When visiting Savannah, you might find yourself walking more than usual. Savannah is just a city made for walking, and with so much to explore and see, you might want to find a little (green) space to rest. Why not try our many green spaces? Plus, they are not just for relaxing! In each, you’ll find different monuments, markers, memorials, statues, plaques, and more about Savannah’s rich history and residents.
Please note that the hours and opportunities listed below are subject to change and may have specific or different health and safety policies.
Please contact the locations before visiting to confirm, before visiting.
Morrell Park is home to two famous monuments. The Waving Girl and the 1996 Olympic Yachting Cauldron.
The Waving Girl Statue honors Florence Martus, who is said to have greeted every ship that came into the Savannah port between 1887 and 1931.
The Cauldron represents the real cauldron, lit for the 1996 Olympic yachting events held in Savannah. While boasting the (unofficial) softest grass in the city, the park is the perfect spot to take a rest and watch the boats come in.
Emmet Park, once known as the “Strand” and later as “Irish Green” because of its proximity to the Irish residents of Savannah’s Old Fort neighborhood, was named in 1902 for the Irish patriot Robert Emmet. Underneath its beautiful Live Oak canopy, you’ll find plenty of space to relax and check out these monuments and memorials.
The Chatham Artillery Monument honors the military unit formed in 1786. The Irish Celtic Cross Monument honors savannah citizens of Irish descent.
Savannah’s Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial commemorates the armed forces from Chatham County killed or presumed killed during the Vietnam War.
The Salzburger Monument of Reconciliation honors the Lutheran Protestants who fought for their religious freedom in Georgia.
The Savannah Korean War Memorial is a 7-foot obelisk that lists members of D Company, 10th Infantry Battalion that were lost.
Dr. Noble Wimberly Jones Memorial honors the first president and organizer of the Georgia Medical Society.
Lastly, the Old Harbor Light, or the Beacon Range Light, was built-in 1852 to help guide vessels around the wrecks of ships sunk by the British in 1779.
Colonial Park Cemetery served as Savannah’s cemetery for more than a century and is home to more than 9,000 eternal residents but has fewer than 1000 markers. This discrepancy could be attributed to the fact many people were buried in mass graves, while others had their grave makers knocked over or destroyed.
The cemetery was not only the city’s primary burial ground, it was also a popular site for dueling. Many men lost their lives in and around the cemetery dueling death until 1877 when dueling was outlawed.
Famous residents of note:
Button Gwinnett (died on-site in a duel), a Georgia signer of the Declaration of Independence. William Scarbrough, the former owner of the Savannah Steamship Company. Edward Green Malbone, America’s foremost painter of miniatures. And, for a short time, General Nathaniel Green and his son (Someone stole the bodies).
Mother Matilda Beasley Park honors Mother Beasley, the first African-American nun in Georgia and founder of the St. Francis Home for Colored Orphans. Beasley educated slaves in her Savannah home before the Civil War, an illegal act at that time.
This beautiful green space also has a baseball diamond and large field perfect for soccer and football games. Next to the sports field is a pavilion and two playgrounds. It’s a great spot to let the kids take over and have a party or family barbeque.
Named for Georgia’s 33rd Governor, Forsyth Park is a 30-acre park and home to the city’s most photographed fountain.
Fun fact! Our famous Forsyth Fountain was actually ordered from a catalog. Similar fountains can be found in Paris and Cusco, Pero.
Fun things to try:
Take the kids to play at one of the two children’s playgrounds. One for littles and the other for bigger kids.
Experience the Fragrant Garden for the Blind within the walls of West Fort. The structure was a mock fort built for training before World War I.
Or flex your tunes and play the Giant Xylophone on your way to or from the Farmers’ Market (Saturday Mornings).
In any case, you can relax, have a picnic, or simply hang out on the lawn.
Originally designed to be 24, Savannah’s 22 historic squares are grassy utopias erected or named in honor or memory of a person, persons, or historical event. Many contain monuments, markers, memorials, statues, plaques, and other tributes. Take time to explore the surrounding charming churches, historic homes, enchanting inns and museums, and shady huge live oak trees.
The Squares (see map below):
(1733-1799) Johnson Square, Wright Square, Ellis Square, Telfair Square, Reynolds Square, Oglethorpe Square, Washington Square, Franklin Square, Warren Square, Columbia Square, Greene Square, Liberty Square [Lost].
(1801-1851), Elbert Square [Lost], Chippewa Square, Orleans Square, Lafayette Square, Pulaski Square, Madison Square, Crawford Square, Chatham Square, Monterey Square, Troup Square, Calhoun Square, Whitefield Square
