Bradley Lock & Key – Haunted Business in Savannah, Georgia

Bradley Lock & Key is an unassuming locksmith shop where the supernatural and the ordinary collide, a small business haunted by spirits who seem fascinated by locks, keys, and the boundary between locked and unlocked, closed and open. Located in Savannah’s historic district, this working locksmith operation shares its space with restless entities who manipulate the very tools of the trade—keys appear and disappear, locks open and close on their own, and employees work alongside unseen presences who seem to have their own ideas about security and access in the afterlife.

Historical Background

Year Built: The building dates to the 1800s (exact year varies by source)

Original Purpose: The structure has served various commercial purposes throughout its history before becoming a locksmith shop

Significant Events: While the specific tragic events that created the haunting remain somewhat mysterious and disputed, local legend suggests the building witnessed deaths during yellow fever epidemics, may have been used for storing bodies during plague years, or possibly was the site of a robbery gone wrong where someone died violently. The building’s location in Savannah’s historic commercial district means it has absorbed centuries of human activity, emotion, and potentially tragedy that have layered supernatural energy throughout the space.

Paranormal Activity Summary

Keys mysteriously appear and disappear with frustrating regularity—employees place keys in specific locations only to find them missing moments later, then discover them in impossible places like locked drawers, high shelves, or even back in the original spot after extensive searching. Locks throughout the shop engage and disengage on their own, with deadbolts sliding shut with audible clicks when no one is near them and doors that were securely locked found standing open the next morning despite the building being empty and secured.

The apparition of a man in period clothing, possibly from the 1800s or early 1900s, is seen moving through the shop examining tools and merchandise as if inspecting inventory or shopping for services—witnesses describe him appearing solid and real until he walks through furniture, walls, or locked doors, revealing his supernatural nature. The sounds of someone working echo through the building when it’s closed—metal clanging, keys jingling, tools being used—creating the impression that a phantom locksmith continues his trade long after death.

Ghost Stories & Reports

The primary spirit seems to be obsessed with the locksmith business itself, whether fascinated by the tools and mechanisms or perhaps continuing work he performed in life—employees report finding work areas rearranged overnight, with tools organized in patterns they didn’t create. Some staff members believe this entity is helpful, a ghostly apprentice or former locksmith who assists with work, while others find his presence unsettling, particularly when he manipulates locks in ways that compromise security.

A female spirit has been reported in certain areas of the building, appearing briefly before vanishing—some believe she’s connected to the building’s history rather than the locksmith business specifically, possibly a victim of yellow fever or another tragedy who remains bound to the location. Her presence is described as sad rather than threatening, accompanied by the scent of old perfume and feelings of melancholy.

Shadow figures move through the shop, particularly in back rooms and storage areas, described as dark masses that slide along walls or dart between shelves with obvious intelligence and purpose. These entities seem to react to human presence, sometimes approaching employees or customers before retreating, creating an atmosphere of being constantly watched by unseen eyes.

The sound of a woman crying or moaning has been heard in the building when it’s empty, echoing from areas where no one is present—this audio phenomenon may be residual energy from a past tragedy replaying itself, or it could indicate an intelligent haunting by a distressed spirit. Some employees report hearing their names called by voices that sound like coworkers, only to discover they’re alone in the building or that the voice came from an impossible location.

Most Haunted Spot Inside

The back storage and work areas where locksmiths cut keys and work on lock mechanisms seem to be the most intensely haunted locations, where tools and keys move most frequently and where the male locksmith spirit is most commonly encountered. Employees working alone in these areas report the strongest sensations of being watched, the most frequent experiences of tools being moved, and occasional glimpses of the apparition working at phantom tasks alongside them.

Can You Visit?

Open to the Public? Yes—it’s a functioning locksmith business open during normal business hours

Entry Fee: Free to enter (you would purchase locksmith services if needed)

Tour Availability: Bradley Lock & Key is included on some Savannah ghost tours as an example of everyday haunted businesses in the city, though most tours view from outside; the shop doesn’t offer official ghost tours but staff members are generally friendly about sharing experiences with genuinely interested customers. The business operates primarily as a locksmith, not a paranormal attraction.

Photography Allowed? Best to ask permission, as it’s an active business

Visiting Hours: Typical business hours, Monday-Friday (hours vary; call ahead to confirm)

Best Time to Visit

Since this is an operating business, paranormal enthusiasts can only realistically visit during business hours—however, employees report that the most intense supernatural activity occurs after closing when they’re locking up or early in the morning when opening. The spirits seem most active when the shop is quiet and empty, suggesting they prefer to manifest when fewer living people are present to observe them.

First-Hand Accounts & Eyewitness Reports

Former and current employees have shared numerous experiences over the years, with one locksmith reporting in 2017 that he watched a entire ring of keys levitate off a workbench and fly across the room, landing in a corner about eight feet away—security camera footage allegedly captured the incident, showing the keys moving with no visible cause. Another employee reported in 2019 that she arrived to open the shop one morning and found every single key blank removed from their storage hooks and arranged in a perfect circle on the floor in the back room, a task that would have taken hours to accomplish and required someone with access to the locked building.

