As winter approaches, we’re thinking about where to travel south for warmer weather. Sunny Savannah, Georgia, full of history and coastal landscapes, is perfect for student travel in winter or year-round.
Get to know Savannah by experiencing a city tour either by foot on a guided walking tour or on board a trolley. City tours will help your students get better acquainted with Savannah’s history. Be sure to stop at the Massie Heritage Center, which has educational programs for all different grades that give you a glimpse of children’s lives in the early nineteenth century.
At the American Prohibition Museum, take a journey through the institution and repeal of the 18th Amendment, complete with over 200 original artifacts. Your students will be immersed in the history as they take photos with Al Capone, dance the Charleston (a favorite of the flappers) and feel the weight of a Tommy gun.
Established in 1996 and recognized in 2009 as “Georgia’s Official Civil Rights Museum,” the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum chronicles the struggle of Georgia’s oldest African American community from slavery to the present with three floors of photographic and interactive exhibits.
Located just miles from downtown Savannah where the Eighth Air Force was formed in 1942, the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force tells the compelling story of ordinary people whose lives were transformed by extraordinary commitment and sacrifice. Thousands of artifacts include a restored B-17 Flying Fortress, photographs and oral histories donated by veterans and their families.
Step back more than 200 years at the Georgia Railroad Museum to discover Savannah’s essential role in the Industrial Revolution. Enjoy live demonstrations at the Blacksmith’s Quarters to see what workers would have designed in the early 1800s.
Since 1753, The Pirates’ House and its characters have been welcoming students with a bounty of delicious food, drink and rousing good times. You may even see the ghost of a seafarer: Robert Louis Stevenson’s iconic novel “Treasure Island” mentions this establishment when it was a tavern and pirate hangout.
Located just east of Savannah on a marsh island, The Oatland Island Wildlife Center features a two-mile Native Animal Nature Trail that winds through maritime forest, salt marsh and freshwater wetlands. More than 40 programs are available to students and troops to study endangered species and organism classification.
Your students will love The Crab Shack at Chimney Creek, a signature restaurant boasting a live alligator exhibit and exotic bird sanctuary.
Tybee Beach Ecology Trips are offered year-round by marine biologist Dr. Joe Richardson. Your students will embrace learning about the variety of marine life along the Georgia coast with a hands-on experience unlike any other. After your walk, hop aboard this tour and watch dolphins at play and egrets catching fish right alongside your boat.
For more ideas and information, head to visitsavannah.com.
