Haunted Chippewa Square

Savannah, Georgia’s Chippewa Square takes on a different personality after dark. Spanish moss drapes low from ancient oaks, stirring gently in the midnight breeze. The gas lanterns around the square flicker against brick facades, casting dancing shadows along the walkways.

In the hush, one might catch the faint echo of laughter or the distant clapping of hands — yet at this late hour, the park benches sit empty. By day, Chippewa Square is known for its Hollywood cameo and historic charm. But by night, locals whisper that this elegant green space in the heart of Savannah belongs to the ghosts.

The Storied History Beneath the Oaks

Chippewa Square was laid out in 1815, making it the fifteenth of Savannah’s iconic city squares. It was named to honor American soldiers who fought in the Battle of Chippewa during the War of 1812, a nod to a hard-won victory over British forces. Long before the square’s creation, however, this patch of ground had already witnessed bloodshed. In October 1779, the Siege of Savannah raged across this very terrain. American and French troops attacked British fortifications in an attempt to reclaim Savannah during the Revolutionary War. The assault failed disastrously, and hundreds of soldiers died in and around what would later become Chippewa Square. Some say that the soil of the square was soaked in blood even before the first cobblestone was laid, and that these restless spirits from the past set the stage for the hauntings to come.

When the city planners laid out Chippewa Square after the War of 1812, they likely sensed the significance of the site. The square quickly became a focal point of Savannah’s social life. In 1818, just steps from the oak-shaded lawns, the Savannah Theatre opened its doors on Chippewa Square’s northeastern corner. Designed by renowned British architect William Jay, the theater soon shone as a beacon of culture and nightlife. Carriages would line the streets as finely dressed gentlemen and ladies arrived for evening performances, their laughter and chatter filling the balmy night air. The Savannah Theatre’s bright marquee and the gas lamps of the square made this one of the liveliest corners of the city by the 1820s. It’s hard to imagine that only decades earlier, it had been a battlefield.

At the center of Chippewa Square stands a bronze statue of General James Oglethorpe, the very founder of Georgia, perched confidently atop a marble pedestal. Erected in 1910, Oglethorpe’s statue faces due south, as if still guarding his colony against long-ago threats from Spanish Florida. Many visitors come to admire this monument and the manicured flower beds around it, not realizing that Oglethorpe’s stern gaze watches over a square filled with secrets. In the 19th century, the square witnessed triumphs and trials that would leave their mark. Yet through it all, the square remained a cherished gathering place – a symbol of the city’s resilience and genteel spirit.

In modern times, Chippewa Square might be most famous for a quiet little park bench that once sat on its north side. Forrest Gump fans flock here to stand on the spot where Tom Hanks’ character mused that “life is like a box of chocolates.” In reality, the movie bench was a prop (now in a museum), but that hasn’t stopped countless visitors from reliving the scene under these moss-laden trees. This pop-culture claim to fame is just one layer of Chippewa Square’s story. Beneath the Hollywood sheen and historic charm lies a darker lore. As evening falls and the tourist crowds thin, Savannah’s haunted history begins to stir among the dimly lit paths. Chippewa Square, it turns out, has plenty of ghost stories of its own.

Ghosts and Legends of Chippewa Square

Nearly every corner of Savannah has a ghost tale to tell, and Chippewa Square is no exception. Ghost tours in Savannah often include this picturesque square precisely because of its rich tapestry of legends. After all, Savannah isn’t called America’s most haunted city for nothing. The very ground of the Historic District is layered with unmarked graves and memories of war, tragedy, and romance. In Chippewa Square, the past lingers palpably. Some locals swear that late at night, you can glimpse shadowy figures gliding between the oaks or hear the muffled sound of marching boots on the old cobblestones – echoes, perhaps, of Revolutionary War soldiers still carrying on their doomed assault from 1779. While such sightings are anecdotal, the history here certainly fuels the imagination. And there are more concrete ghostly encounters tied to the square’s venerable buildings.

One of Chippewa Square’s grandest old structures is the Savannah Theatre, and it happens to be one of the city’s most famously haunted venues. Having stood on the square since 1818, the theater has seen fires, hurricanes, wartime blackouts, and countless performances – and according to many, it has also accumulated a small company of resident ghosts. Actors and crew working in the theater have long reported uncanny experiences. Late at night, when the stage is dark and the seats are empty, people have heard phantom applause echoing from the auditorium, as if an invisible audience is still enjoying a show from decades past. Security and police on patrol have even responded to these sounds; an 1895 newspaper account told of officers repeatedly investigating noises in the locked theater, only to find it empty. The incidents became so frequent that the police grew reluctant to respond, convinced the theater’s ghosts were at play.

There are persistent stories of a female apparition known as Betty, said to be a 19th-century actress who loved the stage too much to leave. She has been seen in the wings wearing period costume, only to vanish when anyone gets too close. Equally renowned is Ben, the ghost of a mischievous little boy who reportedly haunts the balcony. Staff describe feeling a child’s playful tug on their shirts during rehearsals and hearing giggles echo in the empty seats. Many speculate that Ben may have perished in one of the theater’s long-ago fires, but today he seems quite content as an eternal prankster in the afterlife.

