Travel beyond Midnight in The Garden of Good and Evil deep into the darkly magnificent underbelly of the Hostess City of the South on a uniquely curated Morbid Anatomy Grand Tour of the most haunted city in America. Georgia-born artist Kelley Swindall will guide you through the moonlight, magnolias, live oaks, and Spanish moss, and into the shadows to revel in the darker side of this Grand Dame city of the Deep South, all while enjoying fabulous Low Country Cuisine and local spirits unique to the Atlantic coastal region. Assisting her will be local guide and storyistShannon Scott; personally acquainted with many of the prominent characters of Midnight in The Garden of Good and Evil, he will give us a rare peek at the hidden stories behind the famous novel. We’ll also spend time with activist, descendant of enslaved people, andMaster Gullah Geechee Truth-Teller Sister Patt who will take us on a deep dive of the fascinating Gullah Geechee culture, an African American culture unique to the coastal regions of the southeastern United States. 

Savannah is known as “the city built upon her dead.” Steeped in hauntings, folklore, southern charm, sordid history, Masonic influence, and fabulous scandal, Savannah was the first planned city in the US and, as it grew larger, rather than building out, the city chose to build over its cemeteries and burial grounds. In Savannah, the locals are not superstitious; rather, they know firsthand that the spirits of the dead linger behind on this plane well after their physical bodies give out.

Since its establishment in 1733, Savannah has survived many catastrophes, including war, epidemics of yellow fever, and the decay of the historic district in the early 20th century, only to be resurrected by a small group of local preservationists, including the antique dealer and self made millionaire Jim Williams. Williams would go on to become known the world over as the infamous protagonist of the New York Times best selling true crime novel Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil. The success of the book transformed Savannah from a sleepy, eccentric, and fairly inaccessible Southern town into a thriving world-renowned tourist destination.

Over the course of this trip, we’ll visit the iconicBonaventure Cemetery—dripping with Spanish moss and overflowing with beautiful funerary monuments—on a private moonlight tour, indulge in the famous food and drink, learn about the fascinating local cultures; we might even see a ghost or two! Our home base will beThe Planter’s Inn, an atmospheric haunted former brothel situated in the heart of the city’s beautiful historic district.