Wandering under a canopy of ancient live oaks draped in Spanish moss, catching the sweet, buttery scent of warm pralines drifting on the breeze, and watching massive cargo ships glide down the river—there is a distinct magic to this Southern coastal city. If you are mapping out things to do in savannah, georgia with kids, you are in for an absolute treat. While this historic destination is often touted as a romantic getaway or a hub for history buffs, it secretly hides a wealth of family-friendly adventures. Between the stroller-friendly shaded squares, massive vintage trains, and nearby sandy beaches, this is a city that welcomes families with genuine Southern hospitality.
To help you navigate the cobblestones and the humidity, we have put together a comprehensive look at the best local spots, practical advice for navigating the terrain, and the tourist traps you should absolutely avoid. For a high-level overview of the city, you can always reference our main City Guide: /city/savannah-georgia. Grab a sweet tea, and dive into our favorite family experiences in the Hostess City of the South.
Top Things to Do in Savannah, Georgia with Kids
Savannah is a city best explored at a leisurely pace. Instead of rushing from attraction to attraction, the real joy comes from blending structured activities with plenty of time to roam the historic district.
Catch the Spectacle of Savannah Bananas Baseball
If you manage to score tickets to see Savannah Bananas Baseball playing at Savannah Bananas at Grayson Stadium, you are about to experience the most entertaining sporting event in the country. Think of them as the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball. This is a high-energy, non-stop circus of choreographed dances, players in kilts, and rules designed to keep the game moving incredibly fast. Traditional baseball can sometimes drag for younger kids, but the Bananas keep the crowd roaring from the first pitch to the final out.
- Practical Details: Tickets operate on a lottery system and sell out months in advance, so join the waitlist early. Tickets generally cost around $25 USD and are all-inclusive, meaning your hot dogs, burgers, popcorn, and sodas are covered. Strollers can be parked near the concourse, but baby carriers are easier in the historic stadium seating. The games run about two hours, making it the perfect length for kids.
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Explore the Georgia State Railroad Museum
Located in a massive, historic rail yard, the Georgia State Railroad Museum is an absolute paradise for children who love transportation. Instead of everything being locked behind glass, kids can climb into vintage railcars, explore a massive roundhouse, and watch a fully operational turntable in action. The scale of the trains is awe-inspiring for little ones, and the open-air layout means they can use their outside voices without getting shushed.
- Practical Details: Open daily from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Admission is $15 USD for adults and $11 USD for children ages 2-12. The terrain includes a lot of gravel, so leave the lightweight umbrella stroller at the hotel and bring a sturdy jogger, or opt for a carrier. Plan to spend about two hours here. There is no major food on-site, but you are a short walk from several cafes.
Discover Art at Telfair Museums - Jepson Center
When the afternoon heat and humidity peak, ducking into the Telfair Museums - Jepson Center for the Arts is a brilliant move. This striking contemporary art museum brilliantly balances high-end galleries with family accessibility. The star of the show for families is the 'ArtZeum,' a dedicated interactive children's wing where kids can build, draw, and engage with architectural concepts in a tactile way. It is air-conditioned, spacious, and highly engaging.
- Practical Details: Open daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. A multi-site pass costs $25 USD for adults, but kids under 12 are completely free. The building is incredibly stroller-friendly with large elevators and smooth ramps. Plan for 90 minutes to two hours.
Pedal Through History with Savannah Bike Tours
For families with older kids, or those traveling with children young enough to ride in a mounted bike seat, Savannah Bike Tours offers a fantastic way to see the city. This is a relaxed, two-hour guided pedal through Savannah's flat, moss-draped Historic District. The guides are incredibly knowledgeable and skilled at keeping the pace manageable for younger riders while weaving in fascinating historical anecdotes.
- Practical Details: Tours usually run in the morning and afternoon. Costs hover around $35 to $45 USD per person. The terrain is wonderfully flat, though you will occasionally navigate brick pathways. It is best to book a morning tour during the summer to avoid the midday heat.
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Stroll River Street for Sweets and Ships
River Street is a historic waterfront promenade where 200-year-old cotton warehouses have been converted into bustling shops and eateries. Watching the massive container ships navigate the relatively narrow Savannah River is mesmerizing for kids. Take the kids into River Street Sweets to watch the staff flip giant slabs of fudge and hand-stretch pralines on marble slabs—they often hand out free warm samples!
