Bonaventure Cemetery

The land began as an eighteenth-century plantation called Bonaventure, whose grand avenues of live oaks were planted by its early owners. By the mid-nineteenth century the property had been laid out as a private cemetery, and it was later purchased by the City of Savannah, which continues to operate it as a public burial ground.

The oaks that make the cemetery so striking are far older than the graves beneath them, some dating back to the plantation era. Over generations the Victorian custom of elaborate memorial art filled the grounds with statuary, obelisks, and family plots, creating the layered, storied landscape visitors walk through today.

Bonaventure is famous for its funerary art: marble angels, draped urns, carved children, and family mausoleums set among the trees in the ornate Victorian style. Each monument carries its own story, and part of the pleasure of a visit is simply wandering the lanes and reading the stones as the light shifts through the hanging moss.

The setting is what elevates it. The old oaks form shaded green tunnels over the roads, the Spanish moss sways in the river breeze, and the bluff above the Wilmington River gives long views over the marsh and water. It is a landscape that feels distinctly of the Georgia coast, at once grand and mournful.

The cemetery became internationally known through the bestselling book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, whose cover featured a Bonaventure statue and whose story wove through Savannah's genteel and eccentric world. That fame brought a wave of visitors and made the cemetery a fixture on Savannah tours.

Among those buried here are figures of note, including the songwriter Johnny Mercer, a Savannah native who wrote some of the most beloved standards of American popular song, and the poet Conrad Aiken, whose bench-shaped grave invites visitors to sit and reflect. Their presence adds a cultural depth to the beauty of the grounds.

Bonaventure remains an active cemetery and a sacred place for the families whose loved ones rest here, so visitors are asked to move quietly, stay on the roads and paths, and treat the monuments with care. The volunteer historical society leads guided tours that bring the history and the residents' stories to life.

The best times to visit are the cooler months and the softer light of early morning or late afternoon, when the moss and stone glow and the crowds thin. Bring water and insect repellent in the warm season, since the coastal setting can be hot and buggy, and give yourself unhurried time to wander.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.