After some brunch and ice cream, I went to a coupe bars before taking a short Uber ride to Bonaventure Cemetery. I stopped by the colorful Rail Pub near City Market and enjoyed a beer in a building from the 1890s.
I then walked to The Distillery for a couple more tasty brews. The brick-walled craft beer eatery has over 20 beer taps and puts you in a pre-Prohibition distillery.
It was time to head to Bonaventure Cemetery for a guided tour with Shannon Scott. Savannah is one of the most haunted cities in America and it’s home to some very interesting and beautiful cemeteries.
The cemetery became famous after being featured in the 1994 novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. It’s also the resting place for many famed individuals like famed lyricist, Johnny Mercer, and underground cool poet, Conrad Aiken. There’s Maritime hero, Josiah Tattnall III, photographer, Jack Leigh, silent film great Edythe Chapman, childhood celebrity, Little Gracie Watson, composer great, Professor Weigand, a Harry Potter connection, and many more!
The cemetery doors are open from 8am to 5pm and you’re welcome to wander as you please. I chose to do a guided tour with Shannon Scott so I could learn the history behind Bonaventure and hear the fascinating stories of those who were buried there. He’s made Bonaventure his passion with an abundance of research, paintings, and photography and the tour was a close and personal way to experience it.
Be forewarned, there are lots of sand gnats and they are ruthless. You may want to wear long sleeves and pants and be sure to have bug repellent. They even sell special sand gnat spray in some stores.
The tour takes place after the gates close, so it was just us exploring the massive cemetery. We continued to walk around and listen to the stories as it was getting dark. With only a few flashlights as our only source of light, you can imagine just how eerie things became.
The tour of Bonaventure Cemetery with Shannon Scott was super interesting and a great way to experience it. He even gave each of us a special autographed one-of-a-kind poster to commemorate our evening. Thanks, Shannon!
It was time for dinner so I took an Uber to a popular restaurant for some whiskey cocktails and delicious food.
The Rail Pub
2410, 405 W Congress Street
Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 238-1311
Website
The Distillery
416 W Liberty Street
Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 236-1772
Website
Bonaventure Cemetery
330 Bonaventure Road
Thunderbolt, GA 31404
(912) 651-6843
Website
