Haunted Savannah

Savannah is one of the most haunted cities in America. Walk into any historic building or cemetery in Savannah and you may have an odd feeling of ghostly presence surrounding you.

“Haunted Savannah” got its nickname from its share of misfortune and tragic events:

• The Yellow Fever epidemic in 1820 – The plague that ravished the city, claiming the lives of 700 victims
• The Civil War – Union soldiers used many of Savannah’s older homes as hospitals for wounded and dying soldiers. Visit one of the historically preserved homes, the Marshall House, to learn more about Savannah’s role in the Civil War.
• Colonial Park Cemetery – A well-known sight where Union soldiers dug up graves to sleep in on cold nights. For fun, they slightly altered information on various headstones throughout the cemetery.

All of these events have helped to make Savannah as haunted as it is now. Check out our recommendations below to ensure your next trip to the Hostess City is a hauntingly good time! 

Tours & Private Tours of Haunted Savannah

Old Savannah Tours - Ghost tours are hugely popular in Savannah because it’s a city built on the dead. Old Savannah Tours will take you on a journey into the dark side of America’s “Most Haunted City.”  They offer two experiences, the popular “Grave Encounters” tour with an optional dinner add-on at The Pirates’ House, and the “Boo Y’all Comedy Ghost Tour” for those 21 years and older. 

Haunted Savannah Tours - Discover Savannah’s hidden cemeteries, learn about the Haunted History, and get to know the stories of those from Savannah’s past. Who still lurks in that old mansion looming on the corner? What secrets are buried beneath your feet? Haunted Savannah offers two tours, the “All Ages Savannah Ghost Tour” and the uncensored “Adults-Only Spirits and Scoundrels Ghost Tour.” 

Old Town Trolley Ghosts and Gravestones – Unseen spirits stroll among the living in the streets and squares of Savannah – “America’s Most Haunted City!” Hear the tales no other tours dare tell as shadows play tricks on your mind. Journey through time with EXCLUSIVE nighttime entry into TWO of Savannah’s most haunted venues.

Haunted Savannah Pub Crawl – The Haunted Savannah Pub Crawl tour starts at Madison Square. After the group assembles the tour will visit its first pub. From there, it’s off on an evening walk to see this wonderful city. The tour will stop at several sites to revisit some of the famous, and infamous, haunted happenings. Along the way, the guide will share some Savannah history with you all the while making new friends in a fun atmosphere. 

Haunted Savannah Biking and Walking Tour – For the DIYers, grab your bike or your walking shoes and head out on a ghost hunt on your own! Bike Walk Savannah and local tour guide Enocha Edenfield joined forces to create a walking/biking ghost tour of downtown Savannah! Tour

Local Cemeteries

Bonaventure Cemetery

Although Bonaventure Cemetery is not Savannah’s oldest cemetery,  is certainly its most famous and hauntingly beautiful. Quintessentially Southern Gothic, it has captured the imaginations of writers, poets, naturalists, photographers and filmmakers for more than 150 years. Part natural cathedral, part sculptural garden, Bonaventure transcends time. Military generals, poet Conrad Aiken, Academy Award-winning lyricist Johnny Mercer and Georgia’s first governor Edward Telfair are among those buried at Bonaventure. The approximately 100-acre cemetery is also historically significant as a reflection of changing views on death and dying in the Victorian era. As death became more romanticized and ritualized during this period, cemeteries became lush, beautiful “cities of the dead".