Discover why Savannah, Georgia, is called America’s most haunted city. From Colonial Park Cemetery to the Sorrel-Weed House and Marshall House Hotel, explore ghost stories, tragic history, and haunted tours in this chilling Haunted Roadtrip.
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| Haunted Savannah |
For the next five weeks, Haunted Roadtrips is doing something special: exploring America’s Most Haunted Cities. From colonial cemeteries and pirate taverns to battlefields and witch trials, these towns are more than just historical landmarks—they’re places where the dead never left.
We begin with Savannah, Georgia—a city often ranked as the most haunted in America.
The gas lamps flicker along cobblestone streets as Spanish moss drapes low from gnarled oaks. Midnight settles over the historic squares, but the city does not sleep.
In Colonial Park Cemetery, the air stirs. A shadow moves among toppled stones, its shape dissolving as you approach. In the Sorrel-Weed House, footsteps echo in an empty hallway, followed by a whisper of a woman’s sob. At the Marshall House Hotel, guests bolt upright in bed, sure they’ve heard the shuffle of boots and the groans of wounded soldiers.
This is Savannah, a city literally built on its own dead. Epidemics, slavery, duels, and war all left scars—and some of those scars still bleed into the present.
Welcome to the first stop on our Haunted Roadtrip through America’s Most Haunted Cities.
Where Are We Headed?
Savannah, founded in 1733, is Georgia’s oldest city and one of its most beautiful. Its downtown is famous for 22 historic squares, lined with antebellum mansions, churches, and cemeteries. But beneath its charm lies a darker foundation.
Entire neighborhoods sit atop burial grounds—Native American, colonial, and African American graves disturbed by construction. Epidemics of yellow fever swept through the city multiple times, filling cemeteries faster than graves could be dug. Civil War battles, slavery, and personal tragedies all added to Savannah’s haunted reputation.
It’s a city where nearly every corner has a ghost story.
Colonial Park Cemetery
At the heart of Savannah’s ghostly reputation lies Colonial Park Cemetery, established in 1750. More than 9,000 people are buried here, though far fewer headstones remain—many lost to time, vandalism, or moved for city expansion.
Legends and Lore:
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Yellow Fever Victims – During epidemics in 1820 and 1854, bodies were buried in mass graves. Visitors claim to see ghostly figures wandering, searching for lost loved ones.
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Desecrated Graves – Union soldiers camped here during Sherman’s occupation. They allegedly defaced gravestones, altering dates and carving obscenities. Some stones record absurd lifespans—men living to 400 years old—evidence of tampering.
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The Shadow Figure – Many report a tall, dark figure gliding silently among the tombs, vanishing when approached.
Duels and Restless Spirits:
Savannah had a reputation for dueling in the 1700s and early 1800s, and many of those slain were buried here. Visitors sometimes hear the clash of swords or muffled gunshots among the graves. Paranormal groups have recorded EVPs of men arguing—believed to be echoes of unfinished duels.
Walking the cemetery after dusk, it feels less like a resting place and more like a gathering of the restless.
The Sorrel-Weed House
Few buildings in Savannah are as infamous as the Sorrel-Weed House, a grand Greek Revival mansion built in the 1840s. Its beauty masks tragedy and scandal.
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Matilda and Molly – Owner Francis Sorrel, a wealthy merchant, allegedly had an affair with a young enslaved woman named Molly. When his wife Matilda discovered the betrayal, she leapt from a second-story balcony. Soon after, Molly was found hanged in the carriage house.
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Paranormal Activity – Guests report disembodied voices, icy cold spots, and apparitions of both women. Paranormal teams, including TAPS from Ghost Hunters, filmed here and captured shadowy figures and unexplained audio.
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Visitor Accounts – Tourists often report hearing a woman’s sobs in the empty carriage house. Others say they feel sudden waves of sadness or anger, as though Matilda’s despair still saturates the walls.
Today, the Sorrel-Weed House offers both daytime history tours and nighttime ghost hunts. Guides often warn guests that they may leave with more than photographs—some leave shaken, claiming unseen hands brushed their shoulders or tugged their hair.
The Marshall House Hotel
The elegant Marshall House Hotel, built in 1851, carries echoes of its Civil War past. It was converted into a Union hospital, where amputated limbs were buried beneath floorboards and surgeries were performed by lantern light.
Ghostly Reports:
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Phantom Soldiers – Guests see figures in Union uniforms pacing the halls, only to vanish.
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Surgical Sounds – At night, guests hear moans, cries, and the clatter of medical instruments.
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Children’s Laughter – Some hear running footsteps and laughter when no children are present.
Civil War Echoes:
During renovations in the 1990s, workers uncovered human remains beneath the floorboards—believed to be amputated limbs from the hospital years. This discovery only reinforced the hotel’s haunted reputation.
Staying at the Marshall House today is to risk sharing your room with both history and something spectral.
Haunted Squares
Savannah’s squares are among its most charming features—and its most haunted.
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Wright Square – Known as “Hanging Square.” Here, Alice Riley, the first woman executed in Georgia (1735), was hanged for her master’s murder. She begged to nurse her newborn before execution, but was denied. Her ghost is said to appear cradling an invisible child, still searching.
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Madison Square – Built over the site of the bloody 1779 Battle of Savannah. People report phantom soldiers, sudden icy drafts, and the smell of gunpowder lingering in the air.
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Chippewa Square – Famous for the Forrest Gump bench scene. But locals whisper about shadows darting across the square at night and faint voices echoing through the trees.
