19+ Things To Do in Savannah GA With Kids: Your Brilliant Guide to a Stress-Free Vacation

The historical city of Savannah, Georgia, is well known for its beauty, outdoor adventures, museums, tours, restaurants, shopping, arts and culture, and more. Although perfect for a romantic getaway, there are tons of things to do in Savannah GA with kids too!

We recently spent a weekend here with our kids, primarily in the Historic District, and it was so relaxing and STRESS-FREE! Here’s a look at our itinerary so you can have a blast too. (And learn from a few of our mistakes!)

FRIDAY IN SAVANNAH GA WITH KIDS

SAVANNAH CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

Start your day at the Savannah Children’s Museum! The Savannah Children’s Museum features over a dozen carefully-designed exhibits including an exploration maze, a reading nook, a sensory garden, and a nature kitchen. They also have art and STEM programming daily.

Full disclosure: I didn’t start my day here, and I regret it! The museum opens at 9am and closes at 3pm, so if you try to push this adventure to the afternoon like I did…you’ll miss it! Learn from my mistake, and start your day here.

The SCM is entirely outdoors, so keep an eye on the weather.

In addition to the Savannah Children’s Museum, you’ll also find other great Coastal Heritage Society museums the kids will love.

• The Georgia State Railroad Museum is right next door to the Children’s Museum. You’ll find interactive experiences here, such as a working handcar, and a guided site tour by train. You can also tour historic rail cars.

• Let kids learn more about the Gullah/Geechee culture from the residents who grew up in the close-knit community at the Pinpoint Heritage Museum.

• Old Fort Jackson is a must-see National Historic Landmark offering cannon firings and daily interactive programming for adults, kids, and families.

• The Savannah History Museum (near the SCM and Railroad Museum) features unique exhibits and activities that will take visitors from the city’s beginnings to present. My friend’s 9-year-old RAVED about this museum!

Read More: 21+ Amazing Savannah Tours Actually Worth Your Time & Money

DISCOUNT TICKETS: Savannah TourPass is the way to see Savannah affordably. Pick a 1, 2 or 3-day pass which gets you 2, 3 or 4 Featured tours PLUS unlimited entry into all the Standard tours. Georgia State Railroad Museum, Old Fort Jackson and Pinpoint Heritage Museum are all part of the Standard tour offerings. Buy here.

MRS. WILKES DINING ROOM

After the museum, it’s time to head to Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room for lunch. You’ll find Southern-style eats served family style in a communal dining room for a flat fee (discount for kids), and it’s delicious and amazing!

Mrs. Wilkes is only open on weekdays from 11am to 2pm, so make sure you don’t miss your chance to eat here. It’s so good, even President Obama ate here once. Save some fried chicken and sweet potato souffle for me!

Note: They don’t accept charge cards, only cash or check. There is an ATM onsite.

Read More: Best Places to Eat In Savannah: Cocktails and Great Food in the Historic Districts

CHECK INTO YOUR HOTEL

Roll yourself out of Mrs. Wilkes and head to your hotel. We love a hotel with a pool, and there’s quite a few great options for you in the Historic District.

• The Embassy Suites Savannah hotel is an all-suite hotel that features an outdoor pool and complimentary hot breakfast. They also have historic re-enactors at their Savannah Character Breakfast every Friday and Saturday morning!

• The Hampton Inn & Suites Savannah Historic District is within walking distance of River Street. You’ll find an outdoor pool and free hot breakfast here, along with free WiFi.

• The Kimpton Brice is a boutique hotel with a fabulous location. You’ll find an outdoor pool, an Italian restaurant onsite, and pets stay free here (and they treat them so well).

• You can enjoy an outdoor pool, fitness center, and a warm DoubleTree cookie on arrival at DoubleTree by Hilton. The onsite restaurant serves breakfast and dinner.

• The Holiday Inn Express Savannah features a free daily breakfast buffet and a rooftop swimming pool with city views.

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PIRATES AND PEDICABS

I hope you were able to swim off a little of that lunch, because it’s time for an unforgettable dinner at The Pirate’s House. You could walk…but the most fun way to get there is by Pedicab!

Our hotel was a few blocks away from The Pirate’s House, and it was so fun to take the Pedicab to the restaurant with the kids in our laps. We got to take in great views of the city, and the kids thought it was so, so fun to be biked to dinner! Our quick trip was only $10, plus we gave him a $5 tip — a great price for all the fun it gave us.

Our experience at The Pirate’s House was also so great! We made reservations so we could be seated without a wait, and I’d definitely recommend it. Our boys were greeted with kid menus in the shape of pirate’s hats, an eye patch, and a few “gold” coins. They loved this!

Hubs and I started with rum drinks, while the boys enjoyed their kiddo mocktails. All of the food was spectacular — we especially loved the honey pecan fried chicken and the shrimp and grits.

Afterward, take a tour of the restaurant with a pirate (tip your corsair, please) and then head upstairs to check out the gift shop. We left with a hook hand and trick dagger!

TAKE A GHOST CITY TOUR

If your littles are able to stay up late, then purchase tickets ahead of time for the Ghost City Grave Tales Ghost Tour. They offer tours that start at 7pm, 8pm, and 9pm.

