Wondering which Bonaventure Cemetery tours are best — or if you should even tour it at all?
Whenever my friends and family come for a visit, I tell them Bonaventure is one of the city’s top must-see spots. I also note that it’s one of the most beautiful cemeteries in Savannah — if not the entire country!
Today I’m going to show you what makes it so special, and I’ll give you some insider tips to help with your planning. As usual, I’ve included lots of photos.

Note: This guide contains affiliate links to my trusted travel partners.
If you’re new around here, first of all… allow me to extend a warm welcome!
My name is Erin, and I authored the Savannah First-Timer’s Guide. It contains everything you need to plan your trip to Savannah.
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🎟️ A Local’s Take on the Best Things To Do in Savannah
Before You Go
Hours: Cemetery hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
Address: 330 Bonaventure Road, Thunderbolt, GA 31404
Getting There: Bonaventure is located approximately three miles from Savannah’s Historic District. Even if you enjoy walking long distances, the main roads to the cemetery are busy and many don’t have sidewalks. Because of that, I recommend driving there instead of walking or biking.
Parking: There are a couple dedicated parking areas in the cemetery. When you enter the gates, drive down Greenwich Road almost to the end. There’s a small parking lot on the right just as the water comes into view. (When viewing on Google maps, the lot is where Greenwich Road has a sharp bend along the waterfront.) There are three or four spaces near Little Gracie’s grave, too.
Restrooms: There are public restrooms at Bonaventure. They’re located just inside the entry gates, to the right of the main building. You’ll find a few portable potties scattered throughout the grounds, too.
Bugs: If you visit anytime between March and September, expect a strong chance of mosquitos and/or gnats. Bring bug repellant and plenty of water to stay hydrated!
Dogs: Dogs are welcome at Bonaventure, but please keep them leashed and pick up after them.
App: There’s an app available from the Bonaventure Historical Society that you can download prior to your visit. Proceeds benefit preservation efforts at the cemetery. Apple | Google Play
Tour on Your Own or with a Guide?
You’re welcome to explore Bonaventure Cemetery on your own — either on foot or by car — but you’ll have a far more enjoyable experience if you go with an experienced guide who can explain the secrets of the cemetery.
It’s way too easy to get overwhelmed and miss out on some of the best parts when you go on your own. The cemetery is huge, and there’s a LOT to take in!
Here are a few of the guided tours I recommend…
My Favorite Bonaventure Cemetery Tour
My favorite tour is led by Don Teuton, former Vice-Chairman of the Bonaventure Historical Society.
Don’s parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents are all buried at Bonaventure, so he has a deep connection to the place.
He’s very respectful of the cemetery’s history, so you won’t hear ghost stories or rumors during his tour. He only focuses on the facts, which I appreciate.
As I often say, this city is interesting enough on its own — there’s no need to tell tales!
His tour is ultimately a history tour of Savannah and some of the city’s most fascinating residents. He also shares extensive details about John Walz, the sculptor who created many of the most well-known monuments in the cemetery.
Aside from his wealth of knowledge, one of the biggest perks of Don’s tour is that it’s on a “name your price” basis. That means he has good incentive to make sure you love your time spent in Bonaventure!
Bonaventure Don Tour Details
- Reservations required
- Tours take place Tue/Thur/Sat at 11 a.m. | Wed/Fri/Sun at 2:30 p.m.
- Time to Allot: Plan to spend two and a half to three hours — and you’ll wish it was longer!
- Cost: Name your price
Don was awesome! He knows his stuff! The cool thing about him is that he has a long line of relatives that are laid to rest there. He is real and has an answer to every question. He comes prepared with water bottles, umbrellas, and pop up chairs, if you’d like. You pay him what you think he is worth for the tour, and if I could give him a million dollars I definitely would. You wont be disappointed.
Ana G. (via my Savannah First-Timer’s Guide private Facebook Group)
Reservations Required! Book your tour with Bonaventure Don here
Best Tour with Hotel Pickup
If you’re staying in Savannah without a car, this is the tour I recommend.
The guide/owner, Tim Rowell, has lived in Savannah his entire life.
In fact, he’s a sixth generation Savannahian — which is something few can claim. (Savannah is a surprisingly transient city; people come and go, but few put down long-term roots.)
Tim is a trained historian, and he’ll tell you all about the local legends who are buried in the cemetery.
One of the biggest perks of his tour is that he picks you up at your hotel and provides round-trip, air-conditioned transportation to the cemetery and back — that way you won’t have to rely on Uber or Lyft.
Make note that when you’re actually in the cemetery and doing the tour, you’ll be out of the vehicle and walking through the cemetery.
His is a one-man show, so he keeps the tours small. That means you’ll get a highly personalized experience.
Bonaventure Dash Tour Details
- Daily tours at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. (2 p.m. only during the winter months)
- Plan to allot three hours round trip
- Cost: Approximately $50 (that includes transportation)
Just finished the Bonaventure Cemetery tour with Tim from Bonaventure Dash. He was fantastic! Wasn’t so much like a structured tour, as it was a friend showing you around. Would 100% recommend!
Krista H.R. (via my Savannah First-Timer’s Guide private Facebook Group)
My family and I have taken Tim’s tour twice, and it’s been a pleasurable experience both times. First off, him picking you up and dropping you back off at your hotel is a really nice deal. (He also plays music from Savannah’s own Johnny Mercer on the trips.) The tour itself runs two hours or so and is done at a very smooth and manageable pace, and he’ll pause to let stragglers get done taking pictures. He’s a sixth generation Savannahian and a trained historian, so he knows of what he speaks. He presents stories about the cemetery, the city, and the area in a very detailed but understandable fashion, and he’s one of the friendliest folks you’ll ever meet, to boot. Highest possible recommendation.
Greg B. (via my Savannah First-Timer’s Guide private Facebook Group)
Reservations Required! Book your tour with Bonaventure Dash
Golf-Cart Tours for the Mobility Impaired
If you have mobility issues, you’ll want to skip the two walking tours listed above and opt for one of the golf-cart tours instead.
With the golf-cart tours of the cemetery, you’ll ride around in a cart that fits approximately 8 – 10 riders, and the guide will stop at various points of interest so you can take photos and get a closer look.
I know of two companies that provide golf-cart tours of the cemetery, and they both do a good job.
I tend to favor Savannah Cruzers, but feel free to pick the one that has availability during the dates you’re traveling (or the one with the best price). You can choose from Savannah Cruzers or Wise Guys Tours.
Bonaventure Cemetery Photos
As much as I’d like to, I can’t keep the beauty of this place to myself. Here are some of the photos I’ve taken during my many visits to Bonaventure.
As you can see, it’s incredibly beautiful.
















