If you Google America’s most haunted city, Savannah is routinely listed as numero uno. That’s because this charming southern town has quite a violent and dark history. Savannah has witnessed the Revolutionary War, The Civil War, the slave trade, a terrible outbreak of yellow fever, dueling southern gentlemen, not to mention a surprising number of murders and suicides for a rather smallish town. Oh, and did I mention that the entire city is built on top of an ancient Native American burial ground? Forty-six thousand Native souls lay beneath Savannah’s manicured town squares and streets. The whole historic district is basically a cemetery.
Case in point: This idyllic fountain (purchased from the Sears catalog before the Civil War for $850) sits atop a crypt of nearly 1,000 yellow fever victims.
But nobody thinks about that when they’re taking their wedding pictures here.
The first time I visited Savannah was on a layover about five years ago. My flying partner was a massive fan of a ghost hunting show that featured the local: Moon River Brewing Company. So, of course, we had to go. After a round of beer, we asked about the second floor. This is where, apparently, the show’s hosts registered paranormal activity. The day we visited was busy, so no one on staff was available to escort us to the (off-limits, undeveloped) second floor.
No worries. We let ourselves in.
It certainly looked haunted.
My ghost-hunting flying partner loved it. He kept pointing out spots and corners where spirits had been detected on the show.
But neither of us felt anything.
Recently, I had the pleasure of returning to Savannah on a rare 24-hour layover.
The first thing I did was book a psychic-guided, paranormal walking tour. This was one of many options. Savannah offers an extensive menu of ghost tours. Including this reconfigured hearse tour.
Sometimes I feel so proud to be an American.
But I like to walk. And I was intrigued by the idea of a psychic tour guide. I figured she was extra qualified for the job.
The tour mostly featured haunted mansions -which I love. Our guide, a fast-talking, recent college graduate, told us some extremely sad and disturbing stories. Which stood in dramatic contrast to their very gorgeous settings. Such as the Mercer Mansion, featured in the book: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
You may remember that the murder in that story took place in the 1980s. However, murders, suicides, and suspicious deaths have occurred in this home for the past 154 years, dating back to its original owner, Hugh Mercer. In fact, everyone who has lived in this house since 1868 has murdered, been murdered, or committed suicide.
That’s just one stop on this tour. The gory stories continue, and some are hard to stomach.
Good thing we ate before the tour.
Speaking of which… we snagged a table at the most popular restaurant in town: The Olde Pink House. Which incidentally, but not surprisingly, is also haunted.
There were no reservations available in this 250-year-old mansion turned restaurant. But we went anyway. My crew and I showed up when the restaurant opened at 5:00 sharp. And we got SUPER lucky.
After we were turned away by the gatekeeper of the front door, we slipped around to the bar, where the sweet bar hostess miraculously found us a table in the purple room.
Which used to be the master bedroom.
Each room in the mansion has a different but equally elegant feel.
I ordered everything southern: shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes, mac and cheese, collard greens, and flounder! I had never had flounder. The chef prepared it whole in an apricot glaze. It was so delicious; I even ate the skin and the fin!
But if you can’t get a reservation, and you don’t get super lucky, you can dine in the cellar tavern. Which looks like a pirate den.
The following day, I had time for one last tour. Asking my psychic tour guide for a recommendation, I said, “Is there one house tour I shouldn’t miss?” I was thinking pretty. She was thinking haunted. She sent me to the house with the most reported paranormal activity: The Sorrel Weed House.
Day tours at the Sorrel Weed House emphasize history and architecture. Whereas night tours offer a spookier experience. And for the real ghost enthusiasts, nightly, at 11:30 pm, they offer lights-out paranormal investigations. Ghost hunting equipment is included. And for the “Die Hards,” you can book an after-hours lock-in experience.
No thanks.
Since I visited during the day, I walked around an old, historic, pretty house. I learned a lot of facts and didn’t experience any paranormal activity. Again.
But I’m more than okay with that.