11 Savannah places to visit without paying admission, with hours and cost wording from official and visitor-bureau pages. Visit Savannah lists Forsyth Park, Bonaventure Cemetery, Tybee Island beach, the Savannah Belles Ferry and The DOT shuttle among its free things to do.
Where a page says free we say free; where it only gives hours we say nothing about price. Every fact below was read on the cited official page and checked ; anything we could not read is listed under What We Could Not Confirm instead of guessed.
| What to know | Source |
|---|---|
| Visit Savannah lists Forsyth Park, Bonaventure Cemetery, Tybee Island beach, the Savannah Belles Ferry and The DOT shuttle among its free things to do. | visitsavannah.com |
| The DOT is a free, ADA-accessible express shuttle with 20 stops in the Historic Landmark District. | visitsavannah.com |
| Savannah’s parks page lists 24 squares and two parks (Emmet Park and Forsyth Park). | visitsavannah.com |
Free and No-Admission Places in Savannah
| Name | Town | What it is | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forsyth Park | Savannah | Park of 30 acres with an 1858 fountain, monuments, sports courts and walking paths; about 1.5 miles around per the City. | Cost: Free (Visit Savannah) |
| Bonaventure Cemetery | Savannah | 160 acres of live oaks and historic graves at 330 Bonaventure Rd.; Visit Savannah lists it as free. | Cost: Free (Visit Savannah list); free tours second weekend of each month at 1 pm (Bonaventure Historical Society) Hours: Gates open daily 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM; Visitors Center 10-4 weekends |
| Cathedral of St. John the Baptist | Savannah | Cathedral with stained glass and murals; no tickets are required to visit or tour. | Cost: No tickets required; small donation of $3.00 per adult appreciated Hours: Tours Mon-Sat 9 AM-11:30 AM and 1 PM-4:30 PM; Sun 1:00-4:30 PM; closed to touring Oct 30 after noon Mass and until 3:45 PM Oct 31 |
| Telfair Museums Free Family Days (Jepson Center) | Savannah | Free admission to the Jepson Center, 207 W. York St., for local residents and students with proof of residency or enrollment. | Cost: Free for eligible local residents and students Kids: Free Family Days; no upcoming dates listed on the page |
| The DOT shuttle | Savannah | Free, ADA-accessible express shuttle with 20 stops in the Historic Landmark District, every 15 to 20 minutes. | Cost: Free Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m.; weekends 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. |
| Savannah Belles Ferry | Savannah | ADA-accessible ferry across the Savannah River with views of River Street. | Cost: Free Hours: Schedule at connectonthedot.com (not on page) |
| Tybee Island beach | Tybee Island | Beach about 20 minutes from the Historic District. | Cost: Free |
| City walking trails: Forsyth Park, Daffin Park and Lake Mayer | Savannah | Routes of one to one and a half miles at Forsyth Park, the 80-acre Daffin Park and around Lake Mayer. | Cost: Free |
| Savannah’s historic squares | Savannah | The City’s parks page lists 24 squares by name (Calhoun through Wright) and says it gives no cost to visit. | Not published on the cited page |
| Gallery browsing: River Street, City Market, Starland District | Savannah | Free browsing of local art from painters, jewelry makers, sculptors and glass artists. | Cost: Free |
| McQueen’s Island Trail | Tybee Island | 6 miles for hiking and biking along U.S. Highway 80 East between Bull River and Fort Pulaski, per the City trails page. | Not published on the cited page |
Places That Charge
- Savannah Botanical Garden lists admission of $5 per person. (savannahbotanicalgarden.org)
December Free Event
- Savannah Christmas Market at Plant Riverside District is free to visitors, Nov 19, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027, 11am-9pm. (plantriverside.com)
Map of Free Things in Savannah
Not pinned (no confirmed location yet): Telfair Museums Free Family Days (Jepson Center), The DOT shuttle, Savannah Belles Ferry, Tybee Island beach, City walking trails: Forsyth Park, Daffin Park and Lake Mayer, Savannah's historic squares, Gallery browsing: River Street, City Market, Starland District, McQueen's Island Trail.
Keep Planning
FAQ
Is Forsyth Park free?
Visit Savannah lists Forsyth Park as free. (visitsavannah.com)
What We Could Not Confirm
- Telfair Museums free hours: hours/admission page not read; only Free Family Days (residents) confirmed.
- River Street: Visit Savannah guide fetched does not state cost, hours or length.
- Squares: no statement of cost or hours on the official page; price blank.
- Dogs, parking, counties not stated on the pages read.
- Savannah Botanical Garden fee: page says $5 so excluded from free list.
- Savannah Lighted Christmas Parade 2026: no 2026 date found on a fetched page.
- Entries with no Cost line are public parks, streets or trails whose official page gives hours or rules but never states a price; we call them free only where the cited page or the city visitor bureau says so.
How we checked this guide: Dates, hours, admission and parking prices, and access details were verified against the official sources listed below on . Operators change schedules and raise prices without notice, so confirm anything time-sensitive before you drive. The figures in this guide also feed our Georgia Attraction Transparency Index and Family Day-Out Cost Index.
Sources
Hank Whitlock is the pen name of the It's Georgia editor. Every guide is built around the questions a busy family actually asks before a trip: how long is the drive, what does parking cost, can the stroller make it, are dogs allowed. Details are checked against official park, city, and venue sources, and each guide shows the date it was last updated.
More from Things to Do
Cite this page: It's Georgia, “Free Things to Do in Savannah”, itsgeorgia.com/things-to-do/free-things-to-do-in-savannah/ (updated ). Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page.