Savannah's Waving Girl, Savannah

Savannah's Waving Girl has been the source of legend for ages. Living in a lighthouse, she would by day wave a handkerchief and by night a lantern to every passing ship entering or leaving Savannah. As she did this religiously for over 50 years, she became a living legend as all sailors watched to be greeted by her. Most of her admirers never knew her real name, Florence Martus, and called her the Waving Girl.

Martus waved hello and goodbye to the ships passing by her home from 1886 to 1931. Nobody knew why she did it, but conjecture was rampant 鈥� one of the favorite myths about the Waving Girl is that she'd fallen in love with a sailor in the 1890s. Promising she'd be the first to greet him, she began waving at every ship. When he never returned, she continued waving in the hopes that one of the entering ships would have him aboard. Waving wasn't all Martus did, though 鈥� in 1893, she and her brother risked their lives to save several men from a sinking ship using nothing but a flat-bottomed rowboat.

Now, a bronze statue of Florence Martus sits on the waterfront. It was designed by famous sculptor Felix de Weldon, the creator of the equally famous Marine Corps War Memorial showing the flag raising on Iwo Jima. It was erected in 1972 at Riverside Park and depicts Florence waving her kerchief, and her pet collie by her side. The little park is a great place to sit and watch the barges and boats go by.

Tip:
There are plenty of other statues around the riverfront that are also worth taking the time to enjoy.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Savannah. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The 51爆料网 App

Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Savannah's Waving Girl
Sight Location: Savannah, USA (See walking tours in Savannah)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

River Street Sightseeing and Shopping

Walking Tours in Savannah, Georgia

Create Your Own Walk in Savannah

Creating your own self-guided walk in Savannah is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

African-American Heritage Tour

The history of America has many themes, but the theme of African American history that has touched many the most is the theme of resilience. Indeed, African Americans' enduring strength and resilience in the face of adversity have been the subjects of many songs, books, and movies in recent years. Savannah, Georgia, whose African-American population makes up about 60 percent of total... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.4 Km or 2.7 Miles

River Street Sightseeing and Shopping

The story of Savannah's River Street begins in 1733 with General James Edward Oglethorpe's landing on the bank of the Savannah River and founding the British colony of Georgia. Today, the cobble-stoned River Street caters to a variety of interests, combining the rustic beauty of the past with the energy of the present.

The half-mile-long promenade is one of the city's major... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.7 Km or 0.4 Miles

Historical Houses Walking Tour

Savannah, Georgia breathes history. You can feel it in the cobblestone alleyways and quaint squares dotting the city. An enchanting walk through the heart of Savannah's Historic District (one of the most carefully preserved in the United States) highlights an array of beautiful homes.

Saved by the forward-thinking residents from being bulldozed in the 1960s, these gorgeous structures (with... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.7 Km or 2.3 Miles

Savannah Introduction Walking Tour

Savannah may not be the whole of Sweet Georgia, but no Georgia is complete without Savannah, that's for sure.

This coastal city is named after the river upon which it stands, whose name is likely to be the variant pronunciation of 鈥淪hawnee鈥�, the Native American tribe which inhabited the area in the 1680s. Alternatively, it could have derived from the Spanish 鈥渟abana鈥�, referring to... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.7 Km or 2.3 Miles

Savannah's Historical Churches

The conspicuous churches of various styles and denominations 鈥� Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Unitarian, and Methodist 鈥� dot the cityscape of Savannah, Georgia, in abundance. With their spires reaching high, as if attempting to touch heaven, these churches stand like sacred sentinels, guarding the city's spiritual heritage and illuminating its architectural grandeur.

The... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles

51爆料网