The best way to introduce yourself to the island is via St. Simons Trolley Island Tours (tel. 912/638-8954), which acquaints you with 400 years of history and folklore, taking 1 1/2 hours and costing $20 for adults and $10 for children 4 to 12; children 3 and under are free. Tours depart March 15 to Labor Day daily at 11am and 1pm and daily at 11am during off season.
The island's chief attraction is Fort Frederica National Monument (tel. 912/638-3639; www.nps.gov/fofr), on the northwest end of the island (signposted). Go first to the National Park Service Visitor Center, where a film and displays explain the role of the fort. There isn't much left; about all you'll see of the original construction is a small portion of the king's magazine and the barracks tower, but archaeological excavations have unearthed many foundations. The fort was constructed in 1736 by Gen. James Oglethorpe. On the grounds is a gift shop, and walking tours can be arranged. Admission is $3 per person, free for children 15 and under. It's open from 9am to 5pm daily.
Christ Church, 6329 Frederica Rd., at the north end of the island, was built in 1820. It was virtually destroyed when Union troops camped here during the Civil War, burning the pews for firewood and butchering cattle in the chapel. In 1886, Anson Greene Phelps Dodge, Jr., restored the church as a memorial to his first wife, who had died on their honeymoon. The serene white building nestled under huge old oaks is open every day from 2 to 5pm during daylight saving time, 1 to 4pm at other times. There's no admission charge.
St. Simons Island Lighthouse Museum, 101 12th St. (tel. 912/638-4666; www.saintsimonslighthouse.org), is a restored lightkeeper's house from 1872. You can climb its 129 steps for a panoramic view of the Golden Isles. Inside are exhibits devoted not only to the lighthouse, but also to the Golden Isles in general. But you go more for the view than the nautical exhibits. Admission is $6 for adults and $3 for children 6 to 12, free for children 5 and under. Hours are Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 1:30 to 5pm.
Scattered from end to end on St. Simons are ruins of the plantation era: the Hampton Plantation (where Aaron Burr spent a month after his duel with Alexander Hamilton) and Cannon's Point on the north; West Point, Pines Bluff, and Hamilton Plantations on the west along the Frederica River; Harrington Hall and Mulberry Grove in the interior; Lawrence, St. Clair, Black Banks, the Village, and Kelvyn Grove on the east; and the Retreat Plantation on the south end. There's a restored chapel on West Point Plantation made of tabby, with mortar turned pink from an unusual lichen. Locals say it reflects blood on the hands of Dr. Thomas Hazzard, who killed a neighbor in a land dispute and built the chapel after being so ostracized that he would not attend Christ Church.
