The Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia is one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world.  The ornate statues, unique architecture, and olds roads lined with live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss take visitors into a more peaceful and serene state of mind. This place is absolutely breathtaking and worth a trip in and of itself.  It’s quite large so allow yourself plenty of time to take it all in.

Bonaventure Cemetery

Bonaventure was originally built in 1846 by William H. Wiltberger as a private cemetery within the Bonaventure Plantation.  At that time, it was called the Evergreen Cemetery.  In 1907, it was purchased by the city of Savannah and opened its gates for public interment to alleviate the pressure on the other municipal cemeteries. and was renamed to the Bonaventure Cemetery.  This was the Victorian era and the designs of the gravestones reflect that.  

Today, at 100 acres, it is one of the largest municipal cemeteries in the country.  Johnny Mercer, a well-known lyricist from the Golden Age of Hollywood who founded Capitol Records, was buried here with the rest of his family.  Additionally, soldiers from the Civil and Spanish-American Wars are also buried here.

John Muir, the Scottish-American naturalist, slept in the cemetery for several days in 1867 while journeying from Kentucky to Florida.  The cemetery inspired him and he wrote “Camping in the Tombs” about it as a whole chapter in his Thousand Mile Walk book.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Film buffs may recognize the Bonaventure Cemetery, in addition to other Savannah landmarks, from the 1994 film, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.  The film was based on a book of the same name written by John Berendt, and as a non-fiction, highlights the overall wonderfully eccentric nature of the city.  The famous “Bird Girl” statue that is featured prominently on the cover of the book was getting so many visitors that it was relocated to a museum for its safety.  You can currently see it on display at the Jepson Center for the Arts in the historic district of Savannah.

Where is it located?

The access gate for the Bonaventure Cemetery is located at 330 Bonaventure Road in the town of Thunderbolt just east of Savannah, Georgia.  It is located right alongside the Wilmington River. The gates are open from 8 am to 5 pm daily and is free for anyone to visit.

Maps

A series of maps can be found online here which break down the location of each plot. You can also purchase a beautiful illustrated map of the cemetery online right here.