This is a kid friendly, family friendly tour with about 90 minutes of walking by Savannah’s haunted mansions and historic homes, haunted cemeteries, burial grounds and battlefields. It’s also one of Savannah’s most highly-rated tours.

Now off to bed with you! We have a big day tomorrow.

Read More: 25+ Savannah Ghost Tours & Pirate Events Guaranteed To Thrill

DISCOUNT TICKETS: Savannah TourPass is the way to see Savannah affordably. Pick a 1, 2 or 3-day pass which gets you 2, 3 or 4 Featured tours PLUS unlimited entry into all the Standard tours. Several ghost tour experiences are part of the Featured Tour offerings. Buy here.

SATURDAY FAMILY FUN IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT

BREAKFAST AT THE COFFEE FOX

We spent breakfast our first morning at The Coffee Fox. In all honesty, it was because my son has a love affair with foxes…but it turned out to be a REALLY great coffee shop. This award-winning craft coffee shop offers a full espresso menu, Chemex pourovers, fresh pastries, and more. All of their coffee is locally roasted.

Our orders included iced horchata, chocolate milk and pastries, mini quiche, and a cheese plate with fruit. It was perfect breakfast fuel and we loved it all.

OLD SAVANNAH TOURS

Now you’re ready for my secret weapon for enjoying Savannah with kids — the Old Savannah Tours Hop-On Hop-Off Historic Savannah Trolley Tour. There is no way we would’ve had such a good time without this fun trolley tour paving the way.

During this trolley tour, costumed characters will narrate your trip through some of Historic Savannah’s most popular points of interest. There are 14 stops along the way where you can “hop off” and explore more, before you “hop on” again to continue your tour. This is great for kids!

Kids 4 and younger are free, kids 5-11 are $16, and 12+ is $38…and all worth it! Trust me…get your tickets now!

Book It: Old Savannah Tours Hop-On Hop-Off Tickets

DISCOUNT TICKETS: Savannah TourPass is the way to see Savannah affordably. Pick a 1, 2 or 3-day pass which gets you 2, 3 or 4 Featured tours PLUS unlimited entry into all the Standard tours. The trolley is part of the Featured Tour offerings. Buy here.

A STRESS-FREE SATURDAY ON THE TROLLEY

To enjoy a stress-free day on the Old Savannah Tours trolley, we enjoyed the tour and hopped off at some of the most kid-friendly stops. Here’s what our day looked like.

• Stop 1: Old Savannah Tours Welcome Center. The tours depart from here, which is also where you’ll find free parking.

• Stop 2: Chippewa Square

• Stop 3: Sorrel Weed House

• Stop 4: Forsyth Park. We got off here, because it’s a great place to get a family photo in front of the Forsyth Fountain. If you’re visiting in the summer, kids will love the splash pad and playground found here. Our boys had a blast playing in the water! On Saturdays, the Forsyth Park Farmers Market is a must stop, and we enjoyed King of Pops popsicles before catching the next trolley. (You’re wearing a sticker, so they know to expect you.)

• Stop 5: Massie Heritage Center

• Stop 6: Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

• Stop 7: The Pirate’s House

• Stop 8: Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters

• Stop 9: Telfair Academy/Jepson Center. We jumped off here to head into the Jepson Center because I wanted to see The Bird Girl. They were celebrating Juneteenth when we arrived, so we got in for free. Yay! (Kids 5 and younger are always free.) You’ll also find the new Telfair Children’s Art Museum here.
  
  After your visit, take an easy 1-mile stroll to Leopold’s Ice Cream. There will be a line, but the ice cream is worth the wait! We tried so many flavors and loved them all. You and the kids can eat your ice cream as you walk back to the Stop 9 trolley pick up point.

• Stop 10: Reynolds Square

• Stop 11: River Street Market Place

• Stop 12: Old City Exchange Bell

• Stop 13: Savannah City Hall

• Stop 14: Franklin Square

So, we hopped off for good at Stop 13, which was across the street from our hotel. If you are staying near the water, any of these stops will do. You can simply head back to your hotel for dinner, or take the tour all the way back to your starting point and drive back.

If you’re not keen on the hop on/hop off bus tour then here are two other great options for exploring. Try the Savannah Trolley Tour, which is 90 minutes of touring without any stops. OR…the Savannah Land and Sea Combo Tour, which includes 90 minutes on the open air trolley and 90 minutes on the famous Savannah riverboat.

TRAVELING WITH TWEENS? AN ALTERNATE PLAN

If your kids are a little older than mine, then you may have a bit more flexibility. Here are some alternate plans for your Saturday afternoon.

• Try a Land and Sea Combo Tour, which is 90 minutes of history and sightseeing on an open-air trolley. This isn’t a hop on/hop off bus, though. Follow that up with another 90 minute tour of Savannah from the water aboard the famous Savannah Riverboat.

• Savannah Bike Tours has a number of offerings, but their Peddle Through History tour is great for kids. (Even kids as young as 4 years old are welcome, if they can ride a bike.) The tour is only about 2 hours and covers 3 miles and about 10 different stops. Or try this kid-friendly HAUNTED bike tour with the same folks.

