Bonaventure Cemetery – Haunted Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia

Bonaventure Cemetery is one of the most hauntingly beautiful locations in Savannah, where Spanish moss drapes over ancient oak trees and Victorian-era monuments create an atmosphere that’s equal parts enchanting and eerie. Established as a public cemetery in 1846 on the site of a former plantation, Bonaventure has become internationally famous for its ghostly residents who seem just as reluctant to leave as visitors are to depart this stunning 160-acre riverside burial ground.

Historical Background

Year Built: 1846 (though the land served as a private cemetery since the 1700s)

Original Purpose: Public cemetery on the former Bonaventure Plantation estate

Significant Events: The original Bonaventure Plantation house burned to the ground during a lavish dinner party in the 1700s, with legend claiming the partygoers continued their feast even as flames consumed the building around them. The cemetery gained national attention after being featured in the book and film “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” bringing worldwide recognition to its haunted reputation and drawing thousands of curious visitors seeking both beauty and supernatural encounters.

Paranormal Activity Summary

The most commonly reported phenomenon is the sound of children’s laughter and singing coming from the statue of Little Gracie Watson, a six-year-old girl whose grief-stricken parents commissioned a life-sized monument that many claim comes to life at night. Visitors frequently report seeing a ghostly woman in white wandering near the riverbank, believed to be searching for something or someone she lost centuries ago.

Unexplained cold spots appear throughout the cemetery even during hot Georgia summers, and the scent of gardenias and roses fills certain areas despite no flowers being present. Many photographers have captured strange orbs, mists, and even full-bodied apparitions in their pictures that weren’t visible when the photos were taken, leading paranormal experts to call Bonaventure one of the most photographically active haunted locations in America.

Ghost Stories & Reports

Little Gracie Watson is perhaps Bonaventure’s most famous spirit—visitors leave toys, coins, and flowers at her statue, and many report feeling a small hand touch theirs or hearing a child’s voice say “thank you” when they leave gifts. Some witnesses claim to see Gracie’s ghost playing among the graves at dusk, her laughter echoing through the Spanish moss before she vanishes into thin air.

The ghost of a heartbroken woman who allegedly took her own life after her husband’s death is said to wander the riverbank section, her mournful sobs heard by dozens of visitors over the years. Civil War soldiers have been spotted walking in formation through the Confederate section, their ghostly regiment marching eternally through the grounds where many of them found their final rest.

A mysterious “Waving Girl” apparition has been seen near the river, forever greeting phantom ships that no longer sail these waters. Local legend speaks of a voodoo priestess buried in an unmarked grave who protects the cemetery from vandals and disrespectful visitors, allegedly cursing anyone who damages the monuments or disturbs the peace of the dead.

Most Haunted Spot Inside

Little Gracie Watson’s statue in Section E is considered the cemetery’s supernatural epicenter, where activity is so frequent that paranormal investigators consider it one of the most reliably haunted spots in Savannah. The statue itself is said to weep real tears, and visitors report feeling overwhelming waves of sadness wash over them when they approach, along with the sensation of a child’s hand slipping into their own.

Can You Visit?

Open to the Public? Yes

Entry Fee: Free (donations appreciated)

Tour Availability: Guided historical and ghost tours are available through Bonaventure Historical Society, typically offered during daylight hours and special evening events. Several Savannah ghost tour companies include Bonaventure as part of their extended tours, though these usually view the cemetery from outside the gates after closing.

Photography Allowed? Yes, but visitors are asked to be respectful

Visiting Hours: Daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (the gates close promptly, and staying after hours is considered trespassing)

Best Time to Visit

Paranormal activity seems to peak during the early morning hours just after sunrise and in the late afternoon before closing, particularly during the spring months when the azaleas bloom and create an otherworldly atmosphere. October through December brings increased supernatural encounters, with many investigators reporting their most compelling evidence during these cooler months when the cemetery is shrouded in morning mist.

First-Hand Accounts & Eyewitness Reports

A bride having wedding photos taken at Bonaventure in 2018 captured what appeared to be a Victorian-era woman in full period dress standing behind a monument in the background—when she looked up from her camera, no one was there. Tour guide Marcus Greene reported in 2020 that he’s witnessed Gracie’s statue change positions slightly over the years, and he’s personally heard her giggling voice on three separate occasions when no children were present in the cemetery.

Paranormal researcher teams have recorded EVPs near the river that sound like party music and clinking glasses, possibly echoes from the legendary Bonaventure Plantation fire. Multiple visitors have reported their electronic devices completely draining of battery power within minutes of entering certain sections, only to return to full power the moment they step outside the cemetery gates.

Paranormal Investigations & Findings

Bonaventure has been investigated by numerous paranormal teams and featured on shows like “Ghost Hunters” and “Haunted Towns,” with investigators consistently documenting unexplained phenomena throughout the grounds. Thermal imaging cameras have captured human-shaped cold spots moving independently through the cemetery, and EMF detectors spike dramatically near specific graves with no electromagnetic sources nearby.

One research team recorded a full conversation in what sounds like 18th-century English using specialized audio equipment, with voices discussing the plantation fire as if it were happening in real-time. Spirit boxes have produced intelligent responses to investigators’ questions, with entities identifying themselves by names that match historical burial records, and several teams have captured shadow figures on full-spectrum video cameras.

Local Legends & Myths

The most enduring legend involves the Bonaventure Plantation dinner party that allegedly continued even as the house burned around the guests—some claim you can still hear the sound of laughter, music, and toasting glasses on certain foggy nights near where the mansion once stood. Another popular tale tells of a sea captain’s wife who died while he was at sea, and her ghost eternally watches the river, mistaking every boat for her husband’s long-overdue return.

Local storytellers speak of “The Eternal Bloom,” a rosebush that grows on a young woman’s grave and supposedly blooms year-round regardless of season, planted by her lover who swore their love would never die. Some visitors claim that touching this rosebush brings visions of the young couple’s tragic romance, while skeptics point out that several rose varieties in Georgia’s climate can indeed bloom nearly year-round.