Savannah, Georgia, earned its reputation as America’s most haunted city thanks to centuries of ghostly tales and unexplained mysteries. Spanish moss drapes century-old oaks like ghostly curtains, while historic buildings whisper stories of the past. From cemeteries where spirits still wander to grand homes with tragic histories, this charming Southern city offers thrilling encounters around every cobblestone street corner. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, Savannah’s haunted reputation will leave you wondering what lurks in the shadows.
1. Graves embedded in airport runway create aviation mystery
Picture this: Commercial planes routinely taxi over two graves directly embedded in an active runway. Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport was built around the stubbornness of the Dotson family, who refused to move their ancestors Richard and Catherine from their eternal resting place.
Airport construction crews had no choice but to cover the flat tombstones on Runway 10/28. Pilots and passengers unknowingly travel over these graves every time they take off and land.
This bizarre situation makes Savannah Airport the only commercial facility in America with marked graves embedded in an active runway, creating a strange mix of modern aviation and ancient burial traditions.
2. The haunting beauty of the Bonaventure cemetery captivates visitors
Spanish moss creates ghostly curtains in this 160-acre cemetery, where ornate graves stand like silent sentinels beneath ancient live oaks. John Muir once wrote about these peaceful paths, but the cemetery gained worldwide fame thanks to “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.”
Visitors often report feeling watched as they wander among the elaborate Victorian monuments and weathered headstones. The cemetery’s ethereal atmosphere becomes even more mysterious on foggy mornings, when visibility drops to a few feet.
Local legends speak of apparitions drifting among the moss-covered trees, making Bonaventure one of Savannah’s most photographed and spooky destinations for tourists and ghost hunters alike.
3. Sorrel-Weed House is home to tragic spirits from the 1840s
Built around 1840, this elegant mansion has a dark history of suicides and mysterious deaths that continue to haunt its halls. Matilda Sorrel is said to have committed suicide here, while rumors speak of other tragic figures, including a slave named Molly.
Ghost tour guides regularly report unexplained phenomena: doors closing on their own, footsteps echoing through empty rooms, and sudden drops in temperature that chill visitors to the bone.
Modern paranormal investigators have documented strange electromagnetic readings and unexplained voices throughout the house. Many guests leave convinced that they have encountered something supernatural within these historically important but deeply troubled walls.
4. Hampton Lillibridge House has defied explanation since 1797
Dating from 1797, this weathered building has the distinction of having been physically moved from its original location, seemingly taking its ghostly residents with it on the journey. The relocation process itself has been plagued by mysterious accidents and unexplained setbacks.
Current and former residents have documented decades of paranormal activity: strange noises in the middle of the night, unexplained shadows moving through rooms, and the unsettling sensation of being watched by invisible eyes.
Paranormal researchers consider this house to be one of the most active haunted locations in Savannah. The building’s age and tumultuous history seem to have created a perfect storm for supernatural encounters that continue to frighten visitors today.
5. Colonial Park Cemetery holds Savannah’s oldest ghostly secrets
Established in the 1750s, this ancient burial ground served as Savannah’s primary burial ground for over a century, accumulating layers of history and hundreds of restless spirits. Ruined headstones tell stories of yellow fever outbreaks, duels and tragic premature deaths.
Fog frequently passes through the cemetery at dawn and dusk, creating an otherworldly atmosphere where dark figures appear to move between the weathered monuments and broken crypts.
Visitors regularly report hearing whispered conversations in empty sections, seeing unexplained lights floating among the tombs, and feeling sudden cold spots, even during the sweltering heat of the Georgia summer. Ghost hunters consider this sacred ground essential to any supernatural investigation.
