When it comes to haunted places, Georgia is no slouch. This is one of those states I almost dreaded doing because of the sheer number of stories there are to type out. But, those are also the states with the best storytellers, and by far the best tourist places for people interested in the supernatural. Here we go... haunted Georgia.
hotels & inns restaurants roads & bridges taverns theaters tourist spots
Savannah - 17
Hundred 90 Inn and Tavern
I was lucky enough to have stayed with my husband for a few days in the haunted
room at the 1790 Inn and Tavern in beautiful
Savannah,
in the winter of 2003. It was a memorable visit.
The Inn plays up the haunted room, and will gladly tell you about it if you ask.
When we stayed there, they even had a bizarre mannequin set up to gaze outside
the window in the hall outside, probably for the benefit of the many tours that
pass by and tell Anna's tale.
Anna lived in the late 1700's/early 1800's, when the inn was new and catered to
sailors from the nearby port. She was only 17, but married a man who was old
enough to be her grandfather - arranged by her family, of course. The old man
owned the inn. She was basically the old man's slave, doing all the lowly work
of the inn - and he was reportedly a drunk and took a liking to beating her up
when he saw fit.
With all of the strapping young sailors around, since at the time Savannah was
the main naval seaport in the US, she of course fell in love with one that was
staying at the inn. Now, you'll have to forgive me, because it's been over a
year since I heard the story so some of the details are lost to my Alzheimers...
I know that Anna and her beau set up a rendezvous to leave together and go up
the coast to his home. The old man found out, and locked Anna in the (now
haunted) bedroom upstairs. Her beau left on the next ship - I think because the
old guy told him some kind of lie about her not wanting to see him, or the old
man tried to cut his balls off with a butter knife - I don't honestly remember
what the tour guide said. Anyway, more to the point, he proceeded to go
upstairs, beat Anna half to death, then finished the job by throwing her through
the glass paned window onto the cobblestones below. He said she killed herself -
by throwing herself through a glass window - and since he was a prominent local
businessman, no one questioned his word.
Flash forward to modern times - where Anna is still trapped in the little
bedroom - and is really PISSED about her fate. Others have said that their bras
and underwear have disappeared then reappeared in odd places later. Some men
have said they have awakened to feel her caressing their faces, then opened
their eyes to see her tear soaked face look at them, then fall from the window.
One unlucky bridegroom on his wedding night claimed to be asleep in the dark
room, was awakened by water dripping on his face, and opened his eyes to find
Anna, hovering above the bed, crying her little dead eyes out just inches from
his face.
I really didn't expect much from the haunted room. I have visited numerous
haunted sites, been on many ghost tours. I was an ER nurse for 10 years, for
God's sake - I don't excite easily; plus I'm extremely skeptical of ghost
stories, as I've heard quite a few with this website and others I have managed,
and 99.9% of them strike me as very explainable, or as a marketing scheme. The
main reason I have this site is because I find the stories fun to hear and pass
along. I have to say this room made me question some of my opinions. I'm sure
all of these things had logical reasons for happening - but all I know is I've
never, ever felt so uneasy in any place I've ever slept - or not slept, in this
case.
First off, I want to say that I didn't hear the whole "Anna" story until after
we had slept there 2 days. I only had a few vague haunting stories from the web.
From the first day, it was just an odd room.
The first day, the pilot light kept going out on the gas fireplace. No big deal,
could've been anything. This went on several times over the week - every time we
wanted to start a fire. The maintenance man said he "can't figger it out"...
The first night I slept maybe 2 -3 hours, but laid awake most of the night,
feeling oddly anxious. I saw and heard nothing unusual. Night 2 was no
different; maybe 2 hours of sleep - after a long day of sightseeing. I took an
Ambien (sleeping pill), which always knocked me out any other time (I had them
because of the weird shifts I worked at the time, but had not had any other
recent trouble sleeping) and it didn't so much as buy me a catnap. Still no
weird noises, sights - but just felt sick down to the pits of my guts.
On the third night we went on the "Haunted Pub Crawl", which was excellent, by
the way, and heard the more graphic "Anna" related stories. By this time I was
sleep deprived and had a couple of glasses of wine in me - I thought I would
sleep for sure that night, scary stories or not. I started to finally doze off
that night...
