Today I’m going to share the details of some of my favorite haunted houses in Savannah, Georgia, as well as a couple lesser-known options that aren’t always mentioned during Savannah ghost tours.
Why is Savannah so spooky? Let’s see…
Old Southern live oaks dripping in Spanish moss? Check. Dimly lit cobblestone streets? Got ‘em! Stately mansions that haven’t changed much in centuries? Too many to count!
Those mansions are stunningly beautiful, too, and a few of them are rumored to have ghostly inhabitants.
Note: This guide contains affiliate links to my trusted travel partners.
If you’re new around here, first of all…welcome!
My name is Erin, and I authored the Savannah First-TImer’s Guide.
It combines my top Savannah travel tips from this website into one handy digital download.
Feel free to use this table of contents to easily skip to any particular section…
Table of Contents
Haunted Houses in Savannah
Before I start on this post, I should probably let you know I actually prefer debunking ghost stories to retelling the same old tales you hear on the ghost tours.
Savannah is interesting enough without all the made up bits and rumors, so I don’t think it needs any embellishment.
I tend to think of the ghost tours and haunted house tours as a fun way to bring Savannah’s history to life. Just make sure you go on a tour that doesn’t make up ridiculous details. (If you’re curious, this is the one I recommend most.)
Now that you know that, let’s get into the details behind Savannah’s most haunted homes!
NOTE: Many of the homes listed below are private residences. Please refrain from trespassing, peeking in windows, or posing on staircases for photos.
Sorrel Weed House
Address: 6 W Harris Street, Savannah, Georgia 31401
Tours Available: Yes, you can take guided tours and do paranormal lock-ins inside the home
Parking: Paid street parking is available in the area
The Sorrel Weed House is popular amongst ghost hunters for a couple reasons:
- There are only a handful of (reportedly) haunted houses in Savannah that allow tours of the interior, and the Sorrel Weed House is one of them.
- The house and its spirits have been featured on the History Channel, “Ghost Hunters”, and HGTV’s “If Walls Could Talk.” You’ll also find stories about it in notable publications like the Wall Street Journal, Condé Nast, and USA Today.
Thanks to a hard-working PR representative, word has gotten out that the Sorrel Weed House is one of Savannah’s most haunted houses. Because of that, people flock to it daily in search of ghostly spirits.
Ghost Stories About the Sorrel Weed House
The spooky stories about this house abound…
For example, there are rumors of multiple suicides at the Sorrel Weed House, and some visitors claim to feel a dark energy within the home. There are also reports that watches and cell phone batteries drain abnormally fast in the basement. Some people claim to have a difficult time breathing in the carriage house (where enslaved individuals once resided). Others claim to see apparitions reflected back to them from the fancy gilded mirrors found throughout the main residence.
Intriguing…
I’ve visited the home multiple times and have done plenty of in-depth research about it, and I haven’t sensed any type of negative energy lingering on the property.
I do, however, think it’s a beautiful home and one that’s worth visiting on a history tour.
Give my debunking the “haunted” Sorrel Weed House post a read, and let me know what you think of the research I uncovered! I’ve had numerous media outlets reach out to me about the information I exposed.
Can you tour the interior? If you decide you want to visit, this ghost tour stops by the exterior of the house, and you can always visit the Sorrel Weed website to check out your many options for exploring the interior.
432 Abercorn Street
Address: 432 Abercorn, Savannah, Georgia 31401
Tours Available: No, it’s a private residence
Parking: Paid street parking is available in the area
This residence, which is also known as the Benjamin Wilson House, is often listed as the most haunted house in Savannah.
It was abandoned for decades, so I won’t deny that the house looked pretty darn spooky for a very long time! (Whenever any houses in Savannah look spooky, it tends to stir the imagination.)
Ghost Stories About 432 Abercorn Street
There are lots of ghost stories about this house, so I’ll just mention a few of the most-repeated ones…
Some people believe the home’s original owner and namesake, Benjamin Wilson, accidentally killed his daughter by leaving her locked in a room until she died of heat exhaustion.
Another unsubstantiated rumor is that three young children were murdered at 432 Abercorn and their bodies were found spread out in the shape of a pentagram inside the home. One additional child was supposedly there at the time, but that child reportedly survived the slaying.
There is yet another rumor that Anton LaVey attempted to purchase and convert the home into the East Coast headquarters for the Church of Satan.
In fact, there are so many haunted rumors about this home that I wrote an in-depth post attempting to debunk them all. I think I did a pretty good job of it, too!
You can find that post here: 432 Abercorn Street: Haunted Mansion…or Just a Rumor Mill?
It’s definitely worth a read. This is one truly fascinating house!
As I mentioned above, the Benjamin J. Wilson house was recently purchased and fully restored, and the new owners currently live in it full time.
They haven’t mentioned any spirits, but that doesn’t stop ghost hunters from stopping by to gawk at it.
Can you tour the interior? No, it’s a private residence. If you venture past on your own or with a ghost tour, it’s polite to view it from across the street in Taylor Square (formerly Calhoun Square).
