Bonaventure Cemetery

A 100-acre Victorian-era cemetery nestled on the scenic bluff of the Wilmington River, known for its hauntingly beautiful Spanish moss-draped oak trees and ornate sculptures. Featured in the novel and film "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."

Bonaventure Cemetery is one of Savannah's most breathtaking and haunted destinations. Located on 100 acres along the Wilmington River three miles from downtown, this Victorian garden cemetery was established in 1846 on the grounds of a former plantation owned by Colonel John Mullryne. The name comes from Italian, meaning "good fortune" - though the spirits here suggest otherwise.

The cemetery's most famous ghost is Little Gracie Watson, who died of pneumonia at just six years old in 1889. Her father, W.J. Watson, manager of the prestigious Pulaski Hotel, commissioned sculptor John Walz to create a life-sized marble statue of his daughter. Visitors leave toys, coins, and trinkets at her grave, but legend warns that removing any gift causes the statue to weep tears of blood. Gracie's spirit is seen throughout Savannah - running through Johnson Square, playing in the cemetery among the live oaks, and still entertaining guests at the site where the Pulaski Hotel once stood.

The plantation's haunted legacy began with a legendary party in 1771 when the Mullryne mansion caught fire during a lavish dinner. Rather than flee, the guests reportedly carried their tables outside and continued dining while watching the house burn. Some visitors claim to still hear the sounds of that eternal celebration - clinking glasses, laughter, and music drifting through the Spanish moss.

Bonaventure gained worldwide fame through John Berendt's 1994 bestseller "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." The cover featured the haunting "Bird Girl" statue, which drew such crowds it was moved to the Telfair Museum. Today, over 450,000 visitors annually wander the cemetery's winding paths, many reporting encounters with wandering spirits, mysterious orbs, and an overwhelming sense of being watched by the thousands of souls resting beneath the ancient oaks.