Out of the blue there is this horrendously loud clatter from behind the
headboard of our bed. It sounded like someone had released a live, angry,
muskrat in between the plates of glass in the window that was partially
concealed by the headboard. My husband, who had made a crack about how Anna can
"kiss his ass" or something a bit before that, nearly soiled himself, leapt up
out of the bed into some sort of ghost - fighting karate stance. I, at this
point (mind you this noise is still going on - it must've lasted at least 30
seconds if not more) have practically gone fetal in the bed, and lost the
ability to scream or to even move or talk. I think the word is "petrified".
After about 2 minutes, we had composed ourselves enough to turn on the lights
and see what was there. Not a thing. I slept not a wink on night three, and
swore to my husband that I would "pack my shit and find another place to stay,
even if I have to sleep in the car" if Anna pulled any more crap on me, even so
much as a creaky door, on that night. She did not.
The next day we examined the window more closely, and saw that the spring inside
the old window had broken (old windows were so heavy that they were equipped
with a spring or leverage system to make them easier to open) and caused the
unimaginable 12 AM commotion. Let me tell you, this is a reasonable thing, but I
lived in an old late 1800's farmhouse for 14 years growing up that had the same
sort of windows, and never once did anything like that ever happen - these
springs are massively thick and sturdy.
I am finally convincing myself, 16 months later, to try another - but I
swore, website or not, that I would never, ever spend another night in a
"haunted" room. I have never felt so bizarrely uncomfortable in my life - and I
hope I never do again.
Grantville -
Bonnie Castle 
Stories of a benevolent ghost highlight this venue
Jekyll Island
- Jekyll Island Club Hotel 
One
room is haunted by the former owner, who had a morning ritual of reading the
Wall Street Journal and drinking a cup of coffee. Killed instantly in a train
accident, Sam Spencer returns to his old room on occasion, where he frequently
disturbs the paper of the guests, and spills coffee on the floor. General
Lloyd Aspinwall, the club's first president, (and long loooong dead) is seen
strolling the grounds. The Sans Souci building is haunted by former member J.
Pierpont Morgan, who likes to sit on the 3rd story balcony early in the morning,
smoking a cigar. Guests can smell cigar smoke. A man in a 1920's bellman outfit
likes to knock on the doors of newlyweds then disappear, after offering them
freshly pressed laundry (and thus, winning the "Zappa" award).
Stone Mountain
- Village Inn Bed and Breakfast
Ghostly singing is heard, lights flip on and off by themselves, and ceiling fans
do the same
Augusta - The
Partridge Inn
A civil war era bride, whose fiancée was mistaken for a traitor and killed on
her wedding day, "Emily" is seen wandering the hotel in her wedding gown, with
flowing brown hair.
Next to Haunted History Tours in New Orleans, one of the best ghosts tour I ever went on - and I've gone on quite a few! We went to a old haunted brewery, and walk around the lovely old part of the city to see the haunted homes - including the one from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil; Also a few great pubs. tel:(912) 238-3843
Savannah
Ghosts and Gravestones Tours
Historic
Savannah Haunted Trolley Tours
Hauntings
Ghost Tour (you guessed it... Savannah)
Near Acworth -
Allatoona Civil War Battlefield
An unfortunate casualty of Sherman's relentless march to the sea after the fall
of Atlanta, this area saw the untimely deaths of 1,603 young fighting men of
both north and south. Today there are reports of phantom gunshots and voices,
spook lights, and even a phantom train. An old train track has odd cold spots,
and gunpowder can be smelled by visitors. 1.5 miles east of
I-75 in Bartow County
Andersonville -
Andersonville, or Camp Sumter Historic Site
This area was home to an awful prison camp for captured union soldiers during
the Civil War. Recounted in John Ransom's Andersonville Diary, it was a
place of starvation and squalor, where soldiers were slowly exposed to
concentration camp conditions as the south took a beating toward the end of the
war.
The graveyard has bore witness to apparitions of civil war soldiers, and re
enactors in northern uniform swear they feel an "embracing" sensation when they
enter. Cold spots are felt near Providence Spring and Stockade Creek, where the
prisoners were mainly congregated.
Atlanta - Six
Flags Over Georgia 
A small girl's spirit is reported to recruit adults into helping her find her
way home through the woods, then disappears. "Mommy, I'm lost", she supposedly
says. She has most often been spotted not in the theme park, but at an
Amoco just outside the parking lot of it. A little girl was reportedly
struck by a car and killed here in the 1970's. The Crystal Pistol Theater
within the park is supposedly haunted by a performer who was killed on his way
to work there. One of the hokey train crossings is supposedly haunted by
people in antebellum era clothing, at the "Lickskillet Railroad Bridge".
