Savannah: Ghosts and Gravestones Tour with Low House Entry

Savannah’s darkest stories are best told after sunset, when the old squares grow quiet and every mossy tree looks suspicious. This 80-minute tour combines a rolling ride through the Historic District with nighttime entry into the Andrew Low House and the old Perkins and Sons Ship Chandlery.

I like the mix of real Savannah history and ghost folklore, rather than a tour built only around jump scares. I also like that you get inside two historic buildings, especially the Chandlery, where the storytelling becomes more theatrical and personal.

The main drawback is time. Eighty minutes passes quickly, and the stop inside the Andrew Low House can feel brief if you want a proper architectural tour. You may also have trouble hearing from the back of the trolley, especially if street noise gets in the way.

Key points at a glance

• Two indoor stops: Enter the Andrew Low House and Perkins and Sons Ship Chandlery, both included in the $39 ticket.
• A moving history lesson: Ride past Savannah squares, cemeteries, inns, churches, and riverfront sites while your guide tells stories of murder, unrest, and strange encounters.
• Guides make or break the evening: Strong performers such as Maria, Red, Olive, Aster, Temperance, Esther, and Rafael have been singled out for lively storytelling and humor.
• The final stop brings the drama: The Chandlery visit includes an actor and staged elements that add more theater than a standard sightseeing ride.
• Limited walking: Most of the experience takes place on the trolley, with short visits inside the two buildings.
• Best for ages six and up: Children under six cannot join, and the tour is not suitable for wheelchair users.

What the Trolley of the Doomed is really like

The tour begins at the Simply Savannah Trolley Depot. Look for the black trolley marked Ghosts and Gravestones, along with staff in period-style clothing: men in white shirts, bow ties, and suspenders, and women in long white dresses with aprons.

That presentation tells you what kind of evening this will be. It is not a quiet, academic lecture. The tone is playful, spooky, and theatrical, with a guide performing from the front of the trolley while the driver handles the route through downtown.

The vehicle gives you a useful overview of Savannah after dark. You do not have to walk from square to square or find each historic address on your own. Instead, you can settle into your seat and let the city pass by while the guide links each location to a tale.

The trolley has been described as comfortable, but seat choice matters. Sit as close to the guide as you can if hearing every word is important to you. A few people have found the narration harder to follow near the back, and outside traffic or loud music can occasionally interfere.

The format also helps if you want a spooky activity without a long walking route. You will still get off at the Andrew Low House and the Chandlery, but the bulk of the tour is seated. Smoking, pets, luggage, and large bags are not allowed.

From the Savannah Waterfront to the old river stories

The route starts near Savannah’s waterfront before turning through the Historic District. This opening section sets up the city’s connection to the Savannah River, trade, shipping, war, illness, and violence.

The riverfront is not just a scenic starting point. Its warehouses and inns were tied to the hard work of moving goods, and the stories connected with River Street often involve sailors, merchants, workers, and people who never made it home.

You pass the Olde Harbour Inn, one of the historic properties linked to Savannah’s ghost lore. The guide also points out the Pirate’s House, a famous old establishment with stories that mix fact, legend, and the rough waterfront life of earlier centuries.

The Pirate’s House is especially useful as a stop in the narrative because it shows how Savannah’s ghost stories grow out of the city’s past. You are not simply hearing that a building is haunted. You are hearing why people associate it with sailors, crime, drinking, and danger.

Do not expect to get off and explore every location. Most sites are viewed from the trolley, with the guide doing the work of placing each building into the larger story. If you want interior access to the Pirate’s House or the inns along the route, you would need to visit those separately.

Columbia Square and Savannah’s haunted grid

The trolley continues through several of Savannah’s historic squares, including Columbia Square, Wright Square, Telfair Square, and Lafayette Square. These green public spaces are among the city’s main attractions by day, but at night the tour uses their trees, shadows, and old buildings to create a different mood.

Columbia Square is a good example of the tour’s approach. You see the formal layout and historic surroundings, then hear the darker stories attached to the area. The point is not only to frighten you. It is to make you notice how closely Savannah’s streets, homes, churches, and burial grounds sit together.

Wright Square and Telfair Square continue that pattern. Each square becomes a stage for stories of unrest, murder, and strange events. The guide may also answer ordinary questions about Savannah, which helps keep the evening grounded in local history.

This is where the quality of the guide matters most. The strongest guides bring energy without racing through the material. Maria, Red, Olive, Aster, Temperance, Esther, and Rafael have all been praised for clear delivery, humor, and strong interaction with the people on board. Your guide will vary by departure, but the company’s period characters are part of the experience.