Mercer Williams House
Address: 429 Bull Street, Savannah, GA 31401
Tours Available: Yes, guided history tours are available of the interior
Parking: Paid street parking is available in the area
The beautiful Mercer Williams House is located on the southwest corner of Monterey Square, which is one of the prettiest squares in Savannah.
Since it was the scene of the crime for one of Savannah’s most notorious shootings and was made famous by the book, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” it’s a very well-known home.
Ghost Stories About the Mercer Williams House
Like many homes in Savannah, the Mercer Williams House has gone through periods of time where it was inhabited and moments when it stood empty.
During one point when it was abandoned, an 11-year-old boy wandered into the house and then tragically fell to his death from the top level of the home. He was impaled on the beautiful wrought iron fence that surrounds Mercer Williams House.
Some folks speculate that he could have been pushed off the roof by an evil spirit. Of course, it could’ve all just been a tragic accident, too — we’ll never know for sure.
If you look closely, some say you can still see a missing piece of the fence marking the spot where he died.
When Jim Williams (of “Midnight” fame) owned the home, he became involved in a volatile relationship with a young local escort named Danny Hansford.
At one point, Hansford attempted to shoot Williams. However — according to Williams — Hansford’s gun jammed during the attempt. That left Williams just enough time to grab his own weapon and shoot Hansford in self defense.
Williams was tried and eventually acquitted for the murder.
Since Williams later died in nearly the same spot where Hansford was originally shot, some people claim Hansford’s ghost returned to finally avenge his death.
Learn more about the home: I did my best to debunk the hauntings of the Mercer Williams House, too — although I didn’t necessarily succeed.
Davenport House
Address: 324 E State Street, Savannah, GA 31401
Tours: Yes, the home is open for historic tours
Parking: Paid street parking is available in the area
This beautiful home was built in 1820 for Isaiah Davenport. He and his wife had 10 children, but only six of them survived to adulthood.
When Davenport died of Yellow Fever in 1827, his wife opened their home as a boarding house to help support the family.
Is the Davenport House Haunted?
The ghost of a young girl — possibly one of the Davenport’s deceased daughters — has reportedly been seen throughout the home. Sometimes people claim to see her playing in the attic.
Passersby also claim a “ghost cat” watches over the area from inside the home. Sightings have been reported over the course of many years, and they always share the same description.
During the mid-1900s, the Historic Savannah Foundation purchased the Davenport House to save it from demolition. It has since operated as one of the more popular museums in Savannah.
If you’re looking for something unique to do in October in Savannah, I suggest the “Yellow Fever in Savannah 1820” living history event.
During the event, actors dress in period costume and delve into the history of the city’s Great Yellow Fever epidemics, such as the one that claimed Isaiah Davenport’s life.
Each room in the house features a dramatic reenactment demonstrating how Yellow Fever ravaged Savannahians without regard to wealth or status. No one was spared — from the working-class African American families in Yamacraw Village to wealthy business owners residing in the Historic District.
Can you tour the interior? Yes, purchase tickets in person or on their website. (If you’ve ever toured the Davenport House and have seen anything strange, I’d love to hear about it!)
The Pirates’ House
Address: 20 E Broad Street, Savannah, GA 31401
Tours: No, but it currently operates as a restaurant, and diners are welcome to tour the building
Parking: They have a parking lot that is available to guests who are dining at the restaurant
Is The Pirates’ House Haunted?
If we’re keeping tabs on the oldest houses in Savannah, this one takes the cake!
The Herb House portion of The Pirates’ House was constructed back in 1734, so it’s one of the oldest buildings in the entire state of Georgia.
The building currently operates as a restaurant, and there are plenty of spooky tales about the place to keep you entertained during your meal.
Let’s start with the rum cellar, since that’s where many of the stories originate.
Back in the mid-1700s, the house operated as an inn and tavern that was popular amongst sailors who were passing through the port of Savannah.
It’s rumored there are tunnels leading from the rum cellar out to the Savannah river.
Back in the day, pirates would get sailors drunk in the tavern. Once the sailors passed out, the pirates carried them through the tunnels and out to sea. The sailors would then wake up — imprisoned aboard an unfamiliar ship.
If you listen closely amongst the tinkling of glasses and silverware in the restaurant, you can sometimes hear the faint moans of shanghaied sailors originating from the tunnels. So say the ghost tour guides.
Can you tour the interior? This haunted trolley tour goes around the Historic District and then stops at The Pirates’ House for dinner and a tour that includes access to the rum cellar.
The Olde Pink House
Address: 23 Abercorn Street, Savannah, GA 31401
Tours: No, but it currently operates as a restaurant, and diners are welcome to tour the building
Parking: Paid street parking is available in the area
Is The Olde Pink House Haunted?
The Olde Pink House is also known as the Habersham House. It was named after its original owner, James Habersham, Jr.
The home was constructed in the early 1770s and easily ranks as one of the oldest homes on this list.
Habersham lived in The Olde Pink House from 1771 until his passing in the summer of 1799, and the home is an integral piece of Georgia history.
