cemetery
Bonaventure Cemetery
A breathtakingly beautiful Victorian garden cemetery draped in Spanish moss — one of America's most celebrated burial grounds.
Bonaventure Cemetery is one of the most hauntingly beautiful cemeteries in the United States. Established in 1846 on the site of a former plantation, the 160-acre garden cemetery is laid out along a bluff overlooking the Wilmington River. Its avenues of ancient live oaks draped in Spanish moss, elaborate Victorian monuments, and famous residents — including poet Conrad Aiken and songwriter Johnny Mercer — made it the setting for the atmospheric photographs in John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
History
The site was originally Bonaventure Plantation, one of the most prosperous estates near Savannah. The land was converted into a garden cemetery in 1846, incorporating the existing oak allées. The cemetery has been a National Historic Landmark since 2002.
Quick Facts
- Established
- 1846
- Area
- 160 acres
- Famous residents
- Johnny Mercer, Conrad Aiken
- Cultural fame
- Featured in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
- Designation
- National Historic Landmark, 2002
About Bonaventure Cemetery
Bonaventure Cemetery is one of America's most celebrated garden cemeteries — 160 oak-canopied acres on the Wilmington River, famous for its Spanish-moss-shrouded Victorian monuments and its role in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Notable residents include songwriter Johnny Mercer and poet Conrad Aiken.
Nearby Places
Jazz'd Tapas Bar
Savannah's premier jazz supper club with live music nightly, creative tapas, and a buzzing underground atmosphere.
52 Barnard St, Savannah, GA 31401
Forsyth Park
Savannah's most beloved public park — 30 acres of Spanish-moss-draped live oaks centered on the city's iconic white iron fountain.
Forsyth Park, Savannah, GA 31401
Collins Quarter
A beloved Savannah café on Bull Street serving Australian-influenced brunch, house-made pastries, and specialty coffee in a charming historic building.
151 Bull St, Savannah, GA 31401
The Grey Market
The casual daytime sibling of The Grey — a neighbourhood deli and café serving stellar sandwiches and coffee.
109 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Savannah, GA 31401