The city of Savannah sits on Georgia’s coastline, separated from the state of South Carolina by the Savannah River. It is a city full of public squares lined with luxurious antebellum homes and trees dripping with Spanish moss. It is a quintessential image of the south.
It’s also known as being one of the most haunted cities in the United States. It was the site of the bloody Battle of Savannah in the Revolutionary War, which left unorganized burials all over the city. Savannah is said to have literally been built on top of its dead – many of the streets that you walk on likely have bodies buried below. Additionally, the city saw two tragic epidemics of yellow fever. Tunnels under the city were used to transport those who succumbed to the epidemic. Unfortunately, there were even some who were buried alive – thought to have been deceased when in reality they were in a coma brought on by the fever. Savannah is a city that fully embraces its hauntings – there are numerous ghost tour and haunted pub crawl options that you can take part in any time of year. Or you can do a full ghost hunt at a few different haunted locations in the city.
I had the fortune of visiting this spooky city over Halloween – there is no better city to be in for the holiday! Here is all that I saw and did in Savannah.
Accomodations & Getting Around
There are plenty of hotels and quaint B&B’s around town, and if you’re staying downtown the city is pretty walkable. The weekend I went was not only Halloween, a popular weekend in Savannah, but also the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon, so to avoid expensive hotel rates I stayed on the outskirts. I used a rental car to get around, which I needed anyways because I combined this trip with a few days in Charleston, SC (I highly recommend doing both of these cities together). There is plenty of cheap public parking around town.
Moon River Brewing Company
The highlight of my entire trip was spending Halloween night on a paranormal investigation inside Moon River Brewing Company (full blog post on this to come!). Aside from being a craft brewpub with great beer and delicious food, Moon River occupies a historic building that was Savannah’s City Hotel up until the Civil War. During the yellow fever epidemics the building became a makeshift hospital. And it’s seen a few murders and suicides over the years. So no wonder the place is haunted! My ghost hunt experience with Truth In Evidence Tours included dinner and a beer, and an exclusive paranormal investigation from about 11pm until 4am using some of the best equipment in the field. It was an eerie and active night in the building and I had my most compelling paranormal experience to date.
Sorrel Weed House
Sorrel Weed House had been my second choice for a Halloween ghost hunt – it’s another one of the most haunted places in Savannah. Instead, I decided to do a daytime history and architecture tour of the house. The only spaces in the house that you don’t get to tour are the second floor, because the owner is fortunate enough to still live in that gorgeous historic home! What was most memorable about the house tour was that they do not sweep the slave history under the rug. You see the slave quarters in the Carriage House. You see the fingerprints in the “Savannah gray” bricks of the slaves that produced them. You learn about how Francis Sorrel – even though he was of partial Haitian heritage and hid this his whole life – abused his slaves. You learn the real history.
Bonaventure Cemetery
If you keep up with my travels you certainly know that I visit my fair share of old cemeteries, but this one located on the eastern edge of Savannah really stole my heart. It’s absolutely enchanting to wander through lanes of Gothic memorials surrounded by Spanish moss hanging down from the trees and shrubs.
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
Located on Lafayette Square is the beautiful Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. With its two steeples, this Victorian Gothic church is iconic to the Savannah skyline.
The Squares
Savannah is laid out in a grid pattern, with a public green square just about every two blocks. Each square is different and features historical markers and memorials, so it’s fun to just wander the squares and learn the tidbits of history. Be sure to hit Chippewa Square – if you’ve seen the movie Forrest Gump it will look familiar to you, because it’s where the bench scenes were filmed. You might even catch a Forrest Gump impersonator while you’re there. And that’s all I have to say about that.
The largest and probably the most photographed green space in downtown Savannah is Forsyth Park where you’ll find the stunning 1858 Forsyth Fountain. Funny note – stunning as it is, this fountain was ordered out of a catalog!
Another interesting park to see is Colonial Park Cemetery, a burial ground in the middle of the downtown area that dates back to 1750. It serves as the final resting place for significant Savannah residents and victims of yellow fever and the dueling era.
River Street
Take one of the super steep historic staircases down to the riverfront (not recommended after you’ve had a few drinks!) and you’ll find River Street, a quaint cobblestone street lined with restaurants and souvenir shops. Don’t miss the pralines from River Street Sweets.
It’s also enjoyable to sit or walk at the river park. Savannah is a huge shipping port and you’re guaranteed to see a cargo ship go up the river. Growing up less than a mile from the Delaware River I’ve seen my share of cargo ships, but it’s pretty cool to watch them that close up on the Savannah River and see the tugboats meet them to assist. Ironically, I happened to be sitting by the river just as the Philadelphia Express was going by!
Good Eats & Drinks
An absolute must is having lunch at Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room. The place opens at 11am, but get there around 10:30am to get in line. Yup, there will be a line to get in! You’re taken in and seated at a big communal table with total strangers and everything is served family style with all of the food already on the table as you walk in. Our table had 11 people and was set with two big plates of fried chicken and 26 side dishes – yes, 26! We had cornbread, collard greens, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, macaroni salad, corn, green beans, cucumber salad, baked beans, mashed potatoes – all the staples of a good ol’ home-cooked southern meal. There was so much food I couldn’t even try everything that was on the table. And THEN dessert came out. Note that it is cash-only and lunch comes at a flat rate of $25 plus tip, and you will not need to eat a single thing the rest of the day!
At the Pirate’s House I had a few other Low Country staples – fried green tomatoes served atop pimento cheese, and a cup of she crab soup. Yum!
Treylor Park on East Bay Street provides great food in a chic setting. I recommend their Low Country Flatbread – shrimp, corn, potatoes, sausage, crab meat, and onions tossed in a low country inspired butter sauce and topped with diced red peppers, fried onions, chives, bacon, and a crab cake. O.M.G.
In my travels I’ve learned to go with the locals’ recommendations. A local told me that there was a place in town called Zunzi’s that made a sandwich better than the Philly cheesesteak. The cheesesteak will always be my sandwich, but yeah, Zunzi’s was pretty darn good. I had the Godfather, which had chicken, smoked sausage, boerewors (a South African sausage), provolone, romaine lettuce, tomato, marinara, Parmesan, Shit Yeah Sauce and Zunzi’s Dressing. Shit yeah.
To wash down all of this delightful food of course I also had to find a few good spots to drink. The Top Deck Bar at the Cotton Sail Hotel offered great views of the riverfront and was the perfect spot to relax after a day of exploring. I also enjoyed the spooky basement bar of the Olde Pink House – a restaurant located in a historic (and haunted) old mansion.
I’m a sucker for a good dive bar, and Abe’s on Lincoln in Savannah has made it onto my favorites list. Guests doodle pictures of Abraham Lincoln on napkins, which end up plastered all over the walls and ceilings of the place. I went here early in the evening and was the only tourist at the bar – it’s a favorite among the locals too.
Savannah is a city entwined in Spanish moss, history, and ghosts. It was the perfect place to spend a Halloween weekend but enjoyable any time of year.
C to Shining C 