The Savannah Theatre’s ghosts have become such a part of its identity that no Savannah ghost tour would feel complete without a stop by this historic stage. It’s a highlight for anyone delving into Haunted Savannah lore.

Just across the square on the western side looms the stately Foley House Inn, another elegant property with a sinister secret. In the late 19th century, this inn was a private home owned by a widow named Honoria Foley. For decades it was just a charming Victorian residence – until a shocking discovery in the 1980s turned it into one of Savannah’s most talked-about haunted houses. During renovation work in 1987, contractors removing a wall in the Foley House made a grisly find: a human skeleton bricked up inside the wall, tucked away as if to hide a long-forgotten crime. Savannah gasped at the news, and speculation ran wild. The popular legend that emerged tells of Mrs. Foley taking in a male boarder who became dangerously infatuated with her. One fateful night, he allegedly tried to attack the widow in her own bedroom. In desperation, Honoria Foley struck him with a heavy candlestick, killing the man. Panicked and unsure what to do, she enlisted the help of a trusted friend to conceal the evidence. The two supposedly hid the poor fellow’s body within the very walls of the house, where it remained undiscovered for over a century.

Whether this tale is completely true or not, the skeleton in the wall of the Foley House is a documented fact – and it has spawned a host of ghostly accounts. Guests at the Foley House Inn have reported the apparition of a courteous gentleman in old-fashioned attire, sometimes seen standing by the fireplace or felt as a friendly touch on the shoulder when no one is there. Staff have heard phantom footsteps on the stairs and noticed an uncanny presence passing through the rooms in the quiet hours just before dawn. Fortunately, this resident ghost seems more mischievous than menacing — perhaps even protective of the home. Still, knowing a body was once hidden in the walls adds an extra chill to any overnight stay. It’s no wonder the Foley House has become a favorite stop on Savannah ghost tours, where guides regale visitors with its macabre legend right from Chippewa Square.

While the Savannah Theatre and the Foley House are the best-known ghostly landmarks on Chippewa Square, they are not the only places here teeming with supernatural lore. Many of the historic homes encircling the square have their own whispered hauntings (each deserving its own story on another day). Savannah’s Historic District is dense with spirits; one could argue that every elegant townhouse or old storefront might harbor a ghost or two. On a moonlit night, even the moss-draped live oak trees seem to harbor memories. Visitors sometimes feel a sudden chill under the branches or catch a glimpse of something just beyond the corner of their eye. It may be only the power of suggestion in a city so steeped in ghost stories – or it may be the ghosts of Chippewa Square making their quiet presence known.

Visiting Chippewa Square Today

Walking into Chippewa Square today, you’ll find a place that beautifully blends its pleasant daytime atmosphere with an unmistakable after-dark mystique. By daylight, the square is a charming oasis: squirrels dart across manicured lawns, sunlight filters through the canopy of oak branches, and tourists snap photos by General Oglethorpe’s statue or the famed Forrest Gump bench location. The square sits at a bustling crossroads of Savannah’s downtown, with cafes, historic churches, and theaters radiating out from its corners. It’s a popular stop not just for film buffs and history enthusiasts, but also for anyone on a sightseeing stroll through the city’s 22 squares.

As evening approaches, Chippewa Square takes on a different energy that makes it a prime stop on haunted Savannah tours. The ambient glow of old-fashioned street lamps gives the live oaks an eerie beauty, and the chatter from nearby restaurants and pubs mixes with the clip-clop of horse-drawn carriages carrying ghost tour groups. If you join a Destination Ghost Tours walking tour or any of the local Savannah ghost tours, chances are you’ll find yourself standing in Chippewa Square under the moonlight, listening to a guide share chilling tales about the very buildings in front of you. The experience can be surreal: one moment you’re enjoying a peaceful historic park, and the next you’re imagining the apparitions of soldiers, actors, or long-dead residents emerging from the shadows.

Despite its spooky reputation, Chippewa Square is perfectly safe and welcoming to visit at all hours. In fact, part of its intrigue is how ordinary and beautiful it looks — until you learn about the specters said to wander there. Visiting Chippewa Square today offers a chance to touch Savannah’s layered history. You can sit on a bench and enjoy a cup of famous Leopold’s ice cream in the afternoon, and return at night to feel the hairs rise on your neck as you recall the ghost stories you’ve heard. Perhaps the greatest takeaway from a trip to this square is how seamlessly Savannah’s past and present coexist. The spirits here, if they do roam, seem to do so not out of vengeance or horror, but out of attachment: an actress who loved the stage too dearly to exit, a soldier still answering a call to duty, a lonely boarder who found a home he never left.

Haunted Chippewa Square invites you to experience history in an unusually immersive way. It’s one thing to read about battles and old buildings in a guidebook, but quite another to stand on the very ground where those events unfolded. In Savannah, past and present intermingle around every moss-draped corner. Chippewa Square is a testament to that union – a place where you can quite literally walk with ghosts. Whether you come seeking a thrill on a ghost tour or simply to enjoy a peaceful evening under the oaks, Chippewa Square is sure to leave an impression. Perhaps the faint laughter you hear drifting through the moss is just the sound of a nearby tavern, or perhaps it’s something unearthly. Either way, the ghosts of Chippewa Square keep this historic square’s secrets alive, making it an unforgettable stop on any Savannah adventure.