Coastal Georgia is a four-season destination that entices all six senses.
“Authentic is such a buzzword, but Savannah is so uniquely authentic,” says Jeff Hewitt, senior vice president of Visit Savannah. “The city satisfies every sense—sight, smell, taste, touch. You’ve got the beauty of the oak trees. When the azaleas are in bloom, the color is overwhelming. The smell of the local restaurants, the smell of the horses. It’s almost an ethereal experience.”
Here is a just a small taste of the unique venues and activities awaiting groups.
Sight
Savannah’s squares are some of its most iconic sights. The city boasts 22 of the original 24 squares laid out by city planners in the 18th and 19th centuries. Shaded by mature live oaks dripping with Spanish moss, each square is a park-like space studded with memorials. Any of Savannah’s squares can be booked for a private event of up to 1,500 to 2,000 people.
For larger groups seeking green space, the 30-acre Forsyth Park can accommodate more than 20,000. The park is home to another postcard-worthy landmark, a stunning iron fountain erected in 1858.
Savannah’s historic mansions are architectural eye candy, and many are available for tours and events. The elegant Gingerbread House, festooned with fanciful woodwork details, exemplifies the Steamboat Gothic architectural style. Groups as large as 100 can meet in its polished wood ballroom and two breakout rooms.
The Green-Meldrim House is noteworthy for its elaborate ironwork, projecting oriel windows and intricate crown moldings. The mansion’s place in history was assured when its original owner offered it to Gen. William Sherman as his headquarters during the occupation of Savannah. It was here that Sherman wrote a telegram to President Lincoln presenting him the city as a Christmas gift. The Gothic Revival property can host as many as 200.
In Brunswick, the Romanesque-style Old City Hall dazzles with exterior terra cotta friezes and gargoyles as well as interior marble, chandeliers and fireplaces. The magnificent edifice can welcome groups as large as 200.
Touch
The textures of Savannah are equally unforgettable. Groups can savor the creamy mouthfeel of shrimp and grits, or the roughness of cobblestones underfoot while walking out of riverfront venues like the Savannah Marriott Riverfront or the Bohemian Hotel Savannah Riverfront.
Attendees can also sink their toes into the soft sand of Tybee Island beach, just a 15-minute drive east of Savannah. The barrier island, famed as an artist community, is a haven for biking and walking. Tybee Pier & Pavilion juts out in the South Atlantic, offering spectacular views, especially at sunset. The covered pavilion can welcome approximately 350. Private group tours exploring the tide pools can be arranged with Tybee Beach Ecology Trips, led by a marine biologist.
PageBreak
Taste
Savannah is famous for its flavors. Lowcountry cuisine tempts the taste buds with rich seafood stews, zesty barbecue and decadent desserts. Every meal in Savannah is a chance for groups to bond over succulent dishes original to the local culture and harvested fresh from the bountiful coast.
The Olde Pink House was built as a mansion for the Habersham family in 1771. The restaurant serves up New Southern food like fried green tomatoes with sweet bacon, blackened oysters on the half-shell and blue crab beignets. It seats 400 for a buyout.
At The Lady and Sons, you can taste the award-winning Southern food that first made Paula Deen a household name. Dine on delectable batter-fried scallops, crab-stuffed shrimp and pecan pie. Private groups can choose the 100-seat Gibbons Room or 70-seat Ort Hall.
Drinking is just as important as dining. In Savannah, perhaps even more so.
“We’re one of the few cities in the country with an open container law,” Hewitt explains. “To quote John Berendt in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, ‘In Savannah, the first question people ask you is, what would you like to drink?"
The Distillery Ale House opened as a distillery in 1905, then was converted into a pharmacy and soda fountain during Prohibition. The handsome brick building was restored to its boozy roots in 2008 by the Volen family, and now serves up craft liquors and ales. The ale house offers two private event spaces seating 30 and 75, respectively.
Smell
Savannah’s olfactory treats can be had in the city’s renowned gardens. On the west side of Forsyth Park, the Fragrance Garden beckons groups with the scents of Meyer lemons, Cape jasmine and lilies. The 51-acre Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens, located a few miles west of downtown, is a flowery feast. Its rose garden blooms from April until December, and the iris garden peaks from late March to early May. The gardens offer a variety of indoor and outdoor event venues.
Sixth Sense
Savannah also tickles the elusive sixth sense. For those who have always wanted to see a ghost, Savannah is a good bet.
“Every war that was fought on American soil was fought in Savannah,” Hewitt says. “The entire city is a graveyard. With the historic comes the haunted; some people claim we’re the most haunted city in the nation.”
Private group walking tours are available with 6th Sense World. Their offerings include traditional ghost tours, a tour of the famous Bonaventure Cemetery and a ghost hunting tour led by a professional paranormal investigator.
The famously haunted Marshall House, a historic downtown hotel, was used as a hospital for Union troops during the Civil War. Ghostly soldiers are reportedly not an uncommon sight.
On St. Simons Island, the ghost of a lighthouse keeper murdered in 1880 is reputed to roam the stairwells of the picturesque tower. The lighthouse welcomes group tours and offers oceanfront event spaces that include a gazebo and museum hall.
For a one-of-a-kind Savannah off-site that delights every sense, groups can board a riverboat, such as the Savannah River Queen and Georgia Queen, which can welcome 270 to 380 passengers. Guests enjoy a three-mile cruise to Old Fort Jackson, a Civil War fortress and National Historic Landmark. The fort can fly a flag with the group’s logo and fire cannons in welcome as the boat approaches. Dinner is a Lowcountry crab boil or oyster bake, eaten around a bonfire. After a fireworks display, groups can return by boat or bus.
Among the unique sounds to be heard in Savannah, author KELLY CRUMRIN most regrets that she missed the chance to hear Emma Kelly play piano and sing. The legendary Lady of 6,000 songs passed away in 2001.
