With a history dating back over 250 years, Savannah hosts more than just tourists today… many people believe it also hosts the ghosts of former residents. The SciFi Channel’s popular show “Ghost Hunters” focused its 2005 Halloween special on Savannah, and in 2003 the American Institute of Paranormal Psychology named Savannah “America's Most Haunted City.”
On our recent trip to Savannah, Jan, Leslie and I ventured out for a night-time ghost tour, experiencing a very different aspect of Savannah after dark. We chose a private carriage tour with Historic Savannah Carriage Tours. The spanish moss hanging from the old oak trees (see photo below) created an eerie impression as we slowly circled several of the historic squares. Our guide recounted stories of spurned lovers, pirates, duels, voodoo, and mysterious deaths. He pointed out several haunted houses, restaurants and hotels, and showed us the spot where a young woman was hanged for petty thievery and where her ghost occasionally visits today. Yes, it was kind of hokey, but it was a fun way to experience Savannah at night. (And… well, okay… our guide was really cute. )
There are many ways to experience the ghostly side of Savannah—you can travel by bus, trolley, horse and carriage, or on foot. Some tours visit the cemetaries; other tours actually go inside haunted houses. One tour focuses on sites from spooky movies filmed in Savannah. And if you need fortification, you can experience Spooky Savannah in a pub crawl. We even saw a tour that travels in a converted hearse!
If you want to see something of the ghostly side of Savannah, check out this episode of America’s Most Haunted Places on the Travel Channel. It's scheduled next on February 23 at 1 pm.
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