Best Things To Do in Savannah

Founded in the late-1700s by Haitian French immigrants, this soaring Gothic cathedral will strike awe into the hearts of even the least-religious visitors. The 207-foot-high twin steeples pierce the air, topping a vast white building with 81 stained-glass windows. The impressive 20-foot-wide rose window features St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music. Inside, the cream-and-blue interior is decorated with murals of various biblical scenes painted by a local artist in the early-20th century. Check out the 9,000-pound Italian marble altar. Note the pineapples on top of the carved wooden bishop's chair; they're a Southern symbol of welcome, often seen on stair railings and porch flags.

The four-block area around Ellis Square has been Savannah's beating heart since the early-1700s. Back then, farmers hawked sweet corn, watermelon and bags of tobacco from the backs of wagons, while fishermen offloaded buckets of fresh shrimp and crabs, barbers gave haircuts, tinkers sold pots and pans, and women offered fresh biscuits and sausages to hungry shoppers. While the former market building itself is no longer standing, the City Market now consists of a number of renovated warehouses with dozens of boutiques, gift shops, restaurants and bars. While many of these are of a distinctly middlebrow variety (a Thomas Kinkaide gallery, a buffalo wings restaurant), it's still a fun place to browse.

Getting the full Savannah experience is really less about seeing any one specific attraction and more about simply wandering and taking in the atmosphere. Hop aboard this old-fashioned orange-and-green trolley to do just that. The trolley meanders through Savannah's most lovely historic neighborhoods while guides amuse riders with a steady patter of facts and anecdotes (if it gets too stand-up comedy-like for you, feel free to tune out and simply stare at the scenery). The day tour shows you most of the classic sites—River Street, City Market, etc.—while the Paula Deen Tour offers a peek into the Food Network star's history, and the evening Ghosts and Gravestones Tour takes you to a "haunted" ship chandlery.

Built in the 1860s by the great-grandfather of singer and Capitol Records co-founder Johnny Mercer, this splendid Italianate mansion is one of Savannah's most notorious buildings. In 1981, renowned Savannah antiques dealer Jim Williams allegedly shot and killed his assistant, Danny Lewis Hansford, in the house. Williams was declared not guilty after four trials, an ordeal that became the basis for the non-fiction bestseller "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." Today the house is impeccably restored and filled with 18th- and 19th-century antiques from Williams' private collection. Note that you can only visit the house by tour and you can reserve your slot online.

At first blush, visiting the birthplace of the founder of the Girl Scouts may not appeal to those outside the 10-year-old girl demographic. But don't judge too soon. The Regency-style house, fully restored and furnished to look as it did in its 19th-century heyday, is fascinating in its own right. Plus, Ms. Low's life is interesting even to those not interested in badge-earning or cookie-selling. Born in 1860, the spunky Southern belle traveled the world despite being nearly deaf, and founded the Girl Scouts on a whim in 1912. The organization now counts more than 2.5 million members. Sorry, the museum does not sell Thin Mints.

Half an hour from downtown Savannah, this sandy Sea Island has long been the retreat of choice for city-dwellers looking to escape sticky, sweltering summers. Today, sleepy Tybee still has a laid-back vibe, with miles of wide white beaches, rustling salt marshes and stroll-worthy wooden boardwalks. It's a popular place to eat crab, with several notable crab shacks. The intrepid can try their luck at crabbing—just tie some raw chicken from a string and dangle it in the surf. (Yeah, it actually works and they'll hang onto the chicken until you pull it in--but don't get pinched!) The pier and pavilion on the island's south end are good for people-watching. Don't miss the black-and-white Tybee Island Light Station, built in 1736 and still going strong.

The oldest public art museum in the South, the Telfair consists of three separate spaces. Telfair Academy, a 19th-century Regency-style building, houses 19th- and 20th-century American and European Art. The Owens-Thomas House, also in the Regency style, is a furnished house museum with a collection of 18th- and 19th-century decorative art. Don't miss the preserved slave quarters, which give a peek into the lives of urban African-American slaves of the period. The gleaming white tile Jepson Center, designed by renowned Canadian-Israeli architect Moshe Safdie, houses the museum's contemporary art collection. Highlights include works by Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Stella and Jeff Koons.