Things to Do in Savannah

The opening scene of Forrest Gump follows a feather as it floats above Savannah's rooftops, a view seen from the Sorrel-Weed House, where the scene was filmed. Completed between 1839 and 1840, the now-iconic building was distinguished as a state landmark in 1954—only the second house in Georgia to receive that honor. Today, during historic tours, guests patter down the same corridors where onetime houseguest General Robert E. Lee once practiced hacky sack, or track spirits during ghostly explorations of the home's creepy quarters. Southern history pervades each visit as guests catch glimpses of the house’s antique decor and Greek revival architecture.

Anyone active in Savannah’s theatre community in the 70s and 80s would likely have encountered Tom Coleman III, a director who began his career at the Savannah Young People’s Theatre. He produced and directed more than 200 shows in the ensuing 35 years, culminating in the founding of the Savannah Community Theatre. The company often produces shows by local playwrights, along with a weekly, pirate-themed murder mystery dinner show.

The array of glazes at Starlight Pottery puts a rainbow’s paltry six stripes to shame; 70 different hues await artists within the studio. Conversation drifts beneath full shelves of bisque pottery, centering on the mugs, plates, and figurines available for painting. Paintbrushes hush quietly in freehand curls or stencils on the pottery, and hands working with unformed clay make the gentle slapping sound of two scuba divers fighting. Experts fire creations in a kiln, and parties for adults and children fill the studio with laughter and artistic banter.

Savannah Yoga Room's instructors focus on traditional Hatha and Ashtanga styles, creating classes accessible to newbies and challenging enough for yoga veterans. In addition to teaching pupils to center their thoughts with a slowly linked sequence of poses, they introduce the basic breathing techniques needed to blow out a centenarian's birthday candles during Hatha Flow Level I sessions. In Hatha Flow Level II, they quicken the pace to ensure a more dynamic practice and incorporate meditation.

After nudging up the studio’s thermostat to around 85 degrees and setting off a miniature supernova to heat the space, they enlist strong Ashtanga postures during power yoga, harnessing the radiating heat to engage muscle groups across the entire body without sacrificing the style's mindful focus or four-part om-ing harmonies. They also lead specialized prenatal sessions on Wednesdays and kids' classes for tykes aged 4–10 on Tuesdays.

Nestled in the salt marshes of northern Wilmington Island, Bull River Marina is an ideal launch pad for exploring the region’s natural splendor. Experienced captains offer tours that find them steering their prow through the bottlenose-dolphin-inhabited waters off the shores of Savannah. Additionally, Bull River's captains lead crabbing and fishing charters that search the waters for everything from kingfish to sharks. The seasoned fishermen provide passengers with all the bait, tackle, and licenses they need to wrest trout and flounder from the refrigerators of submarine captains.

At Dancing Dogs Yoga, community springs from vibrant routines of bends and balances. Here, owner Shelley Lowther and a team of seasoned instructors cultivate a nurturing environment with warm greetings and personal attention. As a trainee of Baron Baptiste—a trailblazer in the world of power Vinyasa yoga—Shelley has built the studio around athletic, breath-fueled poses that bolster strength, flexibility, and focus. The signature Baptiste power Vinyasa routines unfold in an 85- to 90-degree room designed to deepen stretches and evict toxins. To help beginners build a sturdy yogic foundation, Basics classes place an extra emphasis on pose alignment. Yin sessions explore yoga’s softer side with lengthy, floor-based poses, and massage therapy melts lingering tension with strokes as soothing as a bathrobe made of chamomile flowers. When she’s not teaching classes in Beaufort or Bluffton, Shelley records yoga-themed podcasts, helms community-outreach initiatives, and serves as an ambassador for the Africa Yoga Project.