Learn all about Savannah's fascinating black history on a 3-hour tour of the city by bus! While watching an onboard DVD slideshow about the city’s black community before and after the Civil War, explore downtown Savannah and enjoy stops at several significant sites. Stop outside the First African Baptist Church, browse historical African-American artifacts at the Beach Institute Museum, and sample Caribbean conch (sea snail) salad in Ye Olde Herb Shoppe — a beloved Caribbean specialty shop.
Start your tour with a hotel pickup (surcharge payable locally) in your air-conditioned bus; alternatively, hop aboard your transport at the Savannah Visitor Center. Switch between gazing out of the window and watching an accompanying DVD slideshow about Savannah’s complex history. Throughout the tour, you learn important historical facts about the origins of the term ‘African-American,’ the disastrous slave auction commonly called ‘the weeping time,’ and how the Civil War affected the lives of Americans in Georgia and beyond.
Stop outside the First African Baptist Church to admire stained glass windows, an 1832 pipe organ and original pews that were built by slaves. Established around 1773, the church became a safe house to slaves in the 18th and 19th centuries, and later a gathering place for black and white Americans against segregation. Walk around at leisure to see memorabilia in the church museum.
Continue to Beach Institute Museum to browse an array of important African-American cultural artifacts. The museum is housed inside a building that was once the city’s first school for African-American children. A selection of historical displays such as incredible wood carvings by the renowned folk artist Ulysses Davis are on display.
Finally, head to Ye Olde Herb Shoppe, a specialty food shop where you can experience the Caribbean influence of modern-day Savannah. Sit down for an appetizer of ceviche-style conch salad alongside a mug of mango tea, and then shop for herbs and spices to take home, if you wish.
Head back to your bus, and then finish your 3-hour tour with a drop-off at the Savannah Visitor Center, where your tour began.
The tour began right on time from the Savannah Information Center and Savannah Museum - the old railway center from the post-vellum era - not with the regular driver/guide - who was indisposed - but with Gary Evans - one of the company principals and researcher/writer of the script. We were the only couple on the tour - and so easily took in the information and the sights as the bus slowly trundled its way around the city and its African American history - lots of firsts - churches and schools - music too - but the dreadful circumstances of the importation of African slaves was not glossed over - and one has to remember that the State of Georgia began as a non-slave colony also banned - spirits, Catholics and lawyers - the last more a wish than a proscription apparently! The first slaves were used in rice growing - and in the production of indigo - before cotton became the major agricultural and plantation king. Haitian militia men fought with those local militias fighting against the British during the War of Independence, too. And we learned something of the Gullah-Geechee presence and cultural context, too. Thanks, Gary!
Review by: Shirley L, September 2015
The tour guide Ralph Bass was awesome !! Everyone should take the tour it was well paced and unique.
Review by: Janet P, April 2015
This was not what we expected because we only tour one black museum and only passed the places we thought we would get an inside tour and I don't think the Carribean herb shop was related to the Black historical events for Savannah. We paid for a three hour tour, but only got two hours.
Review by: Anna V, July 2014
IT was not worth the money that we paid. We would never do that again.
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