Bonaventure Cemetery’s Secret Society Ghost Tour

Bonaventure Cemetery is most memorable after the gates close. With a lantern in hand and the paths quiet, you follow Shannon Scott, a 29-year local storyteller, through graves, statues, and symbols tied to Savannah’s past. The cemetery becomes less like a sightseeing stop and more like a private stage for stories about poets, musicians, industrialists, duelists, Confederates, and spirits.

I like the after-hours access, which gives you stillness that a daytime visit cannot match. I also like the way the tour connects famous graves, including Little Gracie and Johnny Mercer, with secret society imagery and family stories. The main caution is simple: this is a long walk and more historical than frightening, so anyone seeking nonstop jump scares may find the tone too educational.

Key Points to Know

• After-hours access: You spend the tour inside Bonaventure Cemetery after it has closed to the public.
• Shannon Scott’s storytelling: Expect a strong focus on family history, local characters, spirits, and Savannah’s wider past.
• Lantern-lit atmosphere: The darkness and quiet create much of the experience, though a flashlight can be useful.
• Not just a ghost tour: Stories range from funny and uplifting to grim and macabre.
• Plan for walking: The tour lasts about two and a half hours, and good physical fitness is advised.
• Bring bug spray: Mosquitoes are a real practical concern, especially in warm weather.

Why Bonaventure Feels Different After Sunset

Bonaventure Cemetery is already one of Savannah’s most atmospheric places. After sunset, the mood changes completely. The same paths, oaks, monuments, and graves take on a more private feeling when the ordinary daytime traffic is gone.

This tour gives you access after the cemetery closes, an unusual opportunity that forms the heart of the experience. You are inside for the full walk, rather than making a quick stop at the entrance or seeing the grounds from a vehicle. The quiet matters. It lets the guide speak without the usual daytime distractions, and it gives you time to notice the cemetery’s carvings, ironwork, statues, and family plots.

The darkness is not used only as a trick. It creates a setting for stories about people who lived, died, and left strong marks on Savannah. I like that balance. The cemetery supplies the atmosphere, while the guide supplies the context.

The start time is 6 pm, though the exact amount of darkness will depend on the season. You should be ready for changing light as the evening progresses. The supplied details describe the experience as a post-sunset tour, so expect the later part of the walk to be fully dark.

Meeting Shannon Scott at 330 Bonaventure Road

The tour begins at 330 Bonaventure Road in Thunderbolt, outside Savannah. It ends back at the same meeting point. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, though transportation from Historic District hotels can be discussed with the operator.

The guide may be Shannon Scott or one of his other premium story hosts. Scott is described as a 29-year resident storyteller, and his approach is clearly central to the experience. He does not simply point out names on tombstones. He places each person within a larger Savannah story, including family connections, work, social life, death, and what came afterward.

That style will suit you if you enjoy a guide who speaks at length and builds a story over time. It may be less suitable if you want a quick list of famous graves or a tightly scripted walk with short stops.

The maximum group size is 60 people. That is not a tiny private outing, so you should not expect a one-on-one conversation throughout. Still, the experience includes a professional local guide, and the storytelling format gives the group a shared focus.

You must provide a mobile phone number when booking and have a cell phone with you. The ticket is mobile, so keep your booking accessible on your phone.

From Plantation Beginnings to Famous Savannah Graves

The stories reach back to Bonaventure’s plantation beginnings in 1754 and continue through later generations of Savannah residents. That long timeline gives the tour more range than a standard ghost walk.

You may hear about the people buried there as individuals rather than as names on a map. The cemetery is associated with poets, songwriters, actors, artists, industrialists, duelists, and military figures. The result is a portrait of Savannah told through personal lives.

Several famous stops help anchor the walk:

• Little Gracie is one of the cemetery’s best-known figures and a major emotional point of interest.
• Johnny Mercer connects the cemetery to Savannah’s musical legacy.
• Conrad Aiken represents the city’s literary world.
• Noble Jones ties the cemetery to earlier colonial and plantation-era history.

The exact order and amount of time at each grave can vary with the guide and group. You should expect the tour to focus on stories rather than checking off every notable resident.

I especially like the promise of hearing what happened to families after a person’s death. That detail turns a grave into a continuing story. It also explains why the experience can feel moving and spiritual at one stop, then strange or funny at the next.

Secret Society Symbols Among the Tombstones

The secret society theme adds another layer. Bonaventure is described as being marked by Freemason emblems, so you will have a chance to look for symbols in the cemetery’s monuments and grave decorations.

This is not simply a supernatural theme. Secret societies offer a way to discuss how people organized their lives, expressed loyalty, remembered one another, and marked their social identity. If you enjoy symbolism, old organizations, or the small clues found in architecture, this part should hold your attention.

The topic also fits the cemetery well. In the dark, an emblem carved into stone can feel mysterious even when the guide explains its historical meaning. I like that the tour does not need to choose between fact and atmosphere. It can discuss a Masonic symbol, then move into a family story or a ghostly account without losing its sense of place.

The title may suggest a fright-heavy experience, but you should set your expectations carefully. The program includes macabre material and spirits, yet its strongest appeal is storytelling and local history. One public rating of the experience was 4.8 out of 5 from 165 ratings, with 94 percent recommending it. The praise is tied most often to the guide’s delivery, research, and ability to hold attention for a long walk.

A Storytelling Tour, Not a Haunted-House Show

The guide’s performance is the main attraction. The stories are described as funny, uplifting, morbid, strange, and sometimes spiritual. That wide range gives the evening variety.