Some guides speak quickly because they have a lot to cover. If you have hearing concerns, choose a front seat and tell the crew before departure. It is a simple step that can make the whole ride easier to follow.

Colonial Park Cemetery from the trolley

Colonial Park Cemetery is one of Savannah’s best-known historic burial grounds, and it fits naturally into a ghost tour. The trolley passes the cemetery as the guide explains the stories and legends associated with it.

The itinerary does not promise a full cemetery walk. That is an important distinction. You will hear about Colonial Park Cemetery, but the tour’s included walking visits are the Andrew Low House and Perkins and Sons Ship Chandlery.

This arrangement works well if you prefer a broad city tour, but it may disappoint you if your main goal is to wander among old tombs after dark. The cemetery is part of the story, not a separate exploration stop.

Still, seeing it in context is useful. The cemetery helps explain why Savannah has such a strong connection between public spaces, old homes, and ghost lore. The city’s historic core is compact, so stories that involve death and memory often sit only a few minutes from the buildings where daily life continued.

Entering the Andrew Low House

The Andrew Low House is the tour’s most distinctive historic interior. This elegant home belonged to one of Savannah’s prominent families, and the visit focuses on tales of unrest, unusual events, and personal experiences connected with the house.

The stop gives the evening more substance than a trolley ride alone. You step inside a preserved historic residence and hear stories in the setting where they are supposed to have happened. The atmosphere comes from the rooms, the age of the building, and the guide’s delivery, not from a simple list of haunted addresses.

The house is also a welcome change of pace. After seeing buildings through trolley windows, you can stand inside one and look closely at the surroundings. You get a stronger sense of scale and place, even though the visit is short.

Several people have wanted more time at the Low House. I understand why. The building has enough character for a longer visit, and the stop combines architecture with the supernatural side of the tour. If you are interested in historic houses first and ghost stories second, the limited time may feel like the biggest weakness.

The Andrew Low House is included in the ticket, so the stop adds real value to the $39 price. A separate home tour could cost time and money, while this experience folds the entry into a single evening. Just keep your expectations clear: this is a spooky storytelling visit, not a full-length architectural program.

River Street and Perkins and Sons Ship Chandlery

The Perkins and Sons Ship Chandlery is the other major indoor stop, and for many people it supplies the evening’s strongest theatrical moment. The building is a restored 19th century shipping warehouse on River Street, connected to the working waterfront and the long history of commerce along the Savannah River.

A ship chandlery supplied vessels and sailors with the goods they needed. That practical background gives the building a strong setting for stories about waterfront life, accidents, hardship, and death.

Inside, the experience shifts toward staged storytelling. An actor helps bring the legends to life, and the ending includes more direct scares than the ride through town. If you want a classic haunted attraction feeling, this is likely the portion that will stay with you.

The Chandlery is also valuable because it is exclusive to this tour. You are not merely passing a historic warehouse while the guide points at it. You go inside at night and receive a presentation built around the building and River Street.

The tradeoff is that the visit is more theatrical than historical. Some people will love the unexpected turns, humor, and scares. Others may want a longer, quieter explanation of the warehouse itself. I would think of it as a short haunted show in a genuine historic setting.

The other buildings along the route

The ride also brings you past several notable properties, including the 1790 Inn, the Hamilton-Turner Inn, and the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences. These locations give the guide more material and help you see how much of Savannah’s ghost lore is tied to old homes and inns.

The Hamilton-Turner Inn is particularly recognizable for its grand architecture. The Telfair Academy adds an arts and culture angle to the route, showing that the city’s supernatural stories are not limited to taverns and cemeteries.

You should not expect long stops at each one. The value is in the connection between them. By the end of the ride, you have seen a wide section of the Historic District and heard why certain addresses keep appearing in Savannah’s spooky storytelling.

That broad reach makes this a useful first evening activity. You get a feel for several squares and streets, then you can return in daylight to the places that caught your attention. The tour does not replace a daytime walking tour, but it gives you a memorable way to get your bearings.

How much entertainment versus history?

This tour sits between a sightseeing ride, a ghost story performance, and a short haunted attraction. The balance depends on your guide, but the most successful departures appear to combine jokes, local facts, character acting, and stories of murder or unexplained events.

The guide is not there only to frighten you. Several guides have been praised for explaining Savannah beyond its ghost tales, and that is an important strength. You learn about the city’s past while moving through the places where the stories took shape.

