You can still see Georgia’s coast on a small budget. A national monument on St. Simons Island is free, and Savannah’s Oatland Island Wildlife Center and Waycross’s Southern Forest World still cost $5 or less for adults. Many museums that were once $5 or less now charge more, so we list current 2026 prices for each one below.
- FreeFort Frederica National Monument, Orange Hall grounds
- $5 or lessOatland Island Wildlife Center, Southern Forest World
- Save moreKids’ prices at most sites are $3 to $7
Free
Fort Frederica National Monument
The ruins of the town and fort General Oglethorpe built on St. Simons Island in 1736 to guard Georgia’s southern frontier. Cost: free (no entrance fee). Open: grounds daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; visitor center Wed to Sun. 6515 Frederica Rd., St. Simons Island. 912-638-3639. Official site
Orange Hall
An 1830s Greek Revival mansion in downtown St. Marys, owned by the city. The house interior is closed for renovation, but the grounds are open to visitors year-round. Cost: free to walk the grounds. Open: year-round. 311 Osborne St., St. Marys. Official site
$5 or Less for Adults
Oatland Island Wildlife Center
Savannah’s nature center, with a 2-mile trail past native animals such as wolves, bison, bald eagles, alligators and Florida panthers on more than 100 acres of forest and marsh. Cost: $5 adults; $3 ages 4 to 17, seniors and military; 3 and under free. Open: daily 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., last entry 3:30 p.m. 711 Sandtown Rd., Savannah. Official site
Southern Forest World
A forestry museum with logging and turpentine history, a climb-through tree and Stuckie, the dog found mummified inside a hollow tree. Cost: $5 adults; $4 seniors and students; under 5 free. Open: Tue to Fri 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sat 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 1440 N. Augusta Ave., Waycross. 912-285-4056. Official site
Now Over $5, but Still a Good Value
These were $5-and-under picks in earlier editions of this guide. Prices have risen, but most are still well under $15, and children’s tickets often stay near $5.
St. Marys Submarine Museum
Submarine history near Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, with a working periscope that looks out over the St. Marys River. Cost: $7 adults; $6 seniors, military and students; $4 ages 6 to 12. (Now above $5; admission was $5 or less when this place was first added to this list.) Open: Tue to Sat 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 102 St. Marys St., St. Marys. 912-882-2782. Official site
Massie Heritage Center
Savannah’s first public school (1856), with galleries on the city’s history, architecture and plan, and a 19th-century classroom. Cost: $7 adults; $6 seniors; $5 ages 5 to 17; $2 ages 1 to 4. (Now above $5; admission was $5 or less when this place was first added to this list.) Open: Mon to Sat 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 207 E. Gordon St., Savannah. 912-395-5070. Official site
UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium
A small saltwater aquarium with Georgia coastal fish and reptiles, plus nature trails on Skidaway Island. Cost: $8 adults; $6 ages 3 to 17, seniors, military and college students. (Now above $5; admission was $5 or less when this place was first added to this list.) Open: Mon to Fri 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sat 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 30 Ocean Science Cir., Savannah. Official site
Old Fort Jackson
Georgia’s oldest standing brick fort, on the Savannah River, with cannon firings and Coastal Heritage Society programs. Cost: $9 adults; $5 ages 2 to 12. (Now above $5; admission was $5 or less when this place was first added to this list.) Open: Wed to Sun 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 1 Fort Jackson Rd., Savannah. 912-232-3945. Official site
Beach Institute and King-Tisdell Cottage
Two African American history sites run by one foundation: the Beach Institute, founded in 1867 as a school for freed people, and the 1896 King-Tisdell Cottage museum. Cost: $10 adults; $7 seniors, military and students; 4 and under free. (Now above $5; admission was $5 or less when this place was first added to this list.) Open: Tue to Sat noon to 5 p.m. 502 E. Harris St. and 514 E. Huntingdon St., Savannah. 912-335-8868. Official site
St. Simons Island Lighthouse Museum
Climb the 1872 lighthouse and tour the keeper’s dwelling, run by the Coastal Georgia Historical Society. Cost: $12 adults; $6 ages 6 to 12; under 6 free. (Now above $5; admission was $5 or less when this place was first added to this list.) Open: Mon to Sat 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sun noon to 5 p.m. 610 Beachview Dr., St. Simons Island. 912-638-4666. Official site
Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum
Savannah’s civil rights history, in a 1914 building that housed the country’s largest Black-owned bank of its era. Cost: $15 adults; $8 seniors; $7 students. (Now above $5; admission was $5 or less when this place was first added to this list.) Open: Tue to Sat 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 460 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Savannah. 912-777-6099. Official site
Tybee Island Marine Science Center
Aquariums, touch tanks and sea turtle exhibits, now in its new building at Tybee’s north end. Cost: $15 adults; $12 ages 5 to 12, seniors and military. (Now above $5; admission was $5 or less when this place was first added to this list.) Open: Wed to Mon 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Tuesdays). 37 Meddin Dr., Tybee Island. 912-786-5917. Official site
For more ideas, see free indoor and free outdoor things to do on the coast, and our Georgia lighthouses guide.
Sources we checked
Facts in this guide were checked against the agencies and operators that run these places:
- National Park Service: Fort Frederica – no entrance fee; hours
- Oatland Island Wildlife Center: admission and hours
- Massie Heritage Center: hours and pricing
- St. Marys Submarine Museum – admission and hours
- Coastal Georgia Historical Society – St. Simons Lighthouse admission
- Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum: tickets
- Tybee Island Marine Science Center: plan your visit
- Beach Institute / King-Tisdell Cottage Foundation: tickets
Spot something out of date? Email Contact@n-georgia.com and we’ll check it against the official source. Read how we research our guides.