Landscaping at Bonaventure Cemetery
Much of what makes Bonaventure so beautiful is the land it sits upon.
The cemetery faces the Wilmington River, and it’s quite a sight to behold when a soft coastal breeze stirs the Spanish moss dripping from those massive Southern oaks.
Sometimes I get chills even on the hottest of Savannah days when I’m out there!

American author Harriet Beecher Stowe describes the scene much better than I ever could in her book, Palmetto-Leaves…
How shall we give a person who has never seen live-oaks or gray moss an idea of it?
Solemn avenues of these gigantic trees, with their narrow evergreen leaves, their gnarled, contorted branches feathered with ferns and parasitic plants, and draped with long swaying draperies of this gray, fairy-like moss, impress one singularly. The effect is solemn and unearthly; and the distant tombs, urns, and obelisks gleaming here and there among the shadows make it more impressive.
Harriet Beecher Stowe, Palmetto-Leaves, printed by Rand, Avery, & Co., 1873


Bonaventure Don’s tour is a good one to take if you want to learn more about the landscaping and how the cemetery has evolved over time.
He has helped plant some of the beautiful plants in the cemetery and knows the proper propagation techniques for the camellias and azaleas, so he’s practically a walking encyclopedia on the topic!
Azaleas in Savannah
Of course, the most incredible time of year to visit Bonaventure Cemetery is when the azaleas are in full bloom. (It’s also one of the best times of year to visit Savannah in general.)
The azaleas start blooming as early as late February and sometimes stretch into the first week in April.
Mid-March is usually peak azalea season in Savannah.


