Best things to do in Georgia

Soak up the southern charm and rich cultural heritage of Georgia’s coast in Savannah Historic District. The district, named a National Historic Site in 1966, comprises a grid of tree-lined blocks dotted with 18th- and 19th-century architecture, classic storefronts, and picturesque green spaces. A well-known area for shopping and dining, the district also serves as the area’s cultural hub, known for its art and music. Have a cup of coffee on one of the many Spanish moss-covered terraces, or pay a visit to the Old Colonial Cemetery. Take advantage of the free hop-on-hop-off streetcar for a relaxing ride around the city center.

With more than 100,000 creatures from 500 different species, Georgia Aquarium has more aquatic life than any other aquarium in the world. Stop at the entrance to note the times of the daily bottlenose dolphin shows, or arrange to swim with the whale sharks--the largest fish in the world. The aquarium features six galleries, each designed to represent a specific environment. You can visit touch tanks filled with sea stars, stingrays, shrimp, horseshoe crabs, and sea turtles. In the regional habitat exhibits, you can walk through a tunnel surrounded by water to observe fish from an underwater perspective. Consider a guided tour of the backstage area to learn the secrets behind the aquarium's popular exhibits.

Discover some of Savannah's scariest legends as you attempt to contact the dead with paranormal equipment on a guided ghost and vampire tour. Your guide will take you strolling through the city that was literally built on its dead, while revealing gruesome details of sinister deeds, haunted buildings, and the city's most wicked characters. You can finish off the spine-tingling journey with a nightcap at one of Savannah's haunted bars. To see the most of the city, opt for a tour that combines walking with a trolley ride. The duration of these tours is flexible, but they usually last between 90 minutes and 3 hours.

Georgia's oldest Catholic church, Cathedral of St. John the Baptist sits in the downtown district of Savannah, an area steeped in rich history and culture. Completed in 1876, this Gothic-style building features two twin spires, making it an easily recognizable landmark on the city's skyline. Walk inside to see the famous stained glass windows made by renowned Tyrolean glassmakers of Austria, which were installed in 1904. Bring your camera to snap a few photos of the wall murals, painted by local artist Christopher Murphy and a team of assistants. For updated information about daily services, check the mass schedule on the cathedral's website.

Created in the 19th century as part of a beautification project, Forsyth Park contains walking paths, play areas, tennis courts, and a cafe. City planners began this park in the 1840s on a small piece of land designated for public use. Using this plot as the core of their design, they then expanded the park's grounds with land donated by Georgia governor John Forsyth. Named in recognition of Forsyth's contribution to the development of the city, the park now spans over 12 hectares (30 acres) and serves as the focal point of residential areas radiating from this public space. Today it's popular for its free concerts and farmers' market.

Get an inside look at the creation and long-lasting legacy of one of the world's favorite beverages at World of Coca-Cola, which features interactive exhibits and more than 1,200 pieces of memorabilia. The 8 hectare (20 acre) complex includes the vault that guards the company's top-secret recipe. You can watch the bottling process, then move on to the tasting room and its 100-plus flavors of Coke. Don't forget your free commemorative Coca-Cola glass before you leave.

In 1985, the A.S. Varn & Son Oyster and Crab Factory in Pin Point closed its doors for good. It marked the end of an era for the tiny fishing community tucked quietly away on the banks of the Moon River just south of Savannah, Georgia. For nearly one hundred years, Pin Point was isolated and self-sustained, a Gullah/Geechee enclave founded by first-generation freedmen where family, religion, and work were deeply connected to the water.

Today, the factory buildings have been reopened as Pin Point Heritage Museum, operated by Coastal Heritage Society, celebrating the life, work, and history of this Gullah/Geechee community that calls Pin Point home.

Pin Point Heritage Museum is open to the public 9am-5pm, Thursday-Saturday. Groups of 10 or more may book a tour of the museum any day of the week. For booking information, please contact our events coordinator Sara Boon at sboon@chsgeorgia.org.

GUIDED TOURS for walk-in visitors are offered Thursday-Saturday at 10:30, 12:00, 1:30, and 3:30.

Hills and Dales Estate is the home built for textile magnate Fuller Earle Callaway and his wife Ida Cason Callaway completed in 1916 in Lagrange, Georgia. The property includes the pre-Civil War Ferrell Gardens started by Nancy Ferrell in 1832 and expanded by her daughter Sarah Coleman Ferrell beginning in 1841.

If the stones of Bonaventure Cemetery could talk, they would narrate some of Savannah's most dramatic stories. Located on a scenic bluff overlooking the Wilmington River, the cemetery shot to fame in 1994 when it became a setting for a movie directed by Clint Eastwood. A quiet place of oaks, lawn sculptures, and dripping Spanish moss, the cemetery attracts visitors with its eerie feel, which inspired writer John Berendt to call it "the garden of good and evil." As you stroll through the cemetery, look for the graves of poet Conrad Aiken, actress Edythe Chapman, and songwriter Johnny Mercer.

Emphasizing the values of the United States military, National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center presents historical artifacts and multimedia exhibits from the American Revolution to the Afghan war. See one of the greatest collections of military pieces in the world, and meet the soldiers face to face. The museum strives to help people understand how and why one becomes a soldier. The Cold War gallery is a particularly intense exhibit--you'll experience gunfire, explosions, rainstorms, and the destructive power of nuclear weapons. From tropical jungles of Vietnam, to frozen mountains of Korea, you'll see the real face of battle.