Carrollton -
Target
The stock room is haunted by a man who died here during construction of the
building; cold spots are felt, footsteps and running heard, odd smells, and the
sound of "something falling" when nothing has actually fallen (he died of a fall
from a beam)1129 S Park St
Chickamauga -
Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park
The battlefield here is haunted by a confederate soldier with glowing green eyes
at Snod Grass Hill, a phantom bride (only in the fall, for some reason), and a
soldier who walks the road and will have a staring contest with you if you spot
him. A tower on the grounds has blood stains on the steps that cannot be washed
off, and is supposedly haunted, and an odd fog is said to roll over the battle
site at night.
Dahlonega -
Dahlonega Gold Museum Historic Site
This former courthouse is haunted after hours by what appears to be a judge .
Clanging and knocking noises remain unexplained.
Douglas - Douglas
Visitor Welcome Center
A former owner who hung himself from the balcony is heard trodding about at
night. 211 Gaskin Avenue
Elberton
- Georgia Guidestones
Georgia, known for its granite mines, is home to this American oddity - a
"Stonehenge/Rosetta Stone" structure, erected by an unknown man or group of
people in the 20th century who carved into it in 8 languages; phrases such as
"Avoid petty laws and useless officials," and "prize truth - beauty - love
seeking harmony with the infinite."
From Elberton travel north on Highway 77 for 8.7 miles. The guidestones are
visible on the right, a short distance from the main highway
Atlanta - Hi-Fi
Buys Amphitheater
A rock musician who was reportedly killed at this concert venue by stray gunfire
is said to still wander in the audience, touching the back of people's necks.
2002 Lakewood Ave SE (404) 443-5090
Atlanta - The New
American Shakespeare Tavern
Sort of like a "Medieval Times" dinner theater, this place is haunted by a young
boy in 1800's clothing, an old man, and the infamous shadowy figure on the
catwalk that seems to haunt every theater... Strange lights are seen, and voices
are heard in the empty building.
Columbus -
Springer Opera House
Featured on several TV shows because of it's ghosts, it has a ghost who seems to
frequent the costume area, dressed in old southern gentleman style, if I
remember correctly...
Dahlonega - Holly
Theatre
Glowing figures float by the windows of the vacant theater at night. Cold spots
are reported.
North
Atlanta/Fulton - Anthony's Restaurant
Poltergeist like activity including plates that fling themselves into walls,
unexplained voices, cold spots, and the feeling of being touched
3109 Piedmont Rd
Calhoun - El
Rayos Authentic Mexican Restaurant
This former residence is haunted by a former female tenant who like to "steal
jewelry". She also locks people in the bathroom. People report cold spots.
360 S Piedmont St (706) 625-1772
Atlanta - The
Masquerade
Formerly a textile mill where workers experienced unsafe conditions and
possibly died, customers report screams, footsteps, cold spots, often on the
back stairs. Oh, and its reportedly "run by vampires" lol...
Savannah -
Churchill's Pub
Being a port city, Savannah has been home to many expat's of Europe, the British
Aisles being no exception. My husband and
I
were surprised to find so many pubs in the deep south (pub food is one of our
favorites) and we were even more thrilled to find somewhere where I could get a
Ploughman's lunch as well as a ghost story.
After dining on our thick pub mats and having a Guinness or three at lunch, we
were thrilled to find the pub on our haunted pun crawl that evening.
Greg Proffit, the guide, spun yarns about the old structure, whose bar once
stood in Grand Central Station in NYC. Formerly a boxing club, where roustabouts
would fight for gamblers, a skeleton was found during a plumbing repair in the
basement - the Savannah Historical Society guessed it probably came from the era
of the boxing club.
This is going to sound extremely stupid, but I honestly can't remember the
actual ghost story surrounding the place, though I know it was attributed to the
boxer. It's been 3 years and several Guinnesses back - and it's left me.
Unfortunately, it looks like the Churchill's Pub is gone too. One web article I
found said it burned down, but renovations were being considered.