• Your kids have to be 16+ for the Historic Savannah Segway tour, but if they are it’s a ton of fun. Pick the short or extended tour, and glide around the city. I actually did this one with friends, and it was a highlight of our trip! It’s seriously so random and fun and I cannot recommend it enough.

DINNER AT MOON RIVER BREWING

Moon River Brewing Company is known for being one of the most haunted buildings in Savannah! The building that houses Moon River was once a hotel, a United States post office, a hospital during the yellow fever outbreak, and more. Ghost hunter groups love visiting here, and we loved it too!

You can choose to eat indoors or outside in their more informal beer garden, which is what we chose. We all loved our burgers and pork sandwiches here! They also brew their own beers and have a full bar.

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RIVER STREET AFTER DINNER

After dinner, walk across the street to the River Street. We stopped in Savannah Bee Company and sampled some honey, then found our way to Wet Willie’s for a frozen adult beverage. Kids will appreciate a stop at River Street Sweets, where you can watch them making candy.

Near Wet Willie’s you’ll find a “playground” for the kids. It’s actually just a large wooden boat they can climb in, but it is FILLED with kids. We sat on the bricks enjoying our drinks while the boys played for well over an hour.

FREE FERRY RIDE

Once the kids start getting restless, you can catch the Savannah Belles Ferry right there by the playground area. This is public transportation offered by the city, so hop aboard for free.

Ride from the playground to the hotel over on Hutchinson Island, then to the Waving Girl statue and back to the playground….a nice triangle of free exciting water adventure for the kids! Plan to be on the water about 30 minutes for the complete triangle.

ECHO SQUARE

One last adventure that you can’t miss before leaving River Street is Echo Square. It’s located across from Bob’s Your Uncle.

This simple gray square in the concrete holds an amazing mysterious experience. Have your kiddo stand in the square and speak…he can hear his voice echoing, but you can’t! Switch places and “hear” the echo chamber at work!

WRAPPING UP SAVANNAH WITH THE KIDDOS

Wake up! This is your last day here!

Time for coffee and a cinnamon roll the size of your head, at Savannah Coffee Roasters. I recommend the French press so you can taste the full flavor of their coffee.

I’m going to give you three options before heading out of the Savannah Historic District…coffee and cinnamon roll in hand. You pick what’s best for your family and kid’s temperament.

• Take a stroll along Jones Street. The tree lines and 19th century architecture have won it notoriety as one of the prettiest streets in the U.S. Chances are you have left your hotel now, so you are driving. You can park on Jones Street with a cheap meter rate OR around the corner on Abercorn for free. Bring your camera!

• Visit the Cathedral of St John the Baptist for Mass. This church is beyond beautiful, and attending Mass here is a great experience. If you want to take pictures, make sure to jump off here during your trolley tour to do so.

• Didn’t get all the photos you wanted in this gorgeous town? No worries. Pedicab drivers love to take you on a Pedicab Photo Tour. Prices range from “pay what you want” to about $45. They take you around to the best photo spots…let you jump off for pictures, and then jump back on to head to the next spot. No stress!

WORMSLOE HISTORIC SITE

Before you head back home, take a short detour to Wormsloe Historic Site. There are often reenactments and other fun events here, but my desire was simply to drive the 1.5 miles between the grand live oaks you see in the photo above.

No photo of these trees can do them justice! Stop, pull over…take a few dozen photos.

Then, head to the back of the park where you can tour the museum, and see the tabby ruins of Noble Jones’ home. Wormsloe’s tabby ruin estate is the oldest standing structure in Savannah.

MORE IN SAVANNAH WITH KIDS

This is by no means an exhaustive list of kid adventures in Savannah. We haven’t even scratched the surface on Tybee Island yet! In the meantime, here are a few places you might want to consider visiting beyond the above itinerary.

• Fort Pulaski
• Oatland Island Wildlife Center
• McQueen’s Island trail
• Telfair Museum
• A Savannah Bananas game
• East Coast Paddleboarding
• Bonaventure Cemetery
• UGA Marine Education Center & Aquarium
• Skidaway Island State Park
• The Juliette Gordon Low House (Founder of the Girl Scouts)
• Tybee Marine Science Center
• Old Fort Jackson
• Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum
• Ellis Square Water Fountains
• American Prohibition Museum

Another thing that looks really fun and that I think kids would love is renting a Moke to travel around in! The Alida, Savannah’s boutique hotel on historic River Street, has partnered with WeMoke, a company offering open-air street legal vehicles for rent.

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THINGS TO DO IN SAVANNAH GA WITH KIDS FAQ

MORE INFORMATION FOR YOUR TRIP TO GEORGIA

• YOUR GEORGIA VACATION
• GULLAH GEECHEE: Understanding The True History Of Savannah
• SAVANNAH BEACHES: Beaches In Savannah: 7+ Spots Near Savannah Perfect For Fun In The Sun
• SPRING BREAK: 13+ Perfect Spring Break Ideas For Fun-Loving Families
• ROMANTIC GETAWAYS: 45 Most Romantic Getaways in Georgia for a Dreamy Escape

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