Laurel Grove Cemetery is known today as one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the South. Formidable live oaks shade the resting places of thousands of former Savannah residents, while the lush pops of color from azalea bushes offer life to this place of final rest. There are even designated picnic spots, as this cemetery is quite popular among visitors who come to admire this historic cemetery. While many may perceive this place as a wonderful place to rest, those buried here seem to be quite active despite the loss of their physical bodies.

In 1853, the Colonial Park Cemetery in downtown Savannah became too full to host any new burials. The city had drawn up plans for Laurel Grove in 1818, and it was time to put them to use. The cemetery was established on an old rice field just outside the city, and not a moment too soon as the Civil War was beginning. Over 1500 Confederate soldiers were buried in Laurel Grove by the end of the war, at which point the cemetery was large enough to divide into sections. In the 1800s, cemeteries were still segregated by race and social status. The “black” cemeteries that featured beautiful African and voodoo symbolism were relocated to Laurel Grove South, and were forced to take on a more “European” appearance.

Despite the Europeanized appearance of the cemetery, root doctors still used the grounds as a space to perform religious and spiritual rituals regarding the voodoo practices. Seeing as voodoo deals with bringing spirits back from “the other side”, it’s no wonder the cemetery is as haunted as it is today. Visitors have reported seeing disembodied hands reaching around the headstones, other people wandering through the cemetery only to vanish before appalled eyes, and several women in white dresses (the traditional Victorian burial attire). Others have walked along the acres of pathways only to realize they were hearing footsteps behind them. Upon turning around to see who was following them, they were met with empty space and silence. It’s true, those buried in Laurel Grove have yet to find their rest- are you brave enough to meet them?