Bruce Feiler - Where God Was Born, Abraham, Walking The Bible

Come On Down!
Friday, June 8, 2007

Tybee makes the NYT today. Tybee Island, that is.

WHEN it comes to finding child-friendly haunts in the South, Savannah might not be the first city that comes to mind. After all, endless tours of historic mansions and myriad distinctive, though largely grown-up, galleries and stores would be enough to bore any energetic youngster. But it turns out that this vibrant 18th-century port city — and nearby Tybee Island, with its lovely, expansive beach — can be equal fun for young and old.

Two highlights:

The newest downtown attraction is the 64,000-square-foot Jepson Center for the Arts (207 West York Street, 912-790-8800; www.telfair.org/buildings/jepson.asp; $10, $4 for ages 5 to 12, under 5 free), which has scores of workshops for all ages. Inside the center, the ArtZeum is a two-level space for children with a walk-through glass house and audio-visual displays. A low-tech area includes a huge doodling wall and architectural building blocks for the youngest visitors.

Ghost tours are a Savannah mainstay. Shannon Scott says he has documented hundreds of Savannians' personal encounters with local ghosts and voodoo. He and Chris Soucy operate Sixth Sense Tours (888-374-4678, www.savannahghosttour.com; 7 and 9:30 p.m.; $18, $10 for ages 10 to 15, $5 under 10). Their shorter more family-friendly walk is America's Most Haunted City the Tour ($12., $8 for ages 8 to 11, $5 under 8). This 75-to-90-minute tour includes the 1797 Hampton-Lillibridge House, which was moved to its current location by Jim Williams, the protagonist of “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” He believed that one of the house's ghosts was an 18th-century resident of Savannah, Rene Asche Rondolier, who was said to have been lynched after being accused of murdering two girls at what is now Colonial Park Cemetery.

Posted by B Feiler at 3:24 PM
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