Free street parking in the Historic District is available all day on Sundays, and on weekday and Saturday evenings from 8pm.
Free parking is difficult to come by in Historic District Savannah, where most places to park attract a charge of $1-$2 per hour, whether in its garages and lots or on the street. Parking is typically more expensive north of Liberty Street, with lower prices available further south.
Savannah currently offers free parking in the evenings and on Sundays, when charges are not enforced in on-street spaces and some lots across the Historic District. On busy evenings it may be difficult to find an empty space.
The further away from downtown you are willing to park, the greater the likelihood of finding a space you don’t have to pay for, with free street parking available in some more outlying neighborhoods. Savannah is a walkable city, however, and there are also free shuttles and other paid bus services to connect you to downtown from more distant parking locations.
See also:
– Public transport in Savannah
– Savannah’s must-see sights
– Free sights and attractions
– Where to park on and near River Street
!Please check that no charges or other restrictions apply to any space you find before leaving your vehicle. Parking regulations, where applicable, are clearly posted on street-side signs. Meters can be next to the spaces or at the end of the block. Some free spaces may be time-limited.
It is very difficult to avoid paying for parking during the week in or near downtown Savannah, the area of the Historic District roughly bounded by Abercorn Street on the east and Liberty Street on the south.
The bulk of Savannah’s free parking is located outside of downtown, around the eastern and southern borders of the Historic District and southwards beyond Forsyth Park.
Free parking was formerly available along most of Broughton Street, Savannah’s main shopping area where many of its larger stores are located. However, these free spaces were withdrawn as part of the city’s redevelopment of its parking strategy.
If you are visiting the area around River Street on a weekday, you will almost definitely have to pay to park. A tiny handful of free spaces are available on the River Street access ramps opposite Abercorn and Barnard Streets (3-hour limit) and near Morrell Park (2-hour limit).
Near the very western end of River Street is a cluster of streets, centered around Indian Street, on which parking is free and time unlimited. This area, however, near the Talmadge Bridge, is several hundred yards west of the tourist parts of River Street.
→ More about parking near River Street
There is a scattering of free spaces in other parts of downtown Savannah: on Bryan and Congress Streets immediately east of Franklin Square (limited to 2 hours); on Bull Street immediately north of Chippewa Square (2 hours); on Barnard Street immediately south of Orleans Square (5 hours); and a few spaces around Johnson Square and the south and west of Reynolds Square (30 minutes only). Don’t count on finding them empty!
Nearby attractions: Emmet Park, River Street (eastern), Colonial Park Cemetery, Owens-Thomas House, Davenport House, Greene Square.
Free, time-unlimited parking spaces are available along parts of Price Street; they are outlined in white. Watch out for cyclists when opening vehicle doors, as this street is one of Savannah’s main bike corridors.
Additional free parking (no time limit) is available around Greene Square on Houston Street and to its east, and on most of the streets in the immediate vicinity of Crawford Square. You may also find an occasional space free-of-charge around Warren and Columbia Squares.
Nearby attractions: Colonial Park Cemetery, King-Tisdell Cottage, Beach Institute, Cathedral of St John the Baptist, Massie Heritage Center, Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home, Forsyth Park (north end), Andrew Low House (also offers own free parking), Madison Square, Monterey Square.
Most on-street spaces are free and time unlimited in the area east of Abercorn Street, south of Harris Street. Almost all spaces are free in streets around Troup and Whitefield Squares, and the Beach Institute neighborhood east of them.
The streets on the eastern side of Lafayette and Calhoun Squares also offer free parking. However, most spaces on Abercorn Street itself and on the streets west of these two squares require payment and will have posted time limits.
In this area, it is usually easiest to find an empty space in the afternoons and evenings. Availability increases the further east and south you go.
Nearby attractions: Jones Street, Chatham Square, Battlefield Park, Savannah History Museum (own parking free for 1hr), Georgia State Railroad Museum (has own free parking), Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum (has own free parking).
Free parking, without time limits, is available west of Chatham Square, mostly along Wayne and Montgomery Streets, plus (for a one-block distance) on several of the streets in the immediate vicinity of their intersection. Parking is also free on most of the streets located south of the Georgia State Railroad Museum, between it and Interstate 16.
Expect to have trouble finding an empty space near Chatham Square, especially on weekends, but the other streets south of the railroad museum are considerably less popular.
Nearby attractions: Forsyth Park, Chatham Square, Monterey Square, Mercer-Williams House.
With very few exceptions, parking is always free and time unlimited once you are south of Gaston Street. In the streets to the east and west of Forsyth Park, you should be able to find parking within a few blocks of the park itself, and the lower reaches of Bull Street.
It should usually be easy enough to find a space here on weekdays, especially on the western side of the park.
Additionally, there are two small lots in Forsyth Park (on the east of the park near the café, and on its south) where no charge is made to park, but stays in the eastern lot are restricted to 90 minutes.
Please note that most of Gaston Street itself falls within the pay-to-park zone, and that parking is not permitted on Whitaker or Drayton Streets.
Also be aware that weekend events are often held in Forsyth Park. The most popular of these attract thousands of visitors, who can occupy most of the on-street spaces for many blocks around.
See Also: Savannah Highlights
– Forsyth Park
– Bonaventure Cemetery
– Bull Street squares
– First African Baptist Church
– Isle of Hope
– Pin Point Heritage Museum
– Skidaway Island State Park
– Savannah National Wildlife Refuge
– Kayak tours near Savannah
– Savannah events