When people say the cemetery looks like a sea of pink during azalea season, they aren’t kidding.
Hot pink azaleas dominate the grounds, and many of them grow six feet high — or taller.
I’ve spoken to older Savannah residents who have told me the azaleas used to grow as high as a house!
These days the landscapers keep them trimmed to a more respectable level.
In addition to the azaleas, you’ll also find camellias, dogwoods, and magnolias throughout the grounds.
Related Reading: When is the Best Time of Year to Visit Savannah?
Famous Statues in Bonaventure Cemetery
Plenty of famous people have been buried in Savannah, and a tour of Bonaventure Cemetery will give you a behind-the-scenes peek into many of their lives.
Here are a few of the cemetery’s more well-known residents…
Little Gracie Watson Grave
Gracie Watson, or “Little Gracie,” as she’s affectionately known, has become more famous in death than she was in life.
That’s thanks to the local ghost tour guides who often include her story when weaving tales about Savannah.
According to them, Little Gracie was quite popular with guests at the Pulaski House hotel, which her dad managed.
The hotel faced Johnson Square and was considered one of the best hotels in all the land. (Do I sound like a tour guide yet?)
Gracie was said to be a friendly little child who often sang and danced in the hotel lobby to entertain guests.
She was beloved by locals, visitors, and her parents…right up until her untimely death.
Sadly, Little Gracie died of pneumonia when she was only six years old.

When she passed away, her father sunk into a deep depression.
He gave a photograph of Little Gracie to a sculptor who had just arrived in Savannah, and that sculptor created a rather life-like monument based off of it.



Eventually, Gracie’s parents moved back to their hometown in New England, leaving Gracie all alone at her plot in Bonaventure Cemetery.
Tour guides claim Gracie’s spirit still dances around Johnson Square.
Sometime shortly after the stories of Gracie became commonplace, a tradition began of visitors leaving presents at her gravesite to comfort her.
These days, there’s a fence around her plot, but people still leave gifts just inside the iron gate.
Related Reading: Discover the 11 Most Haunted Places in Savannah
Johnny Mercer Grave
Johnny Mercer was born in Savannah in 1909 and went on to become a famous singer, songwriter, and composer.
He won multiple Academy Awards, Oscars, and Grammys before his death in 1976.
My favorite song of his is “Moon River”, which was made famous by the Audrey Hepburn movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
I also love “In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening” (the Bing Crosby version).
It makes me happy that so many of his lyrics are so cheerful.
Moon River is located south of Savannah, near Pin Point Heritage Museum and Butter Bean Beach.
Those just happen to be two of my favorite places in Savannah to catch a sunset!
Side Note: Pin Point is also one of the top tours I recommend in my Savannah First-Timer’s Guide ebook. It’s a fantastic place to learn about the Gullah-Geechee people.



Mercer is credited with writing or co-writing approximately 1500 songs during his lengthy career.
I’m a big proponent of positive thinking, so I’ve always appreciated the lyrics to his song, “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive”.
You’ve got to accentuate the positive
John “Johnny” Herndon Mercer – Lyrics from “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive”, 1944
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between

Historic Marker: You can find the historic marker for Johnny’s childhood home in Savannah’s Historic District at 226 E. Gwinnett Street — kitty corner from the Kroger.
Conrad Aiken Grave
Conrad Aiken was perhaps best-known for his poetry; he served as U.S. Poet Laureate from 1950 to 1952.
Aiken was born in Savannah in 1899, but had to move up north to live with relatives when his father tragically killed his mother and then committed suicide.
Instead of a traditional headstone, his grave is marked by a bench which visitors can use to rest and take in the beauty of Bonaventure.
Like many of Savannah’s most well-known destinations, his final resting place reached notoriety after a mention in John Berendt’s bestseller, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil“.

