By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Georgia > Coastal Georgia > Chatham County > Savannah

Kids and their parents can participate in all kinds of artistic activities in the ArtZeum Gallery in the Jepson Center for the Arts at Telfair Museum of Art in Savannah. 

The oldest public art museum in the South, Telfair Museum of Art in Savannah, is also one of its finest. Founded in 1883 when prominent Savannah philanthropist Mary Telfair left her home and its furnishing to the Georgia Historical Society to be opened as a museum, today’s Telfair consists of three unique buildings: the Telfair Academy, the Owens-Thomas House, and the Jepson Center for the Arts.

Designed in the Regency style by English architect William Jay, the Telfair Academy, a National Historic Landmark, houses 19th- and 20th-century American and European art from the museum’s permanent collection, including paintings, works on paper, sculpture, and decorative arts.

The Owens-Thomas House, also a National Historic Landmark and also designed by William Jay but notably different in style, is considered one of the finest examples of English Regency architecture in the country. In addition to the historic house museum - featuring decorative art ranging from the late 18th to the early 19th century - the site includes rare intact urban slave quarters, an English-inspired parterre garden, and an original carriage house. (more…)

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Georgia > Coastal Georgia > Chatham County > Savannah

Any railroad enthusiast will find a lot to explore at the Central of Georgia Railroad Shops and Terminal, a National Historic Landmark in Savannah.

Huge transportation complexes with shops and necessary services are not a modern concept. To understand that, just step back in time in Savannah and visit the Central Georgia Railroad Shops and Terminal.

This 32.5-acre complex, a National Historic Landmark, was begun in 1835. It is dominated by the Central of Georgia Depot and Trainshed, which were begun in 1860, before the Civil War broke out. Other notable structures, including a cotton yard and a blacksmith shop.

According to the Coastal Heritage Society:

“The Central Railroad and Canal Company was chartered in 1833. The purpose of the railroad was to bring products of Georgia to Savannah for export, especially cotton. The idea of a canal was soon dismissed, but the railroad grew rapidly. Two years later, this facility was built for the construction and maintenance of the growing fleet of steam locomotives and rail cars. By 1843, the Central Railroad & Banking Company of Georgia had constructed 190 miles of rail forming the longest continuous railroad under one management in the world. The Central also increased their rolling stock to over 50 locomotives and 500 cars, making it the second largest holding in the pre-civil war South. (more…)

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Georgia > Coastal Georgia > Chatham County > Savannah

The birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts, was the first designated National Historic Landmark in Savannah.

I first visited the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace on the corner of Oglethorpe Avenue and Bull Street in downtown Savannah many years ago when my oldest daughter was a Girl Scout. Her troop had saved their cookie money for six years for that trip to Savannah and a day at the Birthplace as it is called. I remember a stately but friendly house and a dozen or so fifth grade girls dressed up in Victorian smocks, making crafts, playing Victorian parlor games, and learning about the woman who had started the Girl Scout organization back in 1922.

Daisy, as Juliette Gordon Low was called, developed a life long interest in the arts as a girl. She wrote poems, sketched, wrote and acted in plays; and later became a skilled painter and sculptor. She founded the Girl Scouts on March 12, 1912, to help “build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.” (more…)

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

The gopher tortoise, which lives in dry, sandy regions and is native to Georgia’s coast, can be see in the wild at Oatland Island Wildlife Center.

American bison, white-tailed deer, gray wolf, red fox, nine-banded armadillo, peregrine falcon, sandhill crane, gopher tortoise and bald eagle—these are just some of the natural wildlife of Georgia and the nation that you can see at the Oatland Island Wildlife Center of Savannah.

Located less than five minutes from Savannah’s historic district, the wildlife center has over 100 acres of maritime forest and exhibits 50 species of animals. Outdoor exhibits include the Wolf Wilderness, Alligator Wetlands, Predators of Georgia, and Birds of Prey. Goats, pigs, donkeys and sheep are just some of the animals found in the Georgia Farm area. (more…)

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Fort Pulaski National Monument on Georgia’s Coast is a place where kids can experience cannon firings, musket and soldering demonstrations and learn something about the history of the Civil War as well. 

If you want to coax a little history on children, one of the best ways to do it is to visit a fort. I love to take kids to forts. They can run around, make noise, and are usually fascinated by the cannons, drawbridges, and moats, as well as the idea that people (soldiers) actually once lived in this place.

Fort Pulaski National Monument is a good introduction to forts for any family. Fifteen miles east of Savannah, it stood guard over the Savannah River for over 150 years. The Battle of Fort Pulaski in April 1862 marked a turning point in this country’s military history because it signaled the end of the masonry fortifications that had guarded the coastline. Those new rifled cannons belonging to the Union Army shattered the fort’s walls from over a mile away, and Confederate troops at the fort eventually surrendered. (more…)

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Logistics is obviously important when traveling with kids. Is it a 15-minute drive or do you need to pack a lunch and their favorite toys? Do you need to book a hotel or can you get to your destination and back home without a lot of backseat grumbling?

From my perch in Fayette County, I try to cover a lot of ground around the state. One of my favorite places to travel to in Georgia—and take children along—is Savannah. There are two times a year when that lovely city particularly calls my name—spring and the holidays. So, right now, I am starting to long for River Street and the smell of pralines and ocean air. For me, this means about a four-hour drive, without stops.

A piece of advice—whether you live in the Savannah area or, like myself, need to plan an overnight trip with a child, a great website to visit is SouthernMamas.com. Anne Hart, a Savannah mom who writes the website, has the scoop on where to stay, what to see, where to eat, and every worthwhile activity that you can enjoy with your family while in that marvelous area. You can even subscribe for a free, weekly e-mail newsletter “This week for kids in Savannah & the Low Country.”

Learn more about SouthernMamas.com here at Brown’s Guides.