The Olde Pink House

Built between 1771-1789 for wealthy cotton planter James Habersham Jr., this Georgian mansion accidentally turned pink when red bricks bled through white plaster. Now an upscale Southern restaurant on Reynolds Square.

The Olde Pink House is one of Savannah's most beloved haunted restaurants, built between 1771 and 1789 for James Habersham Jr., a wealthy cotton planter and passionate supporter of American independence. The famous pink color was an accident - the red bricks bled through the white plaster in Savannah's humid climate, causing such ridicule that a later owner embraced it and painted the house pink in 1920.

James Habersham Jr. died under mysterious circumstances in 1799, just ten years after completing his dream home. Rumors of suicide by hanging in the basement circulated, though he was buried in consecrated ground at Colonial Park Cemetery - which would have been forbidden for a suicide victim. Whatever the truth, his spirit never left.

Staff and patrons encounter Habersham's ghost regularly, especially during colder months. He appears in colonial garb, straightening table settings and placing chairs. Patrons have had full conversations with this elegant gentleman, thinking he's a historical reenactor, only to watch him vanish mid-sentence. He's been known to light candles throughout the restaurant.

Mrs. Habersham haunts the building as well, but she is far less friendly than her husband. She hisses at customers who cause a ruckus and is known to violently shake restroom doors while screaming "GET OUT!" at startled women. The basement tavern is visited by Joseph Habersham, James's brother, who joyfully toasts with guests at the bar. Children have been seen and heard playing in and around the home - possibly enslaved children who died during the Yellow Fever epidemic.

The Pink House served as the first bank of Georgia in 1811 and as Union General Zebulon York's headquarters during Sherman's March to the Sea. It opened as a restaurant in 1971 and remains one of Savannah's most highly rated dining experiences.