The poignant inscription on it reads, “Cosmos Mariner – Destination Unknown | Give My Love to the World.”
He shares his tombstone with his third wife, Mary Hoover Aiken, who was an artist. The Metropolitan Museum of Art currently owns two of her pieces.
The Bird Girl Statue
The Bird Girl Statue, aka: “Little Wendy”, became famous in 1993 when Jack Leigh photographed her as dusk enveloped one of the family plots at Bonaventure.
His photograph ended up gracing the cover of John Berendt’s book, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”.
After the book became a New York Times Best Seller, people visited Bonaventure Cemetery in droves to see The Bird Girl statue.
The family donated the statue to Telfair Museum, and it currently resides at Jepson Center of the Arts.
Bonaventure Cemetery FAQs
Bonaventure Cemetery is open from 8 am – 5 pm daily. The gates close at exactly 5 pm, so make sure you head towards the exit at least 15 minutes before closing.
Bonaventure is located three miles from downtown Savannah. While you could walk or bike to get there, driving is by far the easiest method. The neighborhoods closest to the cemetery don’t have sidewalks, so they aren’t very pedestrian friendly.
You don’t need a ticket to enter Bonaventure Cemetery. It is free to enter and drive or walk around on your own. You only need to purchase a ticket in advance if you want to do a guided tour.
When people talk about Little Gracie, they’re referring to Gracie Watson, who is buried in Bonaventure Cemetery. Her plot is one of the most visited in the cemetery, thanks to the many ghost tour guides who like share her story. She was born in 1883 and died in 1889, and it’s often said her spirit can still be found roaming Johnson Square.
You can find little Gracie Watson in Section E of Bonaventure Cemetery. There’s a wooden sign pointing directly towards her plot. There are a few individual parking spots not far from her grave.
The Bird Girl Statue, which was made famous by the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, is long gone from Bonaventure Cemetery. It was removed after the book became wildly popular and drove massive numbers of tourists to the cemetery. It now resides at the Jepson Center.
Related Reading: Discover the Most Authentic Black History Tours in Savannah
Final Reminders When Visiting Bonaventure Cemetery
Don’t forget to book your tours in advance, and be sure to bring bug repellant and water, unless your tour guide provides them.
- Bonaventure Don Tickets
- Bonaventure Dash Tickets
- Savannah Cruzers [best for the mobility impaired]
If you want to download the app, do that before you head out to the cemetery. Finally, don’t forget your camera! You’re going to want to take lots of photos.
Savannah Travel Guide
Want more photo inspiration for your trip to Savannah? Check out these popular posts…
- 11 Photos That Will Make You Fall in Love with River Street
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- 21 Photos That Will Make You Want to Stroll Through Forsyth Park
- Is Jones Street Really the Prettiest Street in Savannah?
Finally, don’t forget to purchase a copy of my Savannah First-Timer’s Guide ebook. It has all the information you need to plan your trip.
You’ll also gain access to my private Facebook group for first-time visitors, where you can pick my brain and read reviews from other recent travelers.
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Bonaventure Cemetery is so beautiful! I wish I saw it during my time in Savannah. When I go back, i’ll definitely make time for it. I love all the blooms. Very helpful guide. 🙂
Ooh, yes…definitely check it out next time. I can’t wait to see your pics when you do!
Beautiful post. I recently moved to Savannah and this is now at the top of my list of hidden gems. Thank you!
Well, hi there, new neighbor. 🙂 Welcome to Savannah! Bonaventure is definitely worth a visit.
This sounds really interesting; very useful for anyone visiting the area!
I love the history of cemeteries. There’s a nice one near where I live with some quite old graves, one lady who died in 1696 has a massive ornate tombstone with engravings all over – I think you’d like it!
This looks like such a peaceful place to spend a few hours. I loved learning about some of Savannah’s past residents. Thanks for sharing!
What a beautiful location! The blooms are such a stark contrast to the dark and moody statues and tombstones. Plus, I love how thorough your guide is!
This is the best guide I’ve seen to Bonaventure! Great details and absolutely beautiful photos!
Thank you! I tried to be detailed. (I’d much rather just post photos of it, though! It’s such a pretty spot.)
What a beautiful cemetery! I’ve not been to Savannah but I know I’d like to take a tour when I do make it. That angel statue is so serene and lovely especially with the pink flowers around her. Great tips and insights into visiting!
This is such a helpful guide. All the photos are incredible.
What a beautiful place! It looks so peaceful. Savannah has been on my bucket list for a long time, and now Bonaventure Cemetery is too! Thanks for sharing!
Wonderful post!!!!! Great job, Erin!
Shannon Scott offered a GREAT tour as well. We did it last month and thought he was great. We did the daytime tour – he also offers “ghost tour” on weekend and we wish we were there for that one too! We were on a group tour which honestly my family doesn’t usually go for – we are much more of private tour people – but Shannon did a good job with the group of 15. I didn’t mind TOO much not being on a private tour. You get so much more out of private in my opinion…
It feels strange to say but this cemetery looks really pretty with flowers around.