Kehoe House – Haunted Mansion in Savannah, Georgia

The Kehoe House is an elegant Victorian mansion where the ghosts of twin children have turned tragedy into an eternal game of hide-and-seek with the living. Built in 1892, this stunning Renaissance Revival showpiece has one of Savannah’s most heartbreaking ghost stories—two young Kehoe children allegedly died in tragic accidents within the home, and their playful spirits continue to roam the halls, seeking companionship from guests who check into what’s now one of the city’s most luxurious haunted bed and breakfasts.

Historical Background

Year Built: 1892

Original Purpose: Private mansion for Irish immigrant and successful businessman William Kehoe, his wife Anne, and their ten children

Significant Events: The most tragic and disputed events in the house’s history involve the deaths of twin children who allegedly died in separate accidents—one supposedly suffocated while playing in a chimney or trunk, while the other fell or was trapped in a dumbwaiter shaft. While historical records of these specific deaths remain unclear and possibly apocryphal, the legend has become inseparable from the house’s identity, and the paranormal activity reported by countless guests suggests that child spirits do indeed reside within these walls.

Paranormal Activity Summary

Children’s laughter, giggling, and the sound of small feet running through hallways are heard constantly throughout the inn, even when no living children are present—guests report being awakened by playful sounds in the middle of the night. Toys and personal belongings are mysteriously moved or hidden, only to reappear in strange locations, as if mischievous ghost children are playing pranks on guests and enjoying the confusion they create.

The apparitions of two young children, often described as twins in Victorian-era clothing, are seen briefly before vanishing through walls or closed doors—witnesses report they appear to be playing games, chasing each other, or peeking around corners as if inviting adults to join their eternal playtime. Doors open and close on their own, lights flicker inexplicably, and guests frequently report feeling small hands touching theirs or tugging gently on their clothing, creating an eerie but often strangely comforting presence.

Ghost Stories & Reports

The twin children’s spirits are the house’s primary supernatural residents, and unlike many aggressive hauntings, these ghosts seem playful and seeking attention rather than frightening—guests describe them as lonely children who want someone to acknowledge and play with them. Multiple visitors report hearing children’s voices calling “come find me” or “please play with us,” and some have seen small figures darting between furniture as if playing hide-and-seek.

A female spirit, believed to be Anne Kehoe still watching over her children, has been spotted in certain rooms and hallways, appearing as a motherly figure in Victorian dress who seems to be searching for something or someone. Guests report feeling a maternal presence that’s both comforting and melancholic, as if a mother’s love transcends death but can never truly reunite her with her lost children.

William Kehoe’s ghost has been reported in what was once his study, appearing as a distinguished gentleman in late 19th-century business attire who seems to be working at a phantom desk before fading away. Some psychics who’ve visited claim the father’s spirit is burdened by guilt over the children’s deaths, whether he feels responsible for not protecting them or because the accidents occurred while he was away on business.

The sounds of a Victorian-era party—music, conversation, and laughter—sometimes echo through the house late at night, as if the Kehoe family is entertaining guests in a dimension that occasionally overlaps with our own. Some visitors report smelling period-appropriate scents like lavender, pipe tobacco, and old leather that appear without source and fade as quickly as they arrive.

Most Haunted Spot Inside

The third floor is considered the most actively haunted area, where the children’s spirits are most frequently encountered and where guests report the most intense paranormal experiences—footsteps, laughter, and the sensation of being watched are almost constant in this area. Specific rooms on the third floor have become known for objects mysteriously moving, with guests finding their belongings rearranged or hidden in playful ways, and several visitors have captured photographs showing strange orbs, mists, and even what appear to be small translucent figures.

Can You Visit?

Open to the Public? Yes—it operates as a luxury bed and breakfast inn where guests can book overnight stays

Entry Fee: Room rates vary by season and room type (approximately $250-$500+ per night)

Tour Availability: The Kehoe House is included as a stop on many Savannah ghost tours, which view the exterior and share the tragic story from the sidewalk; guests staying at the inn receive information about the haunting and are free to explore common areas. The inn occasionally accommodates small paranormal investigation groups with advance arrangements.

Photography Allowed? Yes, for guests in their rooms and common areas

Visiting Hours: The inn operates 24/7 for registered guests; non-guests can view the stunning exterior anytime from the public sidewalk on Columbia Square

Best Time to Visit

Paranormal activity is reported consistently throughout the day and night, though the children’s spirits seem most active during evening hours between 8:00 PM and midnight when the inn is quieter—this may be when the ghost children feel most comfortable coming out to play. Some guests report increased activity during rainy days or overcast weather, as if the children are bored and seeking indoor entertainment, mirroring the behavior of living children confined indoors.

