Savannah reads like an adult city. Ghost tours, cocktail bars, restaurants with a wait. Then you bring children downtown and find the place was built for them almost by accident. Oglethorpe’s plan started in 1733 and grew to 24 public squares, 22 of which survive today (Georgia Historical Society, 2026). That’s shade and a bench every few minutes of walking. We run this city with families constantly, usually people who just PCS’d in with one weekend to figure it out. Here’s the version that works with kids in tow.
Key Takeaways
- Downtown holds 22 of its original squares, so shade and room to run are never more than a block away (Georgia Historical Society, 2026).
- Forsyth Park’s playground reopened September 30, 2025, and the restored 1858 fountain came back on that December (City of Savannah, 2025).
- The Savannah Children’s Museum and the Georgia State Railroad Museum share a campus at 655 Louisville Road, so one parking spot covers two stops (Coastal Heritage Society, 2026).
- Oatland Island Wildlife Center is $7 for adults and $5 for children 4 to 17, and free with military ID on four holidays a year (Oatland Island Wildlife Center, 2026).
Where should you start with kids in Savannah?
The squares and Forsyth Park, and don’t over-plan the rest. The squares are free and spaced so a walk downtown becomes short hops instead of one long march (City of Savannah, 2026). That layout is what makes Savannah with kids survivable.
Forsyth Park anchors the south end at 30 acres (City of Savannah, 2026). Its playground reopened September 30, 2025 after the city replaced the worn surface, and the 1858 fountain was switched back on after restoration that December (City of Savannah, 2025). Playground, open lawn, sports courts, no admission.
Which museums actually hold a kid’s attention?
Two, sharing an address at 655 Louisville Road. The Savannah Children’s Museum suits younger kids: an 1,800-square-foot mirror maze, a puppet theater, an art space, and a sensory garden, at $16 per person for ages 18 months and up (Coastal Heritage Society, 2026).
Next door, the Georgia State Railroad Museum opens seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at $20 per adult and $14 per child ages 3 to 12, with handcars, historic railcars, and guided train rides on select days (Coastal Heritage Society, 2026). Both include outdoor sections and close in bad weather, so call before driving over in a downpour.
Our take: With mixed ages, do the railroad museum first while everyone’s fresh, then turn the little ones loose at the children’s museum. Reversing that order has never once worked for us.
Where can kids get close to animals?
Oatland Island Wildlife Center, about fifteen minutes east of downtown at 711 Sandtown Road. Open daily 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with no entry after 3:30, at $7 for adults and $5 for children 4 to 17, seniors, and military ID holders. Admission is free with a military ID or DD214 on Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, July 5, and Veterans Day (Oatland Island Wildlife Center, 2026). It’s a walking trail through habitats, so budget an hour.
Is a riverboat cruise worth it with kids?
For a lot of families, yes, mostly because nobody has to walk. Savannah Riverboat Cruises leaves 9 E. River Street on a narrated harbor trip of about ninety minutes, at $37.95 for adults and $24.95 for children 5 to 12, free for 4 and under. Sailings run daily March through November, on a reduced schedule otherwise (Savannah Riverboat Cruises, 2026). Ninety minutes is the honest ceiling for small kids on a boat.
Tybee Island: sand first, stairs second
Tybee is roughly a half hour east of downtown Savannah, and it’s usually the day kids remember. Two paid stops sit a block apart on Meddin Drive, both closed Tuesdays.
The Tybee Island Light Station and Museum is 178 steps to the top, with a platform and viewing window every 25 steps. Adults are $14, children 6 to 17 and military are $12, and children 5 and under are free (Tybee Island Light Station and Museum, 2026).
The Tybee Island Marine Science Center at 37 Meddin Drive suits younger kids, with touch tanks, a fossil room, and a pirate ship playground. Open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at $15 for adults and $12 for children 5 to 12 (Tybee Island Marine Science Center, 2026). It posts sea turtle nesting updates May through October, catnip for a certain kind of eight-year-old.
Skidaway Island State Park, when you want trails instead of sidewalks
About twenty minutes southeast of downtown: 588 acres, six miles of trails through maritime forest and salt marsh, two playgrounds, and a visitor center, open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Check the park page first. As of 2026 the Avian Trail is closed for bridge damage, the observation tower is closed, and a partial campground renovation that began February 2, 2026 runs a year (Georgia State Parks, 2026).
Parking and strollers, the two things nobody warns you about
Downtown, the city sells a Visitor Day Pass at $15 for one day or $24 for two at Mobility & Parking Services, 100 East Bryan Street. It covers metered spaces limited to an hour or more, but not street sweeping zones (City of Savannah, 2026). Buy it once and stop feeding meters. On Tybee, parking runs $4 an hour or $25 a day, enforced citywide 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day of the year, with no coins or cash accepted (City of Tybee Island, 2026). Get the app before you cross the bridge.
