Sleep if You Dare: A Guide to Savannah's 5 Most Haunted Hotels

Savannah, Georgia. The name itself is a whispered incantation, conjuring images of ancient oaks draped in Spanish moss and cobblestone squares that hold centuries of secrets. It’s a city of intoxicating beauty, but that beauty was forged in a crucible of tragedy, turmoil, and immense human suffering, creating the perfect conditions for spirits to linger.

Founded in 1733, Savannah is one of America's oldest cities, and its history is written in blood and tears as much as it is in architectural splendor. Its famous squares have soaked up the blood of Revolutionary War sieges. Its port, the lifeblood of the cotton industry, was built on the backs of enslaved people, their anguish seeping into the very soil. The city was spared the torch during the Civil War, but its buildings, like The Marshall House, were converted into makeshift hospitals, echoing with the cries of the wounded and dying. Time and again, devastating fires and horrific yellow fever epidemics swept through, leaving behind a legacy of sudden death and profound grief.

This history of war, disease, and heartache has left an indelible spiritual stain on the city. It is why Savannah is not just historic, but haunted to its very core. The spirits of soldiers, heartbroken lovers, and afflicted children don't just wander its famous cemeteries. They check in to the city's finest hotels, becoming permanent residents with stories to tell.

For the traveler who seeks more than just a comfortable bed, for the soul who wants to touch the past, these five haunted hotels offer a key to a room where you may not be the only guest.

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The Marshall House: Where the Wounded Still Wait

The History: Before it was a celebrated historic hotel, The Marshall House was a witness to suffering. Opened in 1851, it was commandeered during the Civil War to serve as a Union hospital for General Sherman's troops. Imagine its elegant halls filled with the scent of antiseptic and the echoes of surgeons' calls. Later, it served the same grim purpose during Savannah's horrific yellow fever epidemics. The very foundations of this building are steeped in pain and resilience, creating a powerful residual energy that replays to this day. During a renovation, the unsettling discovery of human bones under the floorboards—likely amputated limbs from its surgical past—confirmed its tragic history.

The Haunting: A stay at The Marshall House is an immersion into a living memory.

• Spectral Soldiers: The most profound encounters are with the soldiers who never left. Guests report seeing apparitions of men in Civil War uniforms, some appearing whole and others bearing ghastly wounds, lingering in hallways or sitting at the ends of beds.
• Phantom Children: In a place of such sorrow, the sound of children's laughter is especially unnerving. Disembodied giggles and the pitter-patter of small feet are often heard, believed to be the spirits of children who succumbed to fever within these walls.
• A Building That Remembers: Beyond apparitions, the hotel itself seems to remember its past. Faucets in empty rooms have been known to turn on by themselves, and the distinct, chilling smell of blood or medicine can appear and vanish in an instant. The Marshall House doesn't just have ghosts; it has memories.

The Kehoe House: A Mother's Love and Her Lost Children

The History: This stunning Renaissance Revival mansion, built in 1892, was the proud family home of iron magnate William Kehoe and his wife, Anne. It was a house filled with life, home to the couple and their ten children. But legend speaks of a deep tragedy: that their young twins died while playing near one of the home's many fireplaces. After the Kehoes, the building’s story took a somber turn when it became a funeral home, its beautiful rooms used for final goodbyes.

The Haunting: The paranormal activity at The Kehoe House is deeply personal and tinged with a familial melancholy.

• The Laughter in the Halls: The most common experience is the unmistakable sound of children playing. Guests report hearing laughter, the sound of a ball bouncing, and footsteps running down the halls, only to find them completely empty. It’s the joyful energy of the Kehoe twins, forever at play.
• A Gentle Touch: The spirits here are known to be interactive. Guests have felt gentle tugs on their clothing or the faint touch of a small hand in theirs—a curious and heart-wrenching gesture from a child who lived over a century ago.
• A Mother's Watchful Eye: Some believe Anne Kehoe's maternal spirit still watches over her home and children. Guests have described a comforting presence and the faint, sweet scent of her perfume, a sign that a mother’s love truly is eternal.

