Savannah after dark — why evening is magic
Savannah is one of those rare cities that gets better after dark. The 22 historic squares — each one a pocket park ringed by antebellum townhouses and fountains — are lit at night by antique-style streetlamps that cast warm pools of light across the Spanish moss. The crowds of daytime visitors thin out, the temperature drops (at least from October through April), and the city's personality shifts from charming to genuinely atmospheric. Colonial Park Cemetery, which dates to 1750 and sits in the heart of the Historic District, takes on an entirely different character by lantern light. The Savannah River reflects the lights of River Street's bars and restaurants. Forsyth Park's Victorian fountain glows white against the dark canopy of oaks.
The evening atmosphere is partly why Savannah has developed such a rich after-dark tour culture. Ghost tours and historical walking tours work far better here than in many cities because the setting does so much of the work — the narration is supplemented by genuine 18th- and 19th-century architecture, real burial grounds and squares that have been walked for nearly 300 years. Evenings are also when Savannah's restaurant scene peaks, making a dinner cruise or a food-and-drink tour a natural complement to the sightseeing options.
The evening atmosphere is partly why Savannah has developed such a rich after-dark tour culture. Ghost tours and historical walking tours work far better here than in many cities because the setting does so much of the work — the narration is supplemented by genuine 18th- and 19th-century architecture, real burial grounds and squares that have been walked for nearly 300 years. Evenings are also when Savannah's restaurant scene peaks, making a dinner cruise or a food-and-drink tour a natural complement to the sightseeing options.