Skip the Shot Glass: Where to Find Souvenirs That Actually Mean Something in Savannah

Every historic American city has a souvenir economy, and most of it is interchangeable: printed t-shirts, resin trinkets, magnets that could have come from anywhere. Savannah is not immune. But the traveler willing to look past the gift shops clustered around River Street will discover something better — a deep bench of independent makers, weavers, antiques dealers, and food producers whose goods carry the city in them. Here is where to look, and what is worth the suitcase space.

Sweetgrass Baskets: Buy From the Hands That Made Them

The coiled sweetgrass baskets of the Gullah-Geechee community are the most historically significant craft in the Lowcountry — a tradition carried from West Africa through generations of enslaved and free Black artisans, and now recognized as a cultural treasure. Genuine baskets are sold along the city gate market area and at stands along the roads to Tybee Island, often by the weavers themselves or their direct relatives.

How to know it is authentic: the coil should show palmetto fronds, sweetgrass, and pine needles stitched with strips of palmetto; the price reflects hours of handwork, typically beginning around $40 for small pieces and rising steeply with size and intricacy. Ask the seller about the basket's story — genuine weavers will have one. Avoid machine-made imitations sold in bulk bins.

The Design District and Its Antiques

Along Whitaker Street and the surrounding blocks of the Starland District and the Design District, Savannah's antique dealers and interior shops offer the kind of finds that make shipping worthwhile. Expect Southern and European furniture, architectural salvage, vintage maps and prints of the city, and silver with provenance. Prices are often gentler than Charleston or New Orleans, and dealers are generally happy to discuss an item's history.

For travelers without room in the car, several shops arrange freight or hold purchases for return trips — a common practice in a city with many repeat visitors.

Local Makers and Small Studios

Savannah's creative community has grown visibly in the past decade, and its retail footprint has followed. Look for:

• Artisan ceramics and prints from studios and co-ops in the Starland District, often sold in small galleries where you can meet the maker.
• Letterpress and stationery from local print shops, frequently featuring Savannah's squares and architecture in original designs.
• Jewelry from metalsmiths working in small studios, several of whom sell through the city's weekend markets and festivals.

The City Market area and the Farmers' Market on Forsyth Park weekends are reliable places to encounter makers directly.

What to Pack in Your Suitcase

Savannah's food products travel better than most souvenirs. Priorities include:

• Pralines from the candy kitchens along City Market and River Street — best bought within a day or two of departure.
• Local honey and preserves, particularly those made from the region's tupelo and wildflower harvests.
• Lowcountry boil seasoning blends and grits from regional mills, widely available at specialty grocers.
• Small-batch spirits from Savannah's craft distilleries, several of which bottle rums and gins with genuine local character.

What to Skip

A candid word: mass-produced "Savannah" merchandise — the printed magnets, the mass-manufactured trinkets, the shirts sold five for twenty dollars — exists in every tourist city and says nothing about this one. Similarly, be wary of vendors selling "antique" items without any history or documentation, and of baskets or crafts that appear factory-made but are priced as if handwoven.

The Deeper Return

There is a practical argument for buying local — money stays in the community, traditions stay funded — and there is a better one. A sweetgrass basket on your shelf, a print of a Savannah square on your wall, a jar of local honey in your pantry: these are souvenirs that keep the city with you. The shot glass will end up in a drawer. The basket will start conversations for the rest of your life.