9 Drayton Street (912)232-8501
Savannah - Six
Pence Pub
Another
stop on the aforementioned pub crawl, this pub is possibly haunted by a former
owner. A (still living) previous owner recounted to our tour guide how, while
doing the books in the basement office, it sounded and looked as if an invisible
entity opened the door, walked in, closed the door, then plopped down on an
adjacent desk chair. The men's room has a faucet that turns itself on. It's also
serves a wicked beef pot pie. 245 Bull St. (912) 233-3151
Savannah - Moon
River Brewing Company
The last pub on the pub crawl, this was a creeeeeepy ass place. We got to get a
drink refill in the yuppie-esque brewery downstairs,
then head upstairs to the crumbling upper floors.
Formerly the city's premier hotel, the decaying architecture is reminiscent of
an Anne Rice novel. Gaping holes in plaster share company with beautiful
antebellum moldings and fixtures, and half rotted pieces of ancient wallpaper
peek through dust caked walls. Big barrels of beer making supplies sit in rarely
used corners. Floors creak, the wind blows through drafty window frames, and
everyone on the tour looked obviously uncomfortable there.
I do not by any means call myself psychic - in fact, I really doubt such a thing
exists most of the time. But all I can say is, this place will give you the
willies.
The guide told of how very odd things started happening here after the current
owners threw out a bunch of old mason jars they found filled with cornmeal (I
think he said cornmeal - could've been sugar...) that were positioned in corners
of the rooms. They later found that this is an old method of occupying restless
spirits. (I've read that many down south thought that this would keep the
spirits too busy to haunt the occupant, because they are a little obsessive -
compulsive and have to sit there and count every last grain of cornmeal, or
salt, or whatever - until the last one is accounted for.) Before someone told
them this, they experienced poltergeist - type activity. People on the tour have
reported feeling shoves on their back and touched, usually on the staircase. I
saw nothing, but was glad to get out of the place. This is the only time out of
many tours I ever felt like this - usually it's sort of hokey and feels made up
and thoroughly embellished with Halloween kitsch for the tourists, aka suckers.
But then again, this was the same trip as the 17 hundred 90 Inn...
Surrency, Jesup -
spook lights
A spook light is seen on the deserted train track which passes under Hwy 341 and
near these two small towns. Locals tell a story (which, by the way, is the same
story told across the south at spook light locations) of a man whose wife was
killed on the tracks, and is searching for her with a lantern for eternity.
They call her the "blue lady", which might indicate the color of the
lights. Surrency and Jesup are just east of Savannah.
Cogdell -
"Cogdell Light"
This locally famous spook light can be brought about, it is said, if you find a
deserted dirt road near here (it's along the northwestern edge of the Okefenokee
Swamp) and flash your headlights. An eerie green-yellow, slow moving light has
been reported. Cogdell is northeast of Valdosta on hwy
122Augusta - Broad Street
Augusta - Broad
Street
A pillar sits on this street, where there reportedly used to be slave
auctions. The pillar is said to be cursed, as every developer who has planned to
tear it down has died unexpectedly. Motorists have crashed into it and died, as
well.
Austell -Thornton
Rd
A pale rider will chase you on horseback near the tracks, legend states.
Austell is a western suburb of Atlanta
Atlanta -
Metropolitan Ave bridge
A legend nearly identical to Chicago's
Resurrection Mary is told about this bridge.
Bonaire - Gravity
Hill
Bonaire is south of Macon on hwy 129; "follow State Route 96 East across the
Ocmulgee River to the intersection of US Route 129. Once you have turned left
and passed over the first hill, go to the next hill bottom and stop. Put your
car in neutral and it will go all the way to the top of the next hill". Locals
blame it on a witch who lived here 200 years ago, who is pissed because they
buried her in a swamp instead of a cemetery.
Cartersville -
Covered bridge 
This bridge is haunted by a little Indian girl who was hung here.
(Disclaimer: it is upon the reader of this site to use good judgment in frequenting the places listed herein; it is not the responsibility of the proprietor of ghosttraveller.com if a reader commits an illegal act, such as trespassing, based upon what he or she reads here. It is the reader's responsibility to research the given areas discussed in this forum prior to visiting, and to ensure that it is not illegal to visit said place prior to visiting, or to obtain permission from the owner prior to visiting)
Bibliography
The Shadowlands : an invaluable resource on the net for ghost hunters !!
Weird Travels, The Travel Channel
Travel Channel Secrets, The Travel Channel
http://www.savannahtours.com/review.html
http://www.evhsonline.org/allatoona/index.shtml
http://roadsidegeorgia.com/site/guidestones.html