- Practical Details: The cobblestones here are notoriously brutal on strollers; a baby carrier is highly recommended. The waterfront is entirely free to walk, and you can spend anywhere from an hour to a whole afternoon here depending on how many shops you pop into.
Best Places to Eat with Kids in Savannah
Dining out with kids requires a delicate balance of fast service, engaging atmosphere, and food they will actually eat. Fortunately, Savannah delivers on all fronts.
BowTie Barbecue Co.
Located in mid-town Savannah, BowTie Barbecue Co. is a family-centric BBQ spot that solves the eternal struggle of waiting for food with hungry kids. The atmosphere is lively and casual, and the smoked meats are phenomenal. They offer great family platters that make sharing easy, and the staff is genuinely welcoming to messy toddlers and loud preschoolers. Expect to spend around $15 to $25 USD per adult.
Narobia's Grits & Gravy
For a true taste of local Southern breakfast, skip the crowded downtown brunch spots and head to Narobia's Grits & Gravy. This is a legendary, no-frills soul food spot where the portions are massive and the atmosphere is entirely unpretentious. The biscuits are fluffy, the grits are perfectly creamy, and no one will blink an eye if your child drops a piece of sausage on the floor. It is affordable (usually under $15 USD per person) and deeply authentic.
Leopold's Ice Cream
You cannot visit Savannah without a stop at Leopold's Ice Cream. This legendary 1919 soda fountain features walls covered in Hollywood memorabilia (the owner is a movie producer) and serves up some of the best ice cream in the South. The Tutti Frutti flavor is iconic.
- Pro Tip: The line here can wrap around the block and easily take an hour. To survive this with kids, go right when they open at 11:00 AM, or go late in the evening. Alternatively, have one parent wait in line while the other takes the kids to burn off energy in nearby Reynolds Square.
Easy Day Trips and Beach Escapes
When the city heat feels heavy, a quick trip to the coast is the perfect remedy.
Tybee Island Beach & Savannah Surf Lessons
Just a 20-minute drive from downtown Savannah lies Tybee Island Beach, a classic, highly accessible Atlantic beach offering wide sandy shores and gentle waves. It is an easy half-day or full-day trip. If you want to add some structured adventure, book a session with Savannah Surf Lessons (Tybee Island). They run a patient, high-energy surf school specializing in getting kids standing on boards in their very first lesson. The instructors are incredibly encouraging with nervous swimmers.
- Practical Details: Surf lessons run around $60 to $80 USD for a 90-minute session. The beach has public restrooms and rinse stations.
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AJ's Dockside Restaurant
After a morning in the sand, head to AJ's Dockside Restaurant. This quintessential Tybee Island seafood joint sits right on the water. The main event here is watching dolphins swim by while you eat fresh fried shrimp. It is entirely casual, very loud, and perfectly suited for families coming straight off the beach in flip-flops.
The Unique and Unexpected
If you happen to be visiting during the right time of year, or if you have older kids with niche interests, Savannah has a few hidden gems up its sleeve. The Hunter Army Airfield Air Show (when scheduled) is a high-octane military spectacle featuring elite aerobatic teams and massive ground displays of tanks and helicopters. It is loud, so bring ear protection for the little ones!
For teenagers who love true crime or the macabre, the Graveface Museum is a gritty, immersive oddities museum featuring taxidermy, vintage pinball machines, and unusual artifacts. It is definitely not for small children, but tweens and teens looking for something offbeat will find it endlessly fascinating. Another unique option is booking a stay at the Savannah Waterfront Marriott - Pool, where the rooftop pool transforms a standard hotel stay into a front-row seat for Savannah's massive river traffic.
Age-by-Age Guide to Savannah
Savannah caters to different ages in very different ways. Here is how to frame your trip based on your children's developmental stages.
Toddlers (Ages 2-3)
For this age group, the city's urban layout is your greatest asset. Savannah’s 22 historic squares act as natural, shaded playgrounds. You can plan your walking route to hit a different square every two blocks, letting toddlers out of the stroller to chase pigeons, collect acorns, and climb on low stone walls. Utilize the free DOT Express Shuttle to navigate the Historic District when little legs give out.
Preschoolers (Ages 3-5)
Preschoolers thrive on tactile experiences. The Georgia State Railroad Museum is a massive hit for this age group, providing endless space to run and giant trains to marvel at. The ArtZeum at the Jepson Center is also perfectly tailored to their developmental need for hands-on play. Keep dining casual, leaning on spots like BowTie Barbecue where noise levels are already high.