Pre-dating the Revolutionary War, it was reportedly used as a secret meeting spot where leaders from the original 13 colonies plotted their escape from British rule.
In 1811 it became the first bank in the state of Georgia.
Then, during the Civil War era, Union soldiers used the home as a temporary headquarters.
As for the ghosts, the home is reportedly haunted by none other than James Habersham, Jr. himself!
It has been said that Habersham likes to keep the place tidy, and his spirit occasionally tucks chairs back under the tables and moves any items left out of place in the restaurant.
Additionally, bar patrons in the restaurant’s lower-level tavern have claimed to see a figure dressed as a Revolutionary War soldier. He raises a glass to toast them and then disappears.
Can you tour the interior? They don’t offer paid tours of the property, but you can stop by for lunch or dinner and explore while you’re there! They invite guests to roam about freely.
The Hampton Lillibridge House
Address: 507 E Saint Julian Street, Savannah, GA 31401
Tours: No, it’s a private residence
Parking: Paid street parking is available in the area
This one is perhaps considered the most sinister of all the haunted houses in Savannah. Ghost stories involve evil spirits, flying construction materials, and even an exorcism!? Oh my.
I’m getting ahead of myself, though. Let me give you a bit of the history first.
Is the Hampton Lillibridge House Haunted?
The Hampton Lillibridge House was constructed at 310 E Bryan Street in the late 1790s. Lillibridge died of Yellow Fever a few years later, and his widow eventually sold the home.
Soon after, the residence was converted into a boarding house. Unfortunately, a troubled sailor hanged himself while staying there.
His suicide tarnished the reputation of the boarding house and forced its closure, and the home sat empty for many years.
Preservationist Jim Williams purchased the home in 1963 and attempted to move it to its current location on East Saint Julian Street, but he ran into multiple roadblocks during the process.
As workers were digging the foundation at the new location, they reportedly found a Native American crypt buried on the land.
Then, when they attempted to move the house, a portion of the roof reportedly collapsed and crushed one of the men.
Once workers got the house to its new location, they set it in place atop the crypt. Work crews immediately began reporting mysterious sights and sounds.
The most sinister occurred when a construction worker walked upstairs to investigate a noise and felt an icy-cold sensation come over him.
He reported feeling possessed and said a mysterious force dragged him toward an open chimney shaft where he could have fallen to his death.
Once Jim Williams finally moved into the home, he began hearing footsteps and seeing shadowy figures inside the home.
On December 7, 1963, Williams invited an Episcopal pastor out to perform an exorcism on the home.
Can you visit the home? It’s located on the quiet east side of the Historic District, and homeowners in that area prefer that ghost hunters to keep their distance. Please be respectful if you stroll past.
Andrew Low House
Address: 329 Abercorn Street, Savannah, GA 31401
Tours: Yes, you can tour the interior of the home during the day as a history tour or at night as part of this haunted trolley tour
Parking: Paid street parking is available in the area
Andrew Low was born in Scotland, but he set off to journey across the Atlantic during his teen years. He landed in Savannah and immediately went to work as a cotton factor in his uncle’s business.
In the early 1840s, Low married Sarah Cecil Hunter. A few years later, he hired famed NY architect John Norris to build a fancy mansion to house his growing family.
Together, Sarah and Andrew had two daughters and a son.
Unfortunately, neither Sarah nor the couple’s son lived to see the mansion to completion. When Low was in his early-40s, he remarried to a young 20-year-old Mary Cowper Stiles, and the two had a daughter.
She died eleven years later, but not before giving birth to a son to carry on the family name. That son, William Mackey Low, went on to marry Juliette “Daisy” Magill Gordon.
In case you don’t recognize the name, Juliette was the founder of the Girl Scouts! That’s right…the Girl Scouts organization was founded right in the heart of Savannah’s Historic District.
Side Note: I’m showing my Southern roots here, but my daughter is named Daisy. She was named after her grandmother, who was also a Daisy. It was a very popular name for girls in the early 1900s!
In 1870, Robert E Lee, Commander of the Confederate Army, was a guest in the Andrew Low House. Author William Thackeray was another famous visitor to the home.
The Andrew Low House was converted into a museum in the mid-1950s and remains so to this day.
Is the Andrew Low House Haunted?
Even though Robert E. Lee spent very little time in the Andrew Low House, it’s often said his spirit still haunts the place.
There have been reported sightings in the home of a dapper-dressed gentleman who appears to be a doppelgänger for the famous Confederate general.
Both staff and visitors at the museum have also claimed to see the ghostly form of an elderly woman at rest in one of the beds in the home. Some believe it could be Daisy, who passed away in 1927.
Can you tour the interior? Yes, the Andrew Low House is open for daily paid historic tours. You can also tour it at night during this haunted trolley tour.
What do you think about the most haunted houses in Savannah Georgia? Have you had any strange experiences at any of them?
Erin authored the Savannah First-Timer's Guide and loves helping first-time visitors plan their trips. She lives in the artsy Starland District and enjoys exploring Savannah's hidden gems, as well as the surrounding Lowcountry.