First-Hand Accounts & Eyewitness Reports

A couple staying on the third floor in 2017 reported waking at 2:00 AM to hear children giggling and running in the hallway outside their room—when they opened the door to investigate, the sounds immediately stopped and the hallway was empty, though they both clearly heard the laughter resume moments after they closed the door. A businessman in 2019 discovered his carefully packed suitcase completely rearranged each morning of his three-night stay, with items hidden in drawers and closets he never opened, and his watch mysteriously moved from the nightstand to the bathroom sink.

A mother traveling with her young daughter in 2020 reported that her child spoke repeatedly about “the twin friends” who visited their room to play, describing them in Victorian clothing—the woman initially dismissed it as imagination until she saw two small shadowy figures dart past her doorway when her daughter was sleeping beside her. Innkeepers have shared countless guest experiences, including one from 2018 where a guest captured a photograph showing what appears to be two small handprints on a fogged-up bathroom mirror that she hadn’t touched.

Paranormal Investigations & Findings

While the Kehoe House doesn’t regularly host formal overnight investigations due to its operation as a luxury inn, several paranormal researchers have stayed as guests and documented significant activity. Investigators have recorded EVPs of children’s voices, including clear audio of giggling, singing, and what sounds like a child saying “we want to play” in response to questions.

Thermal imaging cameras operated discreetly by investigator-guests have detected small, child-sized cold spots moving through hallways and entering rooms, with temperature differentials suggesting intelligent movement patterns rather than random drafts. EMF detectors brought by paranormal enthusiast guests show spikes on the third floor and in certain rooms, with readings that occasionally respond to requests for the spirits to make the device light up.

Some guests have used full-spectrum cameras and captured unusual photographic evidence, including orbs that move in deliberate patterns, mists that seem to take vaguely human shapes, and shadows that appear in multiple consecutive photos despite changing positions. Spirit box sessions conducted quietly by guests have produced responses that include children’s voices answering simple questions and what sounds like a woman saying “my babies” in a sorrowful tone.

Local Legends & Myths

The most enduring legend involves the specific manner of the children’s deaths—some versions claim the twins died on the same day in different accidents, while others suggest their deaths occurred months or years apart, creating a tragic pattern. The story that one child suffocated while hiding in a chimney during a game of hide-and-seek has become particularly famous, explaining why the spirit children seem so drawn to playing this specific game with guests.

Another popular tale suggests that the children’s spirits don’t realize they’re dead and are simply waiting for their parents to come home and tuck them into bed, making the haunting less frightening and more heartbreaking. Some psychics claim the children’s spirits are trapped because they died while playing and their last moments of joy and excitement created an energetic loop they can’t escape—they’re forever caught in an eternal game.

Local storytellers say that guests who acknowledge the children and speak kindly to them experience gentler paranormal activity—toys left out as offerings or kind words spoken into empty rooms allegedly result in protective, pleasant encounters. Conversely, guests who dismiss or mock the haunting reportedly experience more mischievous activity, with belongings hidden more aggressively and sleep disturbances increasing.

A particularly touching legend claims that the children’s spirits become attached to guests who remind them of beloved family members, occasionally following these people home for short periods before returning to the Kehoe House—several former guests have reported brief paranormal activity in their own homes after their stay, activity that feels playful rather than threatening.

Cursed or Haunted Objects

An antique toy box in one of the third-floor rooms allegedly belonged to the Kehoe children, and guests report it opens on its own or makes sounds as if small hands are rummaging through it in the middle of the night. Some visitors claim that leaving small toys or trinkets near this box results in them being moved or rearranged, as if the ghost children are playing with the offerings left for them.

A Victorian-era rocking horse displayed in the house is said to rock gently on its own when no one is near it, and some guests have reported seeing the indentation of a small child sitting on it despite no visible presence. Several antique dolls throughout the inn are believed to be focal points for the children’s spirits, with guests reporting that these dolls’ positions change overnight or that they seem to have different facial expressions in different lighting, as if the spirits are inhabiting these objects.

An ornate mirror on the second floor allegedly shows brief glimpses of Victorian-era children reflected in the glass when viewers look away and then back quickly—several guests have tried to capture this phenomenon on camera with mixed results. The original floorboards in certain rooms are said to creak in specific patterns that sound like small footsteps, even when no one is walking, suggesting the children follow the same paths through their former home that they walked over a century ago.