Savannah Ghost Tour

Kehoe House

Haunted tours may seem a little dorky or gimmicky to some, but a good one will mix history and gossip to give you a different, insider's view of the city. Savannah certainly has its share of haunted tours available - some by trolley, one by pop-up hearse, and many by foot. I lucked out when I chose the Hauntings Tour that sets out from Wright Square at 7 & 9, nightly.

Savannah has been named the Most Haunted City in America, but our tour guide Robert disagrees and begins to list off a number of cities that are probably just as haunted or moreso - Salem, Boston, Chicago, New Orleans. But just that little introduction puts you in the mood to see spirits and to feel like Savannah may not be more haunted than those other cities, but they sure seem to be comfortable living with the dead. Robert says one reason for this is that Savannahians literally live with the dead - human remains from one era or another are likely just beneath your feet any time you are walking through the historic downtown area.

The Hauntings Tour covers a relatively small area between Wright Square and Colonial Park cemetery, but is packed with history and legend. The tour is based on two books that have backed up old ghost tales with historical documentation. One is Savannah Spectres, written in the 90's, and the other is Drums and Shadows, a collection of local African-American traditions and folklore written in the 30's. After a few stops, though, it becomes clear that native-son Robert is an impressive oral historian with a network of informants all over the city. At most stops, he has a story related by a waiter or inn guest within the past few years.

Besides the more ghoulish aspects of the city, Robert is quick to rattle off the history and etymology of Georgia Grey Bricks and the pranks that Sherman's troops played in the graveyard during the war of Northern aggression (There it is again!!). He can tell you the history of each floor of the buildings we pass - from builders through owners and renovators, and which hurricanes, fires and plagues caused the changes.

Two of the more haunted spots we stop at are also the most interesting architecturally and historically. Both the Owens-Thomas house and its near neighbor the Kehoe House were built to be indestructible come hell or high water (literally). After 3 major fires and who knows how many hurricanes, a few wealthy folks around town decided to build impervious fortresses.

The Owens-Thomas House is notable for a number of reasons. It was designed by architect William Jay before he was even 21, is made of thick tabby, Lafayette gave a speech from the side balcony, and it's good and haunted. The long gone lady of the house is often seen strolling about her garden and Jim Williams (can't escape him in this city) reported seeing a ghost he called The Horseman in the upstairs apartments in 1966.

The Kehoe House's first owner was the head of the Iron Foundry, so he took a slightly different approach to making his house indestructible. All the outside trim - moldings, shutters, even the stair railing - is made of iron and is thus fireproof! The house actually served as a mortuary for a number of decades and guests now eat their breakfast in the viewing room. Recent guests have added a number of eyewitness ghost sitings to the tour. One night, two different guests heard an ear-piercing scream followed by the sound of a body falling downstairs. Both ran out of their rooms to find only each other in the hallway. Another guest stayed home from the Oktoberfest fireworks last year, only to be pestered by a ghostly little girl who was scared by the loud noise of the display.