Discover Savannah Scavenger Hunt
Discover the Hostess City of the South with a scavenger hunt across Savannah's mossy oaks and historic squares. Sit on the famous Forrest Gump bench, find the Mercer Williams House, splash by the Forsyth Park fountain and walk the cobblestones of River Street. Twenty-two squares were planned, nineteen remain. Time to find them.
Stops on this hunt
The geo-tagged checkpoints that anchor this route. You can rearrange, replace or remove any stop after using the template.
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1
Forsyth Park fountain
Navigate to the white cast-iron fountain at the north end of Forsyth Park and check in.
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2
Monterey Square
Walk north up Bull Street to Monterey Square and check in by the monument in the centre.
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3
Chippewa Square
Walk north on Bull Street to Chippewa Square and check in by the Oglethorpe statue in the centre.
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4
City Market
Walk to the City Market on West Bryan Street between Ellis and Franklin Squares, and check in at the main entrance.
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5
River Street
Walk down to River Street along the Savannah River and check in by the waving girl statue or the Hyatt steps.
Challenges (20)
Savannah kick-off
The hunt begins! Find a classic Savannah backdrop (a square bench under a mossy oak, an iron staircase, a horse-drawn carriage) and take a group photo with the whole team in shot.
Checkpoint: Forsyth Park fountain
Navigate to the white cast-iron fountain at the north end of Forsyth Park and check in.
Forsyth fountain pose
The Forsyth Park fountain is Savannah's most photographed landmark. Take a group photo with everyone arranged around the fountain so the white tiers and palms frame the team.
Spanish moss portrait
Find one of the wide live oaks dripping with Spanish moss in Forsyth Park and take a group photo standing under its canopy, everyone looking up.
Checkpoint: Monterey Square
Walk north up Bull Street to Monterey Square and check in by the monument in the centre.
Mercer Williams House shot
On Monterey Square stands the Mercer Williams House, the main location of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil". Take a group photo with the brick facade in the background.
Trivia: Savannah founded
James Oglethorpe and the settlers from the ship Anne landed at Yamacraw Bluff and founded Savannah. In what year?
Answer: 1733
Trivia: Savannah squares remaining
Savannah was originally planned with 22 squares. How many of the original squares remain today?
Answers: 19 / nineteen
Checkpoint: Chippewa Square
Walk north on Bull Street to Chippewa Square and check in by the Oglethorpe statue in the centre.
Forrest Gump bench moment
Chippewa Square is where Forrest Gump sat with his box of chocolates. The original bench is in a museum, but find any bench on the square and recreate the scene with one team member holding an imaginary box. Capture the moment in a photo.
Cathedral steeples shot
The twin spires of the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist on Lafayette Square are visible from blocks away. Find a vantage point on Abercorn or Harris Street and take a group photo with the steeples behind you.
Checkpoint: City Market
Walk to the City Market on West Bryan Street between Ellis and Franklin Squares, and check in at the main entrance.
City Market mural moment
The City Market courtyards are full of painted murals on the warehouse walls. Find a colourful mural and take a group photo with the bride centred and the team posed around her.
Leopold's ice cream toast
Leopold's Ice Cream on Broughton Street has been a Savannah institution since 1919. Buy a scoop for the team and take a group photo with everyone holding their cones up in a toast.
Checkpoint: River Street
Walk down to River Street along the Savannah River and check in by the waving girl statue or the Hyatt steps.
Cobblestone River Street walk
River Street's ballast-stone cobbles were laid with stones from ships from England in the 1700s. Take a group photo walking along the cobblestones with the river behind you.
Cargo ship spotting
Savannah is one of the busiest container ports in the US. From River Street watch the river and try to spot a cargo ship or container vessel sliding past. Take a photo with the ship in the background.
Pralines for the team
Pop into River Street Sweets or Savannah's Candy Kitchen, watch a praline maker pour fresh pralines and take a group photo with everyone taking the first bite at the same time.
Local Savannahian tip
Convince a local Savannah resident to share a tip about the city. Take a photo with your impromptu guide and remember the tip.
Savannah finale
Final challenge. Find a beautiful Savannah spot (an oak canopy, a square at golden hour, the river at sunset) and take an amazing closing group photo. Cheers from the Hostess City!
Frequently asked questions
Three to four hours covers the main historic squares, Forsyth Park, the City Market and River Street at a relaxed pace. The downtown grid is compact (the longest stretch, Forsyth Park to River Street, is about one mile), so most groups walk the whole route in flat shoes and stop for sweet tea on a square.
Yes. The Oglethorpe Plan lined the squares up on Bull Street and the adjacent streets, so walking north from Forsyth Park to River Street takes you through five of the most famous squares in one straight line: Monterey, Madison, Chippewa, Wright and Johnson. Side trips to Lafayette and Reynolds Squares add another twenty minutes.
Yes, Savannah is one of the few US cities with an open-container rule in the Historic District. You can carry an alcoholic drink up to 16 ounces in a paper or plastic cup (no glass, no cans) while you walk. Several bars on River Street and City Market hand drinks out in to-go cups for exactly this.
Forsyth Park at the south end of Bull Street is the most photogenic starting point: the fountain anchors the photo, you can grab brunch on Whitaker Street nearby, and walking north up Bull Street takes you through square after square toward the river. If you arrived at the Visitor Center on MLK, start at City Market and head south.
Yes. Squares and Forsyth Park are pram-friendly with shaded benches, no challenge requires alcohol and the route mixes history with food stops at Leopold's Ice Cream and the City Market. The cobblestones on River Street are the only rough patch, easier with sturdy shoes than strollers.