Bonaventure Cemetery

A trip to Savannah is not complete without a visit to Bonaventure Cemetery. It is on the outskirts of Savannah so you will need to drive there. There is parking available next to the restrooms where you can park and walk or you can drive through the cemetery just be very careful and go slow as it is an active cemetery still so there are funerals still taking place there. The grounds are very beautiful. We were specifically looking for Little Gracie Watsons grave and we found it. I did ask directions from a trolley driver on how to get to Gracie’s memorial (not sure we would have found it without asking). There were so many different tombstones and burial plots. There is no charge to drive or walk through it so go and enjoy the beauty of this cemetery.

Beautiful location, and a very peaceful area. A lot of gorgeous stonework and monuments. Definitely worth a visit.

Bathrooms available at the entrance where the historical/visitor center is. Much of the cemetery is drivable, so if it's a very hot day, you can still roll through slowly (just be cognizant of any mourners, as it is working cemetery)!

As it has been noted many times, the statue from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil has been relocated, so you will not find it here. You can find it at the Telfair Academy Museum.

No visit to Savannah would be complete without a stroll through the tranquil grounds of Bonaventure Cemetery. It was on the bench pictured here, in the gravesite of Conrad Aiken, the first Georgia-born author to win a Pulitzer Prize for poetry, that a local woman (Mary Harty) with a deep knowledge of Savannah’s history and legends told author John Berendt the story of the murder of Danny Hansford, the subsequent trials of Jim Williams, and Williams’ sudden death in the same room where Danny Hansford died that became Berendt’s best-selling novel “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” The iconic “Bird Girl” statue that graced the novel’s cover was originally found here also but now has a new home at the Telfair Academy (see below). There is no charge to visit the cemetery, which is open 8am-5pm daily.

Took a guided walking tour from the company at the Bonaventure gate. The tour was interesting -- hot -- extremely hot but the guide did a great job at keeping the group in the shade.

Really beautiful grounds. Spanish moss, it was really great history. The streets could be labeled better. Got to see Corinne. The Spanish American war veterans area was very nice. Would have liked to seen more on the original plantation. The river area was nice and breezy. But when you walk in to the middle of the cemetery it gets a little hotter. I was a little disappointed that more famous people were not there.

Pretty large old cemetery with lots of interesting headstones / above ground tombs and not far from Skidaway State Park or Downtown Savannah. Lots of shaded areas and Spanish Moss in the trees. There is a fair sized free gravel car parking area near the the river end (oldest part) of the cemetery which holds maybe ~ 20 to 25 cars, which was nowhere near full when we visited midweek. We did not take a guided golf cart tour as it was a little late in the day ~ 2.30pm when we visited, and honestly I think $30 each for an hour long tour is a little pricey, but this is a tourist vacation spot after all. When we arrived we were not quite sure of which road to take to the Parking Area, so asked a tour company guide who was sitting at the entrance on a parked empty golf cart. This person was not that helpful with their response of "its a large Cemetery so which part do you want to visit". You can drive through most of the Cemetery on narrow roads but there is only one large Parking Lot, so not sure why they could not be a little helpful and take the time to explain this. On the way out I saw the Visitor Car Park direction sign that I think I missed as the Guide's Cart was sitting in front of it !! There is a Visitor Center just outside, but really this is just a Shop for the Tour Guide Company, with no free maps, etc. Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta is similar but less shaded.

Chris did an amazing job walking us around. We learned so many interesting facts and were genuinely intrigued with all the stories. He was well informed and showed us a great time.

fun town, great restaurants & bars. walked all the squares, took a trolley tour, went to Tybee & Bonaventure also several visits to the waterfront. Spent a fun three days.

We recently did a tour of Bonaventure Cemetery with Janine as our guide and would highly recommend it. Janine's knowledge was impressive, and she brought the cemetery's history to life with interesting stories. Over the course of two hours, we learned a lot and really got a feeling about Savannah beyond the walls of the cemetery. Time flew by, a testament to the engaging nature of the tour and Janine's storytelling skills. Overall, our experience at Bonaventure Cemetery was unforgettable, thanks to Janine's expertise and the rich history of the site.

There are so many fascinating stories contained in Bonaventure Cemetery. Our tour guide touched on quite a few. I would definitely recommend a tour rather than wandering through on your own. It’s worth it!