River Street Square in Savannah — Online Webcam

Historic Savannah Waterfront Live

River Street is the heart of Savannah's maritime history, where every stone remembers the era of cotton kings and steamboats. The webcam, mounted on the waterfront, offers a panoramic view of the Savannah River, docks with historic vessels, and the picturesque Talmadge Bridge on the horizon. This is where the past meets the present: centuries-old brick warehouses are now cozy restaurants, and thousands of tourists walk along cobblestones brought by European ships.

River Street Cobblestones: Stones from Ship Holds

The unique pavement of River Street is not merely decorative surfacing but a genuine artifact of maritime trade. The cobblestones consist of ballast stones that European vessels brought in the 18th–19th centuries for stability during voyages. Once in Savannah, these stones were laid by hand — and today you can walk across them, imagining the unloading of sailing ship holds with goods from Europe.

The waterfront stretches for over a mile (1.6 km), and along this entire stretch run historic buildings, shops, and restaurants. River Street sits at the foot of a 40-foot (12-meter) bluff, creating a distinctive terrain: steep stone staircases and ramps lead upward from the waterfront.

PS Georgia Queen: A Giant at the Dock

In the foreground of the broadcast, the majestic river steamboat PS Georgia Queen is visible — the largest operating river vessel in the United States. Its dimensions are impressive: length of 230 feet (70 m), width of 64 feet (19.5 m), 4 decks, and capacity for up to 1,000 passengers. The vessel was built in 1995 and has since been a permanent dock at River Street, offering 90-minute sightseeing cruises with lunch and dinner.

Alongside Georgia Queen, its "younger sister" is moored — the Savannah River Queen with a capacity of 600 passengers. Both vessels pay tribute to the traditions of river navigation in the American South, when steamboats were the primary transport for cotton and passengers.

Talmadge Bridge: A Cable-Stayed Span Across the Savannah

On the horizon of the broadcast, the Talmadge Memorial Bridge is visible — a cable-stayed bridge connecting downtown Savannah with Hutchinson Island. The modern structure was built in 1991, replacing the original 1953 bridge, which had become hazardous for large vessels entering the port. The old support pillars are still visible behind the new cable-stayed structure — silent witnesses to the era of automotive boom.

Cotton Exchange and Savannah's Golden Age

The architectural dominant of River Street is the Savannah Cotton Exchange building, constructed in 1887 on Bay Street. Architect William Gibbons Preston won a competition among 11 contenders, creating a Victorian Gothic masterpiece. During its heyday, Savannah held 1st place as a cotton seaport on the Atlantic and 2nd in the world, shipping over 2 million bales of cotton annually.

Today, the Exchange building houses the headquarters of the Savannah Chamber of Commerce, and its facade with characteristic arches and turrets is one of the most photographed landmarks on the waterfront.

Prohibition Museum and Other Attractions

On River Street, you'll find the American Prohibition Museum — the only museum in the United States dedicated to the Prohibition era. Its exhibition covers the years 1920–1933, when alcohol was banned and Savannah became one of the centers of rum smuggling from the Caribbean.

Along the waterfront, there are also dozens of souvenir shops, galleries of local artists, seafood restaurants, and bars with live music. Historic 19th-century brick warehouses have been converted into modern spaces while preserving their authentic atmosphere.

Savannah River: Transportation Artery and Border

The webcam offers a view of the busy Savannah River — one of the main transportation arteries of the South. Container ships, barges, tugs, ferries, and excursion vessels constantly move along it. On the opposite bank lies Hutchinson Island with commercial and industrial buildings, including a large white building with turrets — the former Ports Authority office.

The Port of Savannah today is one of the largest container ports on the East Coast of the United States, and the river continues to play a key role in the region's economy, just as it did two centuries ago.

What You Can See on the Camera

The online camera broadcasts a view of the square on River Street in Savannah. In the foreground, at the dock, the historic river steamboat Georgia Queen is moored — a multi-deck vessel with characteristic chimps and white railings. To the right stretches a pedestrian waterfront with trees, along which people stroll; parallel to it runs a street with cars and historic buildings. On the opposite bank of the river, commercial and industrial structures are visible, and in the distance on the horizon — the cable-stayed Talmadge Bridge. The water surface glitters in the sunlight, creating a picturesque scene of a port city.