Housed in the old Central of Georgia Railway shed, the Savannah History Museum covers the city's history from Oglethorpe's 1733 founding through the Civil War and into the 20th century. The building itself is part of the exhibit — the train shed is enormous and atmospheric, with locomotives and rolling stock on display alongside the historical material.
The museum holds the original park bench prop from Forrest Gump and a small exhibit on the film's Savannah connections. The Civil War section is solid: Savannah was spared Sherman's destruction when the city surrendered in December 1864, and the exhibits explain both the military campaign and what the occupation meant for the city's enslaved population.