James Oglethorpe’s 1733 plan for Savannah was radical in its simplicity: a grid of neighbourhoods, each centred on a shaded public square where residents could gather, markets could be held, and militias could muster. Nearly three centuries later, 22 of those original squares survive, still functioning as the green lungs of one of America’s most atmospheric cities. In this Savannah Georgia walking tour historic squares video, creator Walk HD takes you on a 4K journey through the enchanting downtown — from the Factor’s Walk cobblestones along the river bluff, through the live-oak tunnels linking square to square, to the crowning glory of Forsyth Park and its famous cast-iron fountain.
About This Walking Tour
Walk HD’s 4K real-time walking tour of Savannah has become a benchmark for the city’s video coverage, and it earns that reputation through sheer visual consistency. The video begins at River Street, the repurposed cotton warehouse district along the Savannah River bluff, and works south through the interconnected grid of historic squares — Johnson Square with its monument to Nathanael Greene, Chippewa Square (where Forrest Gump’s bench scenes were filmed, though the bench has since moved to a museum), Madison Square and its civil war memorial, Monterey Square with its ornate fountain. Throughout, the signature element of the Savannah streetscape asserts itself repeatedly: the spreading canopy of live oak trees, their horizontal limbs thick with trailing Spanish moss, creating a natural arcade above the brick-paved streets that functions as both shade and theatre. The tour reaches Forsyth Park in the early afternoon light, its central fountain catching the sun against the backdrop of white antebellum mansions, before continuing through the leafy southern precincts of the historic district. For anyone building a walking itinerary for a first visit to Savannah, this video is the most useful single reference available.
Highlights of Savannah
Savannah’s 22 historic squares are the framework around which everything else is organised; no two are identical in character. Johnson Square, the oldest (laid out in 1733), is the most formal, anchored by a white obelisk and surrounded by commercial buildings. Wright Square contains the grave of William Scarborough, a merchant who co-financed the first transatlantic steamship crossing. Chippewa Square sits in front of the First Baptist Church (1833) and features a bronze statue of Oglethorpe. Madison Square commemorates Sergeant William Jasper, killed in the Siege of Savannah during the Revolutionary War. Each square has its character shaped by the buildings around it and the particular quality of the tree canopy overhead. Factor’s Walk, running along the bluff above River Street, is a network of iron-railed bridges and multi-level passages connecting the upper city to the cotton factor warehouses below — an industrial relic of extraordinary atmospheric power, now housing restaurants and galleries. Forsyth Park, at the southern edge of the historic district, is Savannah’s version of Central Park: 30 acres of lawn, paths, and sports facilities anchored by the 1858 cast-iron fountain, one of the most photographed objects in the American South. The park’s magnolia and oak trees are particularly spectacular in late winter, when the branches are still bare enough to reveal the full drama of the tree architecture.
A Brief History of Savannah
Savannah was founded on February 12, 1733, when James Oglethorpe landed on Yamacraw Bluff above the Savannah River with 114 settlers and negotiated with the Yamacraw chief Tomochichi for the use of the land. Oglethorpe’s ward plan — dividing the city into self-contained neighbourhoods, each centred on a public square and surrounded by residential lots and “trust lots” reserved for public buildings — was one of the most sophisticated pieces of urban planning in colonial history. The city grew as a cotton and rice export port through the 18th and early 19th centuries; Factor’s Walk was the commercial nerve centre of the antebellum cotton economy. During the American Civil War, Savannah was spared the destruction that visited Atlanta: General Sherman completed his March to the Sea on December 21, 1864, entering the city and famously presenting it to President Lincoln as a Christmas gift rather than burning it. That act of preservation, combined with the city’s later economic stagnation, left the historic district largely intact into the 20th century. In 1955, when the Historic Savannah Foundation was established in response to the threatened demolition of the Davenport House, the city began the systematic restoration of its buildings and squares that has made it one of America’s most celebrated historic urban landscapes.
Practical Tips
March and April are the finest months for visiting Savannah — azalea blooms fill the squares, temperatures are mild, and the St Patrick’s Day Festival in mid-March (one of America’s largest, drawing close to a million visitors) gives the city an extraordinary festive energy. October and November offer comfortable temperatures and beautiful light. Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport is 25 kilometres from the historic district; rideshare is the practical arrival option. The historic district is entirely flat and walkable; the free DOT Shuttle connects major points including River Street, City Market, and the Visitor Center. Most squares and parks are free to enter and open at all hours.
Watch & Explore More
Savannah’s squares are best discovered slowly, over multiple walks at different times of day. Subscribe to @walkingtoursvideoscom for new tours added every week. For more of the American South, explore our North America walking tours collection, including Charleston just up the coast.