The bus stop scene was filmed in Chippewa Square in Savannah, Georgia. Savannah is the oldest city in the state of Georgia. The city was established in 1733 as a British colony, and later as the first state capital of Georgia. The city was also a strategic port city in the American Revolution and during the American Civil War.
While Savanna is rich in history, tourists are drawn to the city more because of the film than anything else. You can even do a Forrest Gump tour of the city. Check out the museums where you will find the actual bench that they used in the film.
Authentic Jewelry
The necklace that Lieutenant Dan wears in the film was taken from Gary Sinise's brother-in-law, Jack Trese, who wore it in Vietnam in 1967-68. The necklace has the words “Protect Us In Combat” inscribed in it. Sinise himself has made a lot of effort to help veterans over the years. The actor even created his own foundation, The Gary Sinise Foundation to assist these brave men.
Through his charity, the Gary Sinise Foundation, $30 million is raised for veterans annually. Included in the foundation is also a housing project, in which they have built 54 smart homes for the badly wounded with 16 in the works. In 2013 he was even named an honorary Marine at Marine Barracks Washington, D.C.
The Gump Home
Hoping to visit the home of Forrest Gump? Unfortunately, you won’t be able to find it. The home was taken down after the film. You can, however, still see the place where they built it, because that is in fact, very real. The Gump property, as well as Jenny's farmhouse, was built in Alabama on the Bluff Plantation on Twickenham Road, just southeast of Yemassee, on the Combahee River between Varnville and Beaufort.
Ufnortaunetly it was only built only for the movie, and completely torn down after filming, but the house resembled a typical big old southern farm-style house. You can find these kinds of properties all over the south, especially in that region.
Chippewa Square
Understandably, this spot is now a huge tourist attraction in the city is Chippewa Square. Since the release of the film, thousands upon thousands of tourists have flocked to the square in memory of the film. The square has become a huge tourist attraction since the release of the film.
Fun fact: The traffic flow around Chippewa Square was reversed so that the bus door could open into the square. It sure did make for a picturesque scene.
Bubba Gump Shrimp
The film was a cultural phenomenon for America that inspired so many things. One of them was the restaurant chain, Bubba Gump. The shrimp restaurant franchise opened in 1996, just a couple of years after the film was released. While there is no connection to the film other than the characters' names Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue and Forrest Gump.
Since opening, the restaurant chain Bubba has grown considerably and has been serving customers across the U.S and around the globe including locations in Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Indonesia, and China.