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Interesting Facts
- Let's paint the town green? Yes, green. Savannah is second only to New York City when it comes to St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Try green eggs, green grits, and even green beer in the many restaurants that share the luck of the Irish. Each year more than 300,000 vistors flock to Savannah to participate in the revelry.
- "Oh, I wish I was in the land of cotton!" In 1793, Connecticut visitor was tutoring on a plantation near Savannah. While there, he invented the cotton gin, a machine to extract the seeds from the bolls. Thanks in part to Eli Whitney, cotton soon became as important to Savannah as the seaport.
- After World War I and the collapse of the cotton market, the city's economy plummeted; with it went the upkeep of many of Savannah's historic buildings. Years later, in 1955, seven local women heard that the Isaiah Davenport House was to be demolished. Outraged by the prospect, they jumped to action, and the day before the home was to be destroyed, the ladies bought it, saving it from destruction. It was with this act that the Historic Savannah Foundation was founded. Today, thanks largely to the women's foresighted efforts, more than 1000 buildings comprise the nation's largest historic district – 2½ square miles' worth.
- Stargazing? Many movies have been filmed in Savannah through the years, due in part to its temperate climate and the fact that it stays green all year long. Among the familiar cinematic works filmed nearby are Something to Talk About, Forrest Gump, and Roots. The movie, however, that brought the most people to Savannah is Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Based on an actual murder that took place in the 1980s, the movie based on the book by John Berendt still brings many folks to Savannah's top sights.
- Interestingly enough, the founder of the Girl Scouts was born in Savannah. Juliette Gordon Low was that woman, and her birthplace, The Wayne-Gordon House, was the first Registered National Historic Landmark in Savannah. These days, it serves as a national program center for Girl Scouts of the USA.
- Savannah's Telfair Museum of Art is the oldest public art museum in the Southeast. Within its collections are American, French, and Dutch impressionist paintings, as well as a large collection of works in different media.
- Do you believe in ghosts? Wait until you've taken one of Savannah's many phantom-inspired tours to answer that question. You can explore the city on foot, by trolley, by bus, or by carriage in your quest. Whatever your mode of transportation, be assured that you'll hear more than one story to give you goosebumps.
- Ready for some good ol' family fun? Savannah has been ranked among the best Southeastern destinations for families by FamilyFun magazine, published by the Walt Disney Corporation.
- Shop till you drop, and then shop some more! Shops in Savannah run the gamut from antique stores and flea markets to an outlet center and giant malls. The southside of Savannah offers more than 20 shopping centers alone!
- Savannah's black heritage is alive and well, and the city is committed to preserving the history of African-Americans. One of the places instrumental in such a goal is Second African Baptist Church, which was the site of two historical events. The first was General William Tecumseh Sherman's reading of the Emancipation Proclamation to Savannah's citizens. The second occurred almost 100 years later when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached his "I Have a Dream" speech here.
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