What’s better than a stroll through the beautiful Bonaventure Cemetery? A stroll through Bonaventure Cemetery after closing time, when you have it all to yourself… And although I once managed to get locked in Bonaventure at dusk after closing one evening (it’s very easy to lose track of time in this gorgeous burial ground), this time was an unforgettable experience. And in a good way.

 Having said all that, what’s even better than a walk through one of the most beautiful of cemeteries in all the world on an October eve? Having a phenomenal storyteller and experienced cemetery aficionado as your guide.

Just when I thought I knew everything about Bonaventure Cemetery in Savanah, Georgia, along comes Shannon Scott to prove me wrong. And it’s no wonder.

Shannon Scott of Shannon Scott Tours has been telling the stories of Savannah, Georgia, for over thirty years.

Shannon vividly remembers arriving in Savannah, Georgia, that spring he entered SCAD, Savannah’s College of Art and Design.

“The town was exploding with azaleas. I thought I had died and gone to Heaven.” 

Shannon explains how Savannah seduced him.

“I always said SCAD was the excuse to get here, but Savannah was the mission.”

After attending SCAD and studying painting and drawing, Shannon didn’t want to leave. He worked in the restaurant and catering scene for a while back in the late ‘80’s and early ‘90’s.

“I always loved art and history and I just stayed. I followed my heart, and the art and history was the guide.”

Having a love for history and being surrounded by Savannah’s captivating past, Shannon started delving into Savannah’s story. And what does one do with a love of history and bewitching tales of a city as beautiful as Savannah, Georgia?

“I got my first tour guide license in 1990. That allowed me to platform the stuff I learned daily in the Georgia Historical Society.”

Shannon started out as a horse-drawn carriage tour guide through the brick-paved streets of Savannah, Georgia.

“It was great, and it became the arch of things.”

Shannon then went on to do trolley and bus tours of the beautiful city.

“But I just didn’t want to be in traffic,” Shannon explains. “I just kept dreaming of doing walking tours. It just made sense in Savannah. That life started for me in 1995, mostly with a company called Savannah Walks.”

Shannon worked dedicatedly with the Charleston company launching Savannah’s walking tours, which included the city’s second ghost tour and the first serious and sophisticated ghost tour of local haunts that Savannah ever had; the one that you definitely needed to leave the kids at home for!

After seven years, Shannon launched his own tour company, Sixth Sense Savannah in 2001. This was on the tail end of a conference for the American Institute of Parapsychology who named Savannah, America’s Most Haunted City. On behalf of the city of Savannah, Shannon accepted the award, which gained international attention.

As a seasoned Savannah guide and storyteller, Shannon has had his Hollywood moments too, which include Scariest Places on Earth, MTV’s Fear, ABC Family’s Real Scary Stories, Ghost Hunters, and more.

Shannon also opened a publishing company offering maps and higher-end travel guides to Savannah.

“I’ve always been about better information, you see.”

And when touring with Shannon, that’s precisely what you get.

For The Love Of Cemeteries

This love of beautiful burial grounds began during his high school years, back in his Illinois hometown where Shannon worked in a Victorian cemetery dating back to the 1840s.

“I dug graves, painted ironwork, fixed headstones. Digging graves,” he laughs, “is an experience.”

“Cemeteries were always escapist places for me,” explaining he was the goth kid for a time in high school with a little heavy metal aspect. “I often retreated from the world of the living. I like meditation time. I like singularity. And so cemeteries are a natural place to do that.”

There’s no mistaking that Shannon Scott Tours is the elite tour company of Savannah, Georgia, offering public and private tours unlike any other. Whether you are out to experience Bonaventure alone or combined with the other beautiful burial gardens of Savannah, Georgia, Shannon’s got you covered.

Along with cemetery tours, Shannon also offers supernatural tours, lowcountry tours, and many other customized tours based on what you want to experience. One of Shannon’s most popular tours includes a drive into South Carolina. As Shannon escorts you on The Drums & Shadows Tour, you will experience a true exploration into the Gullah-Geechee world, covering 250 miles of Lowcountry history.

“It’s a big day, but we do cool stuff!”

Many of Shannon’s whole and half-day tours include lunch or dinner, for example his famous “Dinner & A Cemetery.”

“It’s quite a life,” Shannon explains. “I ended up here in Savannah out of pure stubbornness not to leave. I’ve been doing it for 32 years…. and I love it!”

To find out more about Shannon’s Bonaventure After Hours Tour, or any other of his one of a kind excursions

CLICK HERE