Why is Savannah so haunted?

The number one question we get on our ghost tours is "why is Savannah so haunted?"

There are numerous theories, but the one that we, at Mad Cat Tours, find most credible is the theory of attachment.

Ghosts form ties to places or things. Most often a house or building.

In this sultry little city there are over a thousand buildings in the downtown historic district alone that date from 1760 to the early 1900s. This gives our ghosts huge opportunities to anchor themselves to this world.

Savannah has the largest urban historic district in America.

We also have had our share of murders, tragic accidental deaths and of course the second bloodiest battle in the Revolutionary War.

Come join our local guides and hear chilling stories of this fascinating city's past as we walk through the moss draped streers and squares. Our guides are passionate about our charming city, it's fascinating history and the folklore that makes Savannah the most haunted city in America.

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Conrad Aiken-Murder, suicide and 22 years in Savannah

Conrad's parents were from New England. His father was a brilliant physician and a brain surgeon. His mother was a social butterfly, entertaining and spending money extravagantly. They lived on Oglethorpe Avenue across from Colonial Park Cemetery. At some point Conrad's father began to suffer from paranoia. He became increasingly violent and when Conrad was only 11 years old he heard two gunshots from his parents' room. He gathered his nerve and crept to their door. Peeping in, he found them both dead. Conrad sadly ran down the block to the police station and told them what had happened. Conrad was forever haunted by their deaths and the psychological horror of that scene, permeated many of his stories. In true gothic tradition, in his later years he returned to Savannah and moved into the house next door to the one he had grown up in, the one his parents had died in. His last 11 years were spent a door away from where his first 11 were lived. Conrad Aiken, a tru...

Voodoo in Savannah?

Many people who are familiar with the wonderful city of New Orleans wonder if decadent little Savannah is as steeped in Voodoo practices as well. Not exactly. New Orleans has Voodoo, whereas Savannah and the surrounding low country has Hoodoo, also called Conjure or Root Magic. The difference is significant despite occasional similarities. Voodoo is a religion which originated in Africa, and passed through Haiti where it absorbed Catholic overtones. Hoodoo however is primarily a system of folk magic, involving herbs, incantations and spells. There are no religious rites with Hoodoo. There are no Catholic influences. Some practioners of Voodoo also incorporate folk magic and this is where the overlap between the two becomes obvious. Folk magic in Savannah is still practiced by all races. You can look to the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil for a glimpse of the prevalence of these beliefs, across race and economic barriers. Jim Williams, a wealthy white man seeking assist...

Bonaventure Cemetary, Savannah Georgia

Bonaventure Cemetary sits on a bluff overlooking the Wilmington River. It is a lush pocket of gorgeous live oaks festooned with Spanish Moss, filled with a mazelike network of roads and paths, weaving amongst tombstones, vaults and crypts. Here the dead sleep in a setting as lush and sultry as the city it calls home, Savannah. Bonaventure is 100 acres of fascinating history. The stunning funerary sculptures were a symbol of status for the families buried here. Many of them are striking in their artistry. Bonaventure was originally a plantation owned by the Mullryne family. They were joined by marriage with the Tatnalls. There are wonderful legends about those early residents of Bonaventure. Supposedly, during a Christmas party the first plantation house caught fire. Josiah Tattnall sr. ordered his servants to take the tables loaded with plates of food, bottles of wine and candles out to the lawn, where the party continued. The guests ate and drank as the house burnt to the grou...

Savannah Ghost and History Blog

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