On strollers: River Street is cobblestone and the ramps down to it are steep. A jogging stroller with real wheels handles it. An umbrella stroller does not. Above River Street the squares and sidewalks are fine, and a carrier beats a stroller for kids under two.
Our take: Park once, walk the squares, and treat River Street as an out-and-back instead of a loop. Families who drive between downtown stops spend the day hunting spaces rather than seeing the city.
When’s the best time of year to bring kids?
Spring and fall, and it isn’t close. Coastal Georgia summers are hot and humid, and most of what’s worth doing is at least partly outdoors, including both Louisville Road museums (Coastal Heritage Society, 2026). On crowds, the St. Patrick’s Day parade is the city’s largest event and steps off March 17 (City of Savannah, 2026).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Savannah walkable with young children?
Downtown, yes. The 1733 grid left 22 surviving squares spaced a short block or two apart, so shade and seating run throughout (Georgia Historical Society, 2026). River Street’s cobblestones and steep ramps are the exception. Plan that stretch on its own, and bring a sturdy stroller or a carrier.
What can you do in Savannah with kids for free?
Quite a lot. The squares cost nothing, and Forsyth Park’s 30 acres include the reopened playground, open lawn, and sports courts at no charge (City of Savannah, 2026). Skidaway Island State Park asks only standard park entry for six miles of trails and two playgrounds.
How far is Tybee Island from downtown Savannah?
Roughly a half hour east, depending on season and traffic. Budget for parking when you arrive: $4 per hour or $25 for a day pass, enforced 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. year-round, with no cash or coins accepted (City of Tybee Island, 2026). Pay through the app or a kiosk.
The bottom line
Savannah with kids works when you stop treating it like a checklist. Park once, use the squares as rest stops, pick one paid attraction a day, and give Tybee its own trip. Families relocating here usually find the corridor between the city and Fort Stewart opens up more than expected, and our PCS and VA resource center covers that side. For the same treatment south of town, read our guide to things to do in Richmond Hill. Reach out and we’ll tell you what we’d do with your weekend.
Sources
- Georgia Historical Society, “Oglethorpe and Savannah’s City Plan,” retrieved 2026-08-27, https://www.georgiahistory.com/resource/james-edward-oglethorpe/oglethorpe-and-savannahs-city-plan/
- City of Savannah, GA, “Historic Squares & Monuments,” retrieved 2026-08-27, https://www.savannahga.gov/350/Historic-Downtown-Squares
- City of Savannah, GA, “Forsyth Park,” retrieved 2026-08-27, https://www.savannahga.gov/4103/Forsyth-Park
- City of Savannah, GA, “Update: Forsyth Park Playground reopened; Daffin Park playground construction has begun,” 2025, retrieved 2026-08-27, https://www.savannahga.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/3212
- City of Savannah, GA, “City to Celebrate Restoration of Forsyth Park Fountain,” 2025, retrieved 2026-08-27, https://www.savannahga.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/3271
- City of Savannah, GA, “Visitor Parking Passes,” retrieved 2026-08-27, https://www.savannahga.gov/771/Visitor-Parking-Passes
- City of Savannah, GA, “St. Patrick’s Day CELEBRATION,” retrieved 2026-08-27, https://www.savannahga.gov/1165/St-Patricks-Day-in-Savannah
- Coastal Heritage Society, “Savannah Children’s Museum,” retrieved 2026-08-27, https://www.chsgeorgia.org/Savannah-Childrens-Museum
- Coastal Heritage Society, “Georgia State Railroad Museum,” retrieved 2026-08-27, https://www.chsgeorgia.org/Georgia-State-Railroad-Museum
- Oatland Island Wildlife Center, “Admissions & Hours,” retrieved 2026-08-27, https://oatland.sccpss.com/visit/admissions-hours
- Savannah Riverboat Cruises, “Harbor Sightseeing Cruises,” retrieved 2026-08-27, https://savannahriverboat.com/harbor/
- Tybee Island Light Station and Museum, “General Visitor Information,” retrieved 2026-08-27, https://www.tybeelighthouse.org/visitor-general-info
- Tybee Island Marine Science Center, “Home,” retrieved 2026-08-27, https://www.tybeemarinescience.org/
- City of Tybee Island, GA, “Parking Services,” retrieved 2026-08-27, https://www.cityoftybee.org/465/Parking-Services
- Georgia Department of Natural Resources / Georgia State Parks, “Skidaway Island State Park,” retrieved 2026-08-27, https://gastateparks.org/SkidawayIsland