Happy September! Unofficially the start of fall, I wanted to write a few Halloween/cool leaves/pumpkin/spooky themed stories. What better way to start than a guided ghost tour through one of America’s most haunted cities?
Savannah is said to be the first planned city in the country. As mentioned in my Guide to Savannah, it is an absolutely gorgeous city. The grand architecture and manicured squares ooze with charm and it’s impossible to resist the allure.
However, as the city’s existed since 1733, it definitely has some dark history attached. Savannah has been a key player in two wars, seen multiple fires and even had a terrible Yellow Fever epidemic that killed 10% of the city in 1820. It also has a long and troubled history with slavery and the Civil Rights Movement, roots of which are still issues today.
Regardless, there are lingering spirits in this city which only adds to the charming gothic mystique. Without further ado, here are some of the most haunted sites!
(The map below shows a few of the sites around central Savannah)
The Hamilton-Turner Inn
330 Abercorn St.
This now-hotel was apparently made famous in ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.’ I’ve never read it, so I can’t attest either way. Before it was a hotel, the mansion was a single family home, a marine hospital and an apartment building. People report to hear children laughing and pool balls rolling around. They also see a man smoking on the roof. Even though the house was built after the Civil War, some people even report seeing a Confederate soldier wandering around.
The Marshall House
123 East Broughton St.
USA Today named The Marshall House as one of America’s ‘best haunted hotels.’ Throughout its history, the space has been used as a hospital three separate times, both during the Civil War and for the Yellow Fever epidemic. When the ground froze over, doctors were forced to bury amputated limbs under the floorboards. Guests have heard nonexistent children running down the halls, ghosts in the hallway and rouge faucets.
17hundred90
307 East President St
A formerly enslaved cook, servant and scorned woman haunt this inn and restaurant. Diners have reported hearing chefs bang pots in the kitchen and caught a glimpse of a ghostly servant boy wandering the halls. Anna, a resident ghost girl of the hotel, is one of the most famous in the city. She spends her days wandering the top floor waiting for her lost love.
The Sorrel-Weed House
6 West Harris St.
When Francis Sorrel moved into the house, I don’t think he expected both his wife and mistress to leap to death from the window. Although much of this story has been discredited, the house is still said to be haunted. People have spotted ghostly apparitions in the mirror, sounds from a long gone party and so much more. Guests have reported feeling sick and uneasy after entering certain rooms while others sense a dark presence. Some suggest these spirits are from the Siege of Savannah, which saw the deceased buried on the property. Some guests report sounds of warfare at night, which further correlates this.
The Gribble House
234 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.
Home to the 1909 Gribble House Axe Murders, three women were founded bludgeoned to death in their home. The murders remain unsolved, but a few suspects have been named since. The house was torn down and the site is now a trolley tour warehouse. People theorize that the spiritual unrest derives from the murderer’s lack of justice, while other reports say the warehouse has as many as 20-30 haunts. People hear voices, see a shadow man and a lady in white. Access inside is pretty much restricted now, but you can peer into the warehouse from the street.
The Pirate’s House
20 East Broad St.
Not only is The Pirate’s House one of Savannah’s oldest buildings, it also holds some of the city’s most troubled history. Centuries ago, pirate crews would get people drunk and then Shanghai them from the bar through tunnels that connected to the river. The current owners also claim that this bar helped inspire Robert Stevenson’s ‘Treasure Island.’ People see shadowy figures and feel as if they’re being watched. Passerby outside have also seen ghosts in the window.
Forsyth Park Inn
102 West Hall St.
Forsyth Park Inn is a small hotel overlooking the namesake park. As legend tells, Lottie was so outraged to find her dad and stepmother hugging, she poisoned her stepmother! In true soap opera form, Lottie found her stepmom was actually her real mom! She was sent to an asylum for the rest of her life and returned to haunt the house after her death. People have claimed to see her spirit in the garden, but she’s known to disappear relatively quick.
Bonaventure Cemetery
330 Bonaventure Road
Gracie Watson was six when she passed away two days before Easter. Her marble gravesite now sits in the cemetery, a great example of southern gothic architecture. Visitors are known to leave gifts on her haunting white statue. Her spirit has allegedly been spotted both wandering the grounds and in Johnson Square, nearby her place of death. It’s seen running around and playing in the square, silently gliding around in a white dress.
Wright Square
5 West York St
Alice Riley was not only an indentured servant, but also Savannah’s first murderer. Alongside her co-murderer, she was sentenced to be hung in Wright Square. However, as Riley was pregnant, the execution was delayed. Riley was eventually killed and is now said to haunt the square while looking for her lost child. Legends also say she appears to new Savannah mothers, threatening to steal their babies. Oddly, Spanish Moss doesn’t grow on the trees in the square. Could it be because of the curse Riley left before dying?
The Kehoe House
123 Habersham St.
Legends swirl about the ten children who lived in this house. Rumor shares that two even died on the property! Disregarding the validity, guests have reported phantom children during their overnight stays. The property used to be a funeral home. Without the ghosts, the hotel is pretty nice! Their website claims to be the “#1 USA Top Hotel for Romance 2021.” How’s that for a honeymoon?!
Turquoise Skies 