it is recommended that you check the church calendar for exceptions to the rule before planning your visit, such as weddings and funerals; the church is also closed for tours on most holy days. If you’d like a guided tour, you can request one.

Below the image is a video that describes what it’s like to visit this cathedral for the first time:

The church was originally dedicated on April 30, 1876, but was largely destroyed in a February 1898 fire; a headline in a newspaper read: The Magnificent Cathedral of St. I John, the Baptist, Lies a Mass of Ruins. Rebuilt quickly, it was opened again in 1900.

Here, you can get a glimpse of the magnificent murals inside the church:

#10: Head out for an Incredible Evening: Savannah’s Best Tales and Spirits

After a wonderful day touring the sites of Savannah, end it with an amazing haunted pub tour where you’ll hear fascinating stories of the ghosts, pirates and more that are part of historic Savannah’s 300 years of history. Your engaging guide will take you to at least three of our city’s most haunted pubs, where you can choose to order drinks at your own expense and discretion. This tour is for adults aged 21 and older (no exceptions!).

Advanced reservations are required, so we suggest that you book your haunted pub tour at Cool Savannah online at least 24 hours ahead of time. You can also call us at (912) 231-3571 or just stop by 42 E. Bay St to make your reservations. Same day reservations may be available, but it’s always best to plan ahead. On the day of your tour, be sure to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the tour and give yourself some extra time to check out the unique items in our store.

Watch for Even More Things to Do in Savannah

This is only part two of our three-part series on things to do in Savannah, so watch our blog for upcoming posts!

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