Movies filmed in Savannah read like a highlight reel of the city itself: Forrest Gump's bench scenes in Chippewa Square, Clint Eastwood's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil at the Mercer Williams House and Bonaventure Cemetery, the Civil War drama Glory, and The Last Song out on Tybee Island. The best part for visitors: almost every major location is a real place you can stand in today, most of them free, and they chain together into one of the best themed walking days in the city.
TL;DR — Savannah's Famous Film Locations
- Forrest Gump (1994): the bench scenes were shot in Chippewa Square; the actual bench now lives in the Savannah History Museum. Full details in our Forrest Gump locations guide.
- Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997): the Mercer Williams House and Bonaventure Cemetery anchor the story.
- Glory (1989): the Oscar-winning Civil War film shot scenes in Savannah.
- The Last Song (2010): filmed around Tybee Island's beach and pier — pair with our beach guide.
- Bonus: SCAD's Savannah Film Festival keeps the city's movie culture alive every fall.
Where Are the Forrest Gump Locations?
Chippewa Square is the essential stop — the "box of chocolates" bench scenes were filmed on its north side, and standing there with the church tower behind you drops you straight into the frame. The prop bench itself was moved indoors and is displayed at the Savannah History Museum, which makes the museum a worthwhile add for film pilgrims. Our dedicated Forrest Gump filming locations guide maps the rest, and since Chippewa sits mid-district, it slots into any squares walk without a detour.
What About Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil?
No film is more tangled with Savannah's identity. The book and Eastwood's 1997 adaptation — with John Cusack and Kevin Spacey — dramatize a real Savannah story centered on the Mercer Williams House on Monterey Square, which you can see from the square today (it appears in our historic homes guide). The film's other icon is Bonaventure Cemetery, whose moss-and-monument atmosphere the story made world famous; the Bird Girl statue from the book's cover was moved from the cemetery to a Telfair museum downtown for its protection. "The Book," as locals call it, still shapes how visitors see the city — half the ghost tour routes wink at it.
Local tip: Do the Midnight pilgrimage in the right order: Monterey Square and the Mercer Williams House while walking the district, then Bonaventure as its own half-day trip — the cemetery deserves more than a drive-by, and our Bonaventure guide covers hours, tours, and etiquette.
Which Other Films Used Savannah?
Glory (1989), the Oscar-winning story of the 54th Massachusetts, shot scenes in Savannah, and the city's preserved streetscapes have doubled for earlier centuries in productions ever since — one reason film crews keep returning. Nicholas Sparks' The Last Song (2010) planted Miley Cyrus on Tybee Island, whose beach and pier scenes still draw fans out for a coastal day. And beyond any single title, SCAD's annual Savannah Film Festival each fall brings premieres and stars downtown, keeping the movie connection current rather than nostalgic. For a broader screen-history fix, several stops in our museums guide touch the city's film and cultural story.
How Do You Build a Film-Locations Day?
- Morning: Chippewa Square for the Gump bench site, then the Savannah History Museum to see the bench itself.
- Midday: walk to Monterey Square for the Mercer Williams House, lunch nearby from our restaurants directory.
- Afternoon: ride out to Bonaventure Cemetery for the Midnight atmosphere.
- Alternative beach day: swap the afternoon for Tybee's pier and a dolphin tour, or the oak avenue at Wormsloe Historic Site, which also appears in The Last Song.
- Evening: a ghost tour — the same gothic Savannah the movies keep coming back for.
Bottom Line: Savannah's Movie Locations
Savannah's filmography is walkable: Chippewa Square and the History Museum for Forrest Gump, Monterey Square and Bonaventure for Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and Tybee Island for The Last Song, with Glory's legacy woven through the historic streets. String them together in a day, or let them decorate a normal itinerary — either way, start with our Forrest Gump guide and the 3-day itinerary, and let the credits roll from there.