The humor also keeps the evening from becoming too grim. This is not presented as a solemn memorial tour. The period costumes, playful tone, and dramatic delivery make it suitable for adults who want atmosphere without a relentlessly frightening experience.

That said, anyone looking for a serious paranormal investigation should choose another kind of activity. There is no indication that you will use ghost-hunting equipment or conduct a scientific investigation. You are there for stories, setting, acting, and a few surprises.

The family-friendly tone helps, but the operator does not allow children under six. Older children may enjoy it, though parents should know that the subject matter includes murder, death, and frightening tales.

Is $39 a fair price?

At $39 per person, the tour is reasonably priced if you want more than a simple narrated trolley loop. Your ticket covers transportation, a live English-speaking guide, entry to the Andrew Low House, and exclusive access to the Perkins and Sons Ship Chandlery.

The value comes from combining several types of experience in one booking. You receive a city overview, two indoor visits, historic context, and theatrical storytelling. You also avoid the effort of arranging separate visits to the house and waterfront warehouse.

The price is less attractive if you mainly want a long historic-home tour or a slow cemetery walk. The two indoor stops are short, and the cemetery is viewed as part of the route rather than explored on foot.

I would consider it good value for a first visit to Savannah, especially if you have only one evening for a ghost-themed activity. It also works well for couples, families with older children, and anyone who prefers sitting to walking.

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure and the option to reserve now and pay later make planning easier. Starting times vary, so check the schedule when you book. The usual meeting point is the Simply Savannah depot, but from March 14 through 16, 2025, departures use 250 MLK Boulevard, with the route still stopping at the Andrew Low House and Colonial Park Cemetery.

Practical tips before you go

Arrive at the Simply Savannah Trolley Depot and look for the black Ghosts and Gravestones trolley. The costumed crew should make the meeting point easy to identify.

Choose a seat near the front if you want the clearest sound. Guides such as Red and Aster have been praised for precise delivery, but even a strong speaker can be hard to hear when you are seated far back or when traffic is noisy.

Plan for short periods of walking and standing at the two buildings. The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users, and large bags are not allowed. Unaccompanied minors cannot join.

Keep your phone and camera ready for the city sights, but do not expect every stop to be a photo opportunity. The strongest moments come from listening in the historic interiors and following the guide’s pacing.

If you are sensitive to staged scares, sit back during the Chandlery portion and remember that the evening is designed as entertainment. If you want the biggest theatrical payoff, pay close attention during the final stop.

Who should book the Ghosts and Gravestones tour?

Book this tour if you want to see Savannah at night without walking long distances, and if you enjoy a blend of history, folklore, humor, and staged scares. It is a particularly good introduction to the Historic District because the trolley covers several squares and important buildings in less than an hour and a half.

I would also recommend it to couples and families with children over six who want a shared evening activity. The ride keeps the pace moving, while the Andrew Low House and Chandlery add the variety that a standard ghost bus tour can lack.

Skip it if you want a quiet, detailed study of Savannah’s architecture, a full cemetery visit, or a serious paranormal investigation. You should also think twice if hearing every word is essential and you cannot sit near the guide.

For most visitors, the combination of two historic indoor stops, an entertaining guide, and a citywide night ride makes the $39 fare worthwhile. Go expecting a lively performance with real local setting, not proof of the supernatural, and you will know exactly what you are buying.

FAQ

How long does the Savannah Ghosts and Gravestones Tour last?

The tour lasts 80 minutes, including the trolley ride and the visits to the Andrew Low House and Perkins and Sons Ship Chandlery.

What is included in the ticket?

The $39 ticket includes trolley transportation, a live English-speaking guide, entry and a tour inside the Andrew Low House, and an exclusive visit to Perkins and Sons Ship Chandlery on River Street.

Where does the tour meet?

The regular meeting point is the Simply Savannah Trolley Depot. Look for the black trolley marked Ghosts and Gravestones and guides wearing historical-style clothing.

Does the tour visit Colonial Park Cemetery?

Colonial Park Cemetery is part of the route and its stories are included in the narration. The listed indoor visits are the Andrew Low House and Perkins and Sons Ship Chandlery.

Is the tour suitable for children?

Children under six are not allowed to join. Unaccompanied minors are also not permitted. The stories include ghosts, murder, and death, so parents should consider their child’s comfort with spooky material.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

The activity is not suitable for wheelchair users. Pets, smoking, luggage, and large bags are not allowed.