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Johnson Square – Once the site of public duels and early burials. Phantom duelists are said to reappear on foggy nights, pistols in hand, reenacting their fatal encounters.
Each square holds layers of history, and many visitors say they feel as if unseen eyes are always watching.
Other Haunted Hotspots
Savannah brims with haunted landmarks beyond the “big three.”
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The Pirates’ House – A historic tavern from 1753 where sailors were drugged and kidnapped via underground tunnels. Guests report ghostly sailors stumbling through the cellar, and staff have heard phantom boots on the stairs.
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Kehoe House – Once home to the Kehoe family, now a luxury inn. Legend claims two children died while playing in a fireplace, and their laughter is still heard. Guests have also reported the sensation of small hands tugging at their blankets.
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Moon River Brewing Company – One of Savannah’s most notorious haunts. The basement is avoided by staff, who’ve reported being pushed, scratched, and even lifted off the ground. Paranormal investigators have captured moving shadows and objects flying across rooms.
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Hamilton-Turner Inn – Inspiration for Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Guests report phantom footsteps and children’s laughter. Some see a man smoking on the rooftop, only for him to vanish.
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17Hundred90 Inn – Haunted by Anna, a young woman who leapt from a third-story window after heartbreak. Guests claim she appears by their beds, sometimes stroking their hair or sitting silently in the corner.
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The Olde Pink House – A restaurant haunted by Revolutionary War soldiers and its original owner, James Habersham Jr. Diners sometimes see figures in colonial dress at empty tables, or hear a man’s voice whispering near the bar.
Together, these sites form one of the densest collections of haunted locations in America.
Firsthand Chilling Encounters
Ghost tour guides and visitors alike share chilling encounters:
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The Woman in Colonial Park – A tourist photographed a woman in colonial dress behind their group. No one had been there.
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Sorrel-Weed Screams – Guests on ghost tours report sudden, blood-curdling screams from the carriage house.
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Marshall House Knocks – Multiple guests complain of heavy footsteps and knocking on doors when halls are empty.
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Moon River Brewing Poltergeist – Chairs move, glasses shatter, and one bartender swore he was shoved against a wall by unseen hands.
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Alice Riley’s Cradle – Paranormal investigators recorded faint cries of an infant near Wright Square, believed to be Alice Riley searching for her lost child.
Savannah’s hauntings aren’t just stories—they’re experiences people continue to report.
The Real History Behind the Hauntings
The hauntings make sense when you consider Savannah’s history:
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Wars – The city saw violence in both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.
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Slavery – The suffering of enslaved people left scars on the land and the buildings they built.
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Epidemics – Yellow fever outbreaks claimed thousands. Colonial Park Cemetery couldn’t contain them all, leading to mass burials.
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Burial Grounds – Entire neighborhoods were built over disturbed graves. Construction often unearthed bones, fueling rumors of angry spirits.
With centuries of trauma compacted into its soil, it’s little wonder Savannah is considered America’s most haunted city.
Want to Visit?
Savannah is one of the easiest haunted cities to explore:
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Ghost Tours – More than 30 ghost tours operate here, from walking tours beneath mossy oaks to haunted trolley rides.
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Stay Overnight – Book a room at your own risk! Try the Marshall House, Kehoe House, or 17Hundred90 Inn if you dare to risk sharing your space with a spectral guest.
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Haunted Dining – Have dinner at the Olde Pink House or a drink at Moon River Brewing for a side of spirits with your meal.
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Self-Guided Walks – Wander Colonial Park Cemetery and the city squares at twilight, where every corner has a tale.
Autumn is the best time to visit—the crisp air and falling leaves amplify the eeriness.
Fun Facts & Lesser-Known Stories
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Sherman’s March – General Sherman spared Savannah during the Civil War, gifting it to President Lincoln for Christmas 1864. Locals say this act bound the city to its dead, forcing it to live with its ghosts.
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The Bench That Wasn’t – The Forrest Gump bench scene filmed in Chippewa Square has its own ghost stories, though the actual bench was a movie prop.
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Savannah’s Ghost Industry – The city has more than 30 ghost tours, making it one of the busiest paranormal tourism hubs in the country.
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Haunted Hollywood – From Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil to paranormal TV, Savannah’s haunted fame has been cemented in pop culture.
Similar Legends
Savannah’s haunted legacy is rivaled by few cities:
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New Orleans, Louisiana – Another Southern city steeped in tragedy, hauntings, and culture.
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St. Augustine, Florida – America’s oldest city, rife with pirate ghosts and colonial phantoms.
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Charleston, South Carolina – Civil War hauntings and a notoriously haunted jail.
Yet Savannah often claims the crown.
Pop Culture + Paranormal Cred
Savannah has been featured in:
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Ghost Adventures
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Most Haunted
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Kindred Spirits
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Ghost Hunters
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Countless documentaries, novels, and films
Its reputation as “America’s Most Haunted City” is well earned.
Spooky Scale
👻👻👻👻👻 (5 out of 5 Ghosts)
Savannah isn’t just haunted—it’s defined by its ghosts.
Final Thoughts
Savannah is stunning, but it’s also soaked in death. From moss-draped oaks to cobblestone streets, every inch whispers of war, slavery, disease, and tragedy.
For ghost seekers, it’s not just a stop—it’s a pilgrimage. And this is only the beginning.
Next week, we head to New Orleans, Louisiana—where jazz, Voodoo, and restless spirits linger in the French Quarter.
Would you dare spend the night at Savannah’s Marshall House—or walk Colonial Park Cemetery alone after dark?
📌 Don’t miss an episode!
Check out last week’s edition, where we explored the Bell Witch Cave
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