A customer in 2020 posted online about visiting Bradley Lock & Key and clearly seeing a man in old-fashioned clothing standing in the back of the shop—when she asked the employee at the counter if someone else was working in back, the employee looked confused and explained no one else was scheduled, then went to check and found the area empty. Tour guides who include the shop on their routes share stories from employees, including reports of keys cutting themselves on machines that weren’t turned on and locks opening with such force the mechanisms broke despite being high-quality professional hardware.

Paranormal Investigations & Findings

While formal overnight investigations haven’t been extensively documented due to the building’s use as an active business, some paranormal researchers have visited during business hours with permission and documented unusual phenomena. Investigators have recorded EVPs in the shop, including what sounds like keys jingling, metal tools clanking together, and a male voice saying something about “wrong key” or “won’t open”—audio that suggests residual energy from decades or centuries of locksmith work.

EMF detectors show unusual spikes in the back work areas and storage spaces, readings that fluctuate dramatically despite the shop having consistent, modern electrical wiring that shouldn’t cause such variations. Some investigators report that their EMF detectors respond to verbal questions, lighting up on command when spirits are asked to indicate their presence—suggesting intelligent haunting rather than just residual energy.

Employees who’ve photographed the interior for various purposes have captured unexplained anomalies including shadow figures, mists, and in one case what appears to be a translucent hand reaching toward a display of antique locks. Temperature fluctuations are common throughout the building, with sudden cold spots appearing in specific locations before dissipating moments later, and some areas consistently feel colder than others despite uniform heating.

Local Legends & Myths

The most intriguing legend suggests that a locksmith who worked in the building decades ago died on the premises—either from a heart attack while working, an accident involving tools or machinery, or possibly during a robbery—and his spirit remains because he loved his craft so much that death couldn’t separate him from his life’s work. Some versions claim he’s trying to perfect a lock or key he never finished in life, eternally working on a project that can never be completed.

Another tale speaks of a woman who died in the building during a yellow fever epidemic, possibly trapped inside when the building was sealed to contain the plague—her spirit allegedly tries to unlock doors and windows, still attempting to escape the quarantine that killed her over a century ago. This would explain why the haunting seems particularly focused on locks and the concept of being trapped or freed.

Local storytellers claim that certain antique locks in the shop are cursed or haunted, particularly those recovered from demolished historic buildings or estate sales—these objects supposedly carry the energy of whatever they secured during their functional lives, whether protecting valuables, imprisoning criminals, or locking away secrets. Psychics who’ve visited warn against purchasing antique locks from the shop, suggesting some items are too spiritually charged to bring into your home safely.

A practical legend among locksmiths claims that the ghost actually helps with difficult jobs—some employees swear that when they’re struggling with a particularly challenging lock or can’t find the right key blank, the spirit will somehow guide them to the solution or make the needed item mysteriously appear. Skeptics dismiss this as selective memory and coincidence, but believers insist the shop has a supernatural assistant who occasionally aids those who respect his craft.

Safety Warnings & Legal Restrictions

Bradley Lock & Key is primarily a business, and visitors should respect that it’s someone’s livelihood—paranormal enthusiasts should only visit during business hours, be courteous to staff and other customers, and avoid disrupting operations. The shop is filled with sharp tools, key cutting machinery, and equipment that could be dangerous, so visitors should stay in customer areas and follow any safety guidelines provided by staff.

While the haunting is generally considered mischievous rather than dangerous, the manipulation of locks and security devices creates legitimate safety concerns—imagine a deadbolt locking or unlocking at an inopportune moment. Employees have learned to work with the supernatural activity rather than against it, but customers seeking services should be aware they might experience unusual phenomena during their visit.

Cursed or Haunted Objects

Certain antique locks displayed in the shop or used for reference are believed to carry particularly strong paranormal energy—employees report that specific items seem to trigger increased activity, with the male ghost becoming more visible or active when these historical locks are handled or discussed. Some of these antiques came from demolished buildings where tragedies occurred, potentially bringing their supernatural baggage to the locksmith shop.

A particular antique key on display is said to be especially haunted, allegedly from a Savannah mansion where a murder occurred—some people who’ve touched this key report vivid visions or dreams about the crime, and the item has been blamed for increased nightmares among staff when it’s not properly secured. The key cutting machines themselves, despite being modern equipment, seem to attract paranormal attention, with employees reporting they sometimes activate on their own or produce keys that no one ordered.

An old workbench in the back room, possibly original to an earlier incarnation of the locksmith business, is considered a focal point for the male spirit—employees avoid sitting in a particular spot at this bench, claiming it always feels occupied even when visibly empty. Some psychics suggest this is where the ghost locksmith died or where he spent most of his working life, creating such a strong energetic imprint that his presence saturates the wood itself, making the workbench a permanent anchor for his spirit.