Fall is upon us! Mid-summer humidity gives way to the crisp night air, cashmere scarves, pumpkin spice lattes, and shorter days. Other than dining out and enjoying the nightlife, what is there to do in Savannah when the sun sets at 5 PM? Hmm…Ghost tours of course!
Ghost Tours
The dead are alive in Savannah. Literally! The city was voted “Most Haunted” by the American Institute of Parapsychology. The are several ghost tours available in Savannah. Ghost City Tours offers a popular haunted pub crawl. The pub crawl starts at Tondee’s Tavern on Bay Street. After grabbing a drink in this very haunted bar, they will walk you through the Historic District of Savannah, stopping at the most haunted pubs and bars along the way. This time of year, an earlier tour begins at 7 PM.
Ghost City Tours offers several types of ghost tours. The Graves Tale Tour, Beyond Good & Evil Tour – visit locations from “the book” – and The Dead of Night Tour at 11 PM for all you night owls.
Savannah’s Most Famous Haunted Homes
Paranormal activities inside the inn include the sounds of children laughing, billiard balls rolling around on the upper floors, and sightings of a strange, cigar-smoking man sitting on the roof.
Since 1851, this hotel has been used as a hospital three times – once for Union soldiers and twice for 19th-century Yellow Fever epidemics. Guests have reported their fair share of paranormal experiences such as seeing ghosts in the hallways, hearing nonexistent children running down the halls, and faucets turning on by themselves.
The Pirates’ House can’t escape its dark past. Many were brutishly shanghaied down in the boarding house basement and forced to serve on the sea. There are many secrets to be discovered at this world-famous site – some of which you’re sure to learn about over dinner.
This beer house is considered by many to be the most haunted place in Savannah. Many patrons have spotted a lady wearing white at the top of the restaurant’s staircase. Ghosts have also been known to throw bottles, breeze by patrons, and play tricks on staff members. Patrons have nothing to worry about as long as they stay away from the basement and upstairs – which are the two most active paranormal spots in the joint.
The History of Haunted Savannah
What makes Savannah one of the most haunted cities in America? Deadly diseases, bloody battles, savage slavery, and mysterious murders have all played a part in the hauntings of Savannah. But Savannah has some unusual history that surely adds to its haunted reputation. Historic Tours of America explains, “Savannah’s Colonial Park Cemetery is considered to be one of Savannah’s most haunted places, this burial ground was opened in 1750 and is the final resting place of more than 10,000 people, many of whom were buried in mass graves. During the Civil War, the Federal troops took occupation of the cemetery and used it as a headquarters for their soldiers during the take-over of Savannah. The soldiers were less than respectful to these hallowed grounds. They desecrated graves, damaged headstones, and even shot up many of them”.
As if that weren’t enough to stir the spirits, “thousands of graves lie under most of Savannah’s historic buildings, squares, and parks, including two Indian burial mounds. The largest of these was built in what later became the Trustees’ Garden, located near the Pirates’ House. Another unmarked grave is located under the parking lot of the Board of Education building near Chippewa Square. These native burial mounds were sacred to the Yamacraw Creek Indians and their desecration by the English could well have disturbed the spirits that haunt the bluff”, according to Savannah Ghost Walks.
Book a Tour
Are you ready to come face to face with Savannah’s ghoulish history? Book a tour with one of Savannah’s finest ghost tour companies: Ghost City Tours – Cobblestone Tours – Old Town Trolley Tours – Haunted Savannah.
