Our History

In the early 1980s Margaret Wayt DeBolt began compiling a collection of stories of the legends and folklores of Savannah's long history with the supernatural. As word got out that Margaret was interviewing more and more, people began to share personal stories and the collection of short stories became a book. After several years of research and interviews Savannah Spectres and Other Strange Tales was published in 1984.

In the late 1980's Historic Savannah Foundation and Margaret put together The Haunted House Tour at Halloween as a fundraiser for the Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF), and Savannah's first walking ghost tour was a successful event. As a result, HSF developed a riding tour that was offered on a regular basis to the public. When Historic Savannah Foundation made the decision to eliminate the touring division, HSF guide Jack Richards with the help and good wishes of Margaret DeBolt developed Ghost Talk Ghost Walk walking tours.

Thanks to Margaret and Jack, taking a ghost tour in Savannah has become one of the more popular things to do when visiting Savannah. In addition to taking a walking tour, tourists can ride a ghost trolley or even tour in a hearse. Savannah's ghost tours have attracted national and international attention, and have been featured on the History Channel, the Travel Channel as well as in many newspapers and magazines. In 2002, the American Institute of Parapsychology declared Savannah to be "America's Most Haunted City."