School-Age Kids (Ages 6-10)
This is the golden age for Savannah. They are old enough to appreciate the circus-like atmosphere of Savannah Bananas baseball, and they have the stamina to handle a morning of Savannah Bike Tours. They will also absolutely love the sugar-fueled spectacle of watching candy makers at work on River Street. A beach day at Tybee Island with beginner surf lessons will likely be the highlight of their trip.
Tweens & Teens (Ages 11-14)
Older kids might roll their eyes at historic house tours, so pivot to the unexpected. The Graveface Museum offers the perfect amount of edgy weirdness to keep teens engaged. Head south of the Historic District to the Starland District for a more local, relaxed vibe, full of vintage clothing stores, record shops, and cool cafes.
What to Skip in Savannah with Kids
Not everything in this historic city translates well to a family vacation. Here are a few highly advertised attractions you should cross off your list.
- Graphic Ghost Tours: Savannah is famous for its hauntings, but skip Savannah Ghost Tours (Sixth Sense Savannah), Hearse Ghost Tours, and the Sorrel Weed House Museum (and the Sorrel Weed House in general). These tours lean heavily into graphic historical trauma, murder, and disease. It is nightmare fuel for young kids. Furthermore, riding in a cramped hearse for 90 minutes loses its novelty very quickly when kids get restless.
- Drinking-Focused Attractions: Avoid the Savannah Slow Ride and World of Beer (Savannah). The Slow Ride is a pedal-powered pub crawl designed for loud music and bachelorette parties, making it highly inappropriate and unsafe for children. World of Beer is simply a high-volume sports bar for adults.
- Overcrowded Tourist Traps: City Market often feels like a loud, overcrowded tourist trap that caters more to Savannah’s 'to-go cup' drinking culture than to families. It gets incredibly rowdy in the evenings. Also, skip the Savannah Mall Funplex; it is located inside a largely vacant, declining mall and features dated arcade games that are not worth the drive out of the city center.
Pro Tips from Parents for Visiting Savannah
- Beat the Heat: Skip the horse-drawn carriage tours during the humid afternoon hours between June and September. The slow pace means absolutely no breeze, and kids will be miserable. Do your outdoor walking before 11:00 AM or after 4:00 PM.
- Manage Restaurant Waits: While famous, the wait times at traditional tourist spots like The Lady & Sons can exceed two hours, which is a recipe for disaster with hungry children. Stick to places that take reservations or counter-service spots.
- Prepare for Bugs: Be prepared for 'no-see-ums' (biting gnats) which are highly prevalent near the marsh and parks during dawn and dusk. Standard bug spray doesn't always deter them, so pack a repellant specifically formulated for gnats, or dress kids in light, long layers for evening walks.
- Parking Sanity: Avoid the stress of searching for metered street parking on Broughton Street or near the riverfront, especially on weekends. Head straight for the municipal parking garages (like the Bryan Street Parking Garage or Whitaker Street Garage). They are affordable, shaded, and save you from circling blocks with impatient kids in the backseat.
Planning Your Itinerary for Things to Do in Savannah, Georgia with Kids
To pull all of this together, a well-paced three-day itinerary works beautifully.
On your first day, focus on the Historic District. Start early with a walk through the squares, letting the kids burn energy. Head to the Jepson Center in the late morning to escape the heat and play in the ArtZeum. Grab an early lunch, then brave the line at Leopold's Ice Cream before it gets too long. In the evening, take the free DOT shuttle down to River Street to watch the candy makers and the cargo ships.
Dedicate your second day to trains and sports. Spend the morning exploring the Georgia State Railroad Museum. Afterward, grab a hearty, messy lunch at BowTie Barbecue Co. Let the kids rest at the hotel in the afternoon, because your evening will be loud and action-packed at a Savannah Bananas baseball game.
On your third day, escape the city entirely. Make the short drive out to Tybee Island. Book a morning session with Savannah Surf Lessons, spend a few hours building sandcastles, and wrap up your trip eating fresh seafood while watching the dolphins at AJ's Dockside Restaurant.
Savannah is a city that requires you to slow down, and honestly, that is exactly what makes it such a wonderful destination for families. When you stop rushing, you have time to appreciate the shade of a live oak tree, the taste of a warm praline, and the joy of exploring a new place together. With a little planning and realistic expectations, finding incredible things to do in savannah, georgia with kids is as easy as a stroll through one of its beautiful, historic squares.