The Vietnam Memorial, Savannah, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Vietnam Memorial in Savannah stands in Emmet Park, the shady greenspace along East Bay Street, and honors local soldiers who served in the Vietnam War. It sits among several other monuments in a park that has long been a gathering place for the city's Irish community, so one short stop covers a lot of Savannah's story.

The story behind it

The park has been known as Emmet Park since 1903. It is named after the Irish patriot Robert Emmet, and it has long been a meeting place for Savannah's Irish community, which helps host the city's St. Patrick's Day celebration.

The Vietnam memorial is one of several tributes here. A memorial for local soldiers who served in the Korean War stands in the same park. Around them are other reminders of the city's past: a stone Celtic Cross, a rock commemorating the German Salzburgers who helped found the colony, and a plaque honoring the Chatham Artillery, a military unit formed in 1786.

What to look for

• The Vietnam memorial itself, a quiet tribute to the local soldiers who served in that war, best taken in slowly rather than as a quick photo stop.
• The neighboring Korean War memorial, which honors local soldiers from another conflict and shows how the park works as a place of remembrance.
• The stone Celtic Cross, a clear sign of the park's Irish connection.
• The rock commemorating the Salzburgers and the plaque for the Chatham Artillery, both easy to walk past if you do not look for them.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 15 to 30 minutes to see the memorials and read the markers without rushing.
• The park is open greenspace along East Bay Street, so you can wander in freely. Check for any local notices if you are visiting around a major event.
• The shade makes it a pleasant break in the middle of the day, especially in warm weather.
• It is close to the riverfront and the historic district, so it fits easily into a longer walk on foot.

See it on a quest

Playing Captured by Pirates in Savannah is a good way to see this part of the city. You reach the park on foot as one stop on a longer pirate-themed route through the area. The app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle based on what is in front of you. There is no guide and no group to join, and you can start whenever you like. One ticket covers the whole group.