Aviators and a Camera

When I used to live in Ohio, I often found myself at graveyards with my dear friend Jodi Wilson. After bonding over our shared love of photography, we found we also shared a love for the peaceful even if odd beauty that can be found at cemeteries.  You might have been able to call us the Grave Hunters instead of “Ghost Hunters”. We never actually liked to be out at night, but found during the day that amazing images of architecture and statuary could be found “amongst the dead”. Jodi always put our passion in better words than I, and I recommend reading one of her posts about an adventure we had here.

So it was when I was down south this Spring that I had to visit Bonaventure Cemetery. It’s a roughly 160 acre plot of land, across the train tracks from historic downtown Savannah. Said to be one of the creepiest cemeteries in America, it achieved renown when the book “Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil” was written and found even more acclaim after the movie was filmed. Its roots date back to around 1868 but it was actually purchased by the city of Savannah and made an official public cemetery in 1907, that is when it was officially given the name of Bonaventure. During the day, I think it’s a peaceful and beautiful place. Though even without cover of darkness, there’s a certain eerie feeling to the place that can’t be put into words. Many tourists visit for the graves of Conrad Aiken, Johnny Mercer or even Edythe Chapman. It’s open to the public, by donation from 8 am to 5 pm every day. Beware, the gates close promptly, so don’t find yourself locked in for the night by losing track of time.

I’ll be in Savannah for Halloween this year, and whether or not I go back to Bonaventure, it will still be on my mind. After all, the stories you hear about it are hard to forget!