The Hamilton-Turner Inn: A Phantom Game and a Shadowy Host

The History: An opulent jewel of Lafayette Square, the Hamilton-Turner Inn was built in 1873 for Samuel Hamilton, a wealthy socialite and city mayor. It was a marvel of its time—one of the first private homes in Savannah with electricity. Later owned by the family of Dr. Francis Turner, the mansion was the scene of lavish parties and the center of Savannah's high society. It seems some of the hosts and their guests are still enjoying the party.

The Haunting: The spirits here are as grand and mysterious as the mansion itself.

• The Unseen Billiard Match: The Inn's most famous phenomenon is the phantom sound of a billiard game. Guests lying in bed late at night are often startled by the distinct clack of billiard balls hitting each other and rolling across the hardwood floor above them. There is, of course, no billiard table in the inn.
• The Man with the Cigar: A commanding, shadowy figure of a man is frequently seen on the main staircase or looking out a window. Often described as holding a cigar, his presence is stately and non-threatening. Many believe this is the residual energy of Samuel Hamilton himself, still presiding over his beloved home.
• Mischievous Energy: This mansion is alive with playful energy. Doors are known to creak open on their own, lights flicker with intention, and small objects may be moved when you’re not looking. It’s a haunting with a sense of humor.

The 17 Hundred 90 Inn: The Eternal Heartbreak of Anna

The History: As one of Savannah’s oldest inns, the 17 Hundred 90 is woven from the city's earliest days. Its most famous story, however, is a timeless tale of love and loss. The legend of Anna Powers has been whispered in Savannah for generations. She was a young woman in the early 1800s, scorned by a lover she met at the inn. Heartbroken, she chose to end her sorrow by leaping from the window of what is now the inn's most requested—and most feared—room: Room 204.

The Haunting: Anna's sorrowful spirit has remained in Room 204, making her presence known in deeply personal ways.

• A Lover's Touch: Anna is known for making physical contact. Guests in Room 204 often report being gently touched or having their hair stroked while they sleep. More commonly, they awaken to find their bedsheets neatly pulled down, as if by an unseen hand.
• Whispers of Sorrow: In the quiet of the night, guests have heard soft crying, humming, or faint whispers. Her presence is often felt as a wave of profound sadness that fills the room, a palpable echo of her final moments.
• Objects of Affection: Anna is known to interact with guests' belongings, particularly things left on the dresser. Small, shiny objects like jewelry or keys are her favorite things to move, perhaps a reminder of a promise her lover never kept. A stay with Anna isn't just a ghost hunt; it's bearing witness to an eternal heartbreak.

The Olde Harbour Inn: A Grumpy Ghost Named Hank

The History: This building on the historic River Street wasn't always a charming inn. In the 19th century, it was a gritty cotton warehouse, a place of hard labor, rough men, and frequent fires. It's from this tough past that the inn’s resident ghost, Hank, emerged. He’s believed to be the spirit of a disgruntled dockworker or bookkeeper who perished in a fire, and he seems to think he still has a job to do—and he doesn't appreciate guests getting in his way.

The Haunting: Hank is one of Savannah's most interactive and personality-filled spirits. He's not evil, just notoriously grumpy and mischievous.

• The Doorknob Rattle: Hank's signature move is rattling doorknobs and locking guests out of their rooms. It’s not uncommon for guests to require staff assistance to get back into a room that has been deadbolted from the inside by an unseen prankster.
• Making His Presence Known: Hank doesn’t hide. He announces himself with the strong, phantom smell of cigar smoke. He’s been known to knock coins off of dressers and has even been blamed for phones ringing in the middle of the night with no one on the other end.
• A Whisper in the Dark: Perhaps his most unnerving habit is getting personal. Some guests, alone in the quiet of their room, have reported hearing a gruff, disembodied voice whisper their name, a chilling reminder from Hank that you are in his building.

Your Room is Ready

To stay in one of these hotels is to become part of Savannah's living history. It's an opportunity to connect with the stories that shaped the city and the souls who were so captivated by its charm, they chose to make it their eternal home.

The only question left is, are you brave enough to turn down the sheets and see who might be waiting for you? Check out more Haunted Hotels in Savannah.