The heart of Savannah
The Savannah Historic District
The Savannah Historic District is the largest National Historic Landmark District in the United States, the original city laid out by Oglethorpe around a grid of public squares.
This page is the orientation: the squares, the homes, the churches, the museums, and how to walk it.
The district
What the Historic District is
The Historic District is the original Savannah, the grid of wards and public squares that Oglethorpe laid out in 1733. It runs roughly from the Savannah River south to Forsyth Park and from the riverfront east to the eastern squares, and it holds the city's defining landmarks: the squares, the 19th-century homes, the churches, and the museums.
It is best seen on foot. The squares are the spine, and the streets between them hold the homes, the shops, and the restaurants. The historic Savannah page carries the full history and the square-by-square guide.
The anchors
What to see in the district
The squares
Johnson, Wright, Chippewa, Madison, Monterey, and the rest, each with its monuments and oaks.
River Street
The cobblestone waterfront at the district's north edge, shops, restaurants, and riverboats.
Forsyth Park
The great green at the district's south edge, the fountain and the oaks.
The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
The landmark French Gothic cathedral with its twin spires.
The Telfair museums
The Telfair Academy, the Jepson Center, and the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters.
The walk
How to walk the district
Start at Johnson Square and walk south along Bull Street through Wright, Chippewa, and Madison to Monterey Square, then over to Forsyth Park. It is a few miles of shaded streets, and it covers the monuments, the homes, and the churches in one afternoon. The tours page lists the guided options, and the getting-around page carries the parking and walking notes.
Plan the visit
The district map
River Street and Forsyth Park each have their own page.
An editorial guide, not a listings site. Updated September 22, 2026. Real-estate guidance on this page is provided by Rob Dietrich, REALTOR® with eXp Realty, LLC.