I would choose this tour if I wanted to understand why Savannah’s cemetery matters, not simply to be startled. The strongest accounts focus on Scott’s ability to connect facts and legends, keep the group listening, and explain what happened before and after the lives represented by the graves.

One person described the tour as more historical and educational than lighthearted or suspenseful. That is an important warning. If you want theatrical scares, sudden noises, or a constant fright factor, this may not be your best Savannah evening activity.

If you enjoy a guide who takes time with a subject, the slower pace can be a strength. The stories have room to develop, and the cemetery itself provides pauses between stops. The experience is not built around rushing from one dramatic location to another.

Several people found the time passed quickly because of the storytelling. That matters on a two-and-a-half-hour walking tour. The guide has to do more than know names and dates, and this experience depends on an engaging voice and clear narrative.

What the Two-and-a-Half-Hour Walk Requires

The tour lasts about two hours and 30 minutes, though the stop details describe roughly two hours inside Bonaventure. Either way, plan your evening around a substantial walk. A moderate level of physical fitness is recommended.

Wear comfortable shoes. The walk is long enough that footwear can shape your opinion of the experience. One participant described it as close to three hours and counted about 10,000 steps. That gives you a useful sense of scale: this is not a short stroll from the gate to a single grave.

Bring a flashlight if you have one. A lantern is part of the atmosphere, but one account specifically wished for an additional flashlight even with a nearly full moon. Use your phone light carefully so it does not distract from the group, but keep it available for footing and orientation.

Bug spray is one of the most practical items to pack. Mosquitoes were mentioned as a real nuisance, and the cemetery’s outdoor setting makes that advice worth following. Dress for the weather because the tour operates in all weather conditions unless conditions are poor enough for the provider to cancel.

The group can include up to 60 people. That limit helps control the size, but it is still large enough that you may sometimes be walking behind other people or standing within a crowd at popular graves. Arrive ready to listen and stay with the group.

Is the $37.50 Price Fair?

At $37.50 per person, this is not the cheapest way to see Bonaventure Cemetery. The value depends on what you want from the visit.

For that price, you receive about two and a half hours with a professional local guide, after-hours access, and a focused route through one of Savannah’s most important cemeteries. The special access is the key value. A daytime visit gives you freedom to wander, but this outing gives you a structured evening and stories you would not get from simply reading markers on your own.

I consider the price reasonable for a person who likes guided history and atmospheric settings. It is less compelling if you only want to photograph the grounds or make a quick stop at Little Gracie. You could visit the cemetery during public hours for a simpler, more independent experience.

The price does not include hotel transportation or a DVD that may be available to buy. Those are optional extras, not hidden parts of the tour itself. The professional guide is included.

This experience is often booked about 21 days ahead. That suggests planning early, especially if you have a fixed Savannah schedule or want a particular evening.

Who Will Enjoy This Most

I would recommend this tour to several kinds of visitors:

• People who enjoy local history told through individual lives
• Fans of Bonaventure Cemetery and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
• Visitors interested in Freemasonry and other secret society symbols
• Anyone who prefers a serious ghost tour with real historical material
• Guests who can comfortably walk for two to three hours
• People who enjoy a strong guide with a dramatic, personal storytelling style

I would be more cautious if you have limited walking ability, dislike outdoor insects, or want a short activity. I would also think twice if your main goal is comedy or horror. The stories can be spooky, but the overall experience leans toward history, biography, symbolism, and atmosphere.

The tour can also work well for someone who has visited Bonaventure during the day. The after-hours setting changes the mood, the stories may cover different people, and the quiet makes the cemetery feel new again.

Booking, Weather, and Cancellation Details

Confirmation is provided at booking, and you can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the 6 pm start time. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start are not refunded, and late changes are not accepted.

The activity requires a minimum number of participants. If that minimum is not reached, you will be offered another date or experience, or a full refund. Poor weather can also lead to a different date or full refund.

You should dress for the forecast and remember that the tour operates in all weather conditions unless the provider cancels. Have your cell phone with you, and make sure the booking phone number is accurate.

Should You Book the Bonaventure After-Hours Tour?

Book it if you want Bonaventure Cemetery presented as a living part of Savannah’s story, not just a pretty cemetery with famous graves. The after-hours access, lantern-lit setting, secret society symbols, and long-form storytelling create a distinctive evening.

I would choose it for the guide and the setting more than for the ghost effects. Shannon Scott’s style appears to be the biggest reason the tour works: personal, detailed, and comfortable with both factual history and supernatural tales.

Skip it if you want a fast tour, a private group, or a haunted-house style scare show. For everyone else, especially history lovers willing to walk and listen, $37.50 is a fair price for one of Savannah’s more unusual after-dark experiences.

FAQ

Where does the tour begin?

The tour begins at 330 Bonaventure Road, Thunderbolt, Georgia 31404.

Where does the tour end?

The activity ends back at the meeting point at 330 Bonaventure Road.

What time does the tour start?

The listed start time is 6 pm.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts approximately two hours and 30 minutes.

Who may lead the tour?

Shannon Scott may lead the tour, or another premium story host from the same tour company may guide the group.

Is hotel transportation included?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included. Transportation from Historic District hotels can be discussed with the provider.

What should I bring?

Bring a cell phone, comfortable walking shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, bug spray, and possibly a flashlight. You must have a cell phone with you.

Does the tour operate in bad weather?

The tour operates in all weather conditions, but if poor weather causes a cancellation, you will be offered another date or a full refund.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start are not accepted for a refund.