Savannah Georgia is one of the most gorgeous cities in America. The Spanish moss drips off the live oaks and makes the whole city feel old and full of history. Even the streets and buildings seem like they have a story behind them.
To add fuel to this feeling of history, Savannah is also one of the most haunted cities in America. Among the many ghost stories that fill the old buildings of Savannah, there are the ones that surround The Moon River Brewing Company. If you want to hear good ghost stories, have a great drink, and maybe even see a ghost yourself then The Moon River Brewing Company is the place to visit. To check out our Savannah ghost tours, go here.
The Moon River Brewing Company is widely known as one of the most haunted, if not the most haunted, places in America. The ghost stories that surround the brewery are probably the best-known stories in the ghost hunting community. If you are looking for a good beer and a good scare there is no better place to find both.
Both Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures have shot episodes in Moon River which has increased its popularity immensely. The ghost stories have been coming from the staff and patrons of this famous brewery for over ten years now which gives it a good history of hauntings and a reliable source of stories. Enough people who go there experience supernatural events that it has developed a reputation as one of the best places to go if you want to experience a haunting.
The Haunted History of the Moon River Brewing Company In Savannah Georgia
In one of the oldest cities in America, there is a lot of history to be found. The buildings in Savannah are old and beautiful with architecture that has remained true to its roots. Some of the most interesting Savannah history can be found at The Moon River Brewing Company.
When the building was erected in 1821 it served as a hotel. The owner, Elazer Early and his wife commissioned it to be built. It was made to be the City Hotel which was a haven for the rich and famous who wanted to see the beautiful, quiet city of Savannah. Notable guests include James Audubon who like the hotel so much he stayed for six months.
The City Hotel was, and is, one of the most beautiful buildings in Savannah. It has been a landmark in the south since it was first built and none of the things that have happened there have stopped that from being true. The building that houses the brewery has been gorgeous since it was built and it still remains a gorgeous building to go see whether you want to see a ghost or not.
Sadly the City Hotel closed in 1864. This was a little before General Sherman took Savannah during the Civil War. The City Hotel never re-opened after the war and the building has been building a history since then. It has not been a hotel again, but it has seen quite a few owners.
Notably, the building was used as a hospital many times. Savannah has seen many yellow fever outbreaks over time. The brewery building was used as a hospital and housing for yellow fever victims. It is estimated hundreds of people, mostly children, died on the upper floors of the building during these outbreaks.
The building was passed from business to business for quite some time, as seems to happen to haunted buildings, before sitting empty for twenty years. The Moon River Brewing Company saw the potential of this historical building and decided to buy it and set up their business. Since purchasing the building the brewery and its patrons have seen their fair share of ghosts which has only added to the rumors of a haunting.
The Moon River Brewing Company’s Violent Past
There are many people who will tell you that ghosts only are left behind when a person dies a tragic or violent death. If that is true then The Moon River Brewing Company may very well be a deeply haunted place. Enough violence has taken place inside the building to easily leave several restless spirits behind.
The hundreds of children who died of yellow fever are the most numerous deaths that took place. Though it was mostly children who perished, many adults also died on the top floors of the brewery. Dying young and sick is always a tragedy and might just be enough to leave behind a few ghosts.
The building was used as a hospital quite a few times a yellow fever kept hitting Savannah. This meant that an impromptu hospital has to be constructed in order to treat and house all of the children falling sick. The amount of people who died of yellow fever during separate outbreaks is alarming and tragic.
More vindictive acts of violence include a shooting of a known town vagrant. In 1832 a doctor by the name of Dr.Phillip Minus shot a drunk man named James Stark inside the then hotel. James Stark was a known drunk and trouble maker who seemed to have a reputation for insulting people and being hated by the people of Savannah.
After Dr. Minus shot Stark he insisted that he had seen Stark going for his gun first. Dr. Minus was quickly acquitted of the crime as Stark was not liked in the town and Savannah needed a doctor. An unpunished murder could be enough to leave a man who was known to be angry in life behind to cause more trouble in death.
One of the biggest acts of violence that occurred in the walls of the brewery took place in 1860. The Civil War had not yet started but there was already a clear hatred for Yankees in Georgia. A Yankee by the name of James Sinclair came into town and decided to stay at the City Hotel.
The residents of Savannah were furious at the thought of having a Yankee in their midst. The people of Savannah tried to pressure Sinclair into leaving the town of his own accord but he refused. The anger and hate of a Yankee in town were enough to cause a mob to form in the streets of Savannah.
The lynch mob marched through the city and into the hotel. They dragged Sinclair into the streets outside of the building where they stripped and beat him. Sinclair lived through the incident but was beaten near enough to the point of death that the violent experience might have caused him to come back and haunt where his tragedy took place.
Ghost hunters seem to agree that a violent death or an unresolved death is a reason that spirits might linger in the place they died. If that is true then there are enough sad passings in the brewery building to make it as full of ghosts as many people have suggested it is. The Moon River Brewing Company might not have seen violence since its inception, but there were certainly many deaths that took place in the building before the brewery took it over.
The Ghosts at the Moon River Brewing Company in Savannah
The American Institute of Paranormal Psychology called Savannah the most haunted city in America in 2003. Arguably the most haunted building in the most haunted city in America is The Moon River Brewing Company. This building is widely regarded as one of the most haunted places in America.
The city of Savannah has so much history and has stuck close to its original architecture. This makes it easy to picture what the city would have looked like when the brewery was a brand new hotel filled with rich southerners. It also makes it easy to imagine why so many ghosts linger in the beautiful city where they passed away.
Every Floor of the brewery has some sort of ghostly activity going on. This is not surprising as the building is old and has seen a lot of tragedy over the years. Many of these ghost encounters are experienced during visits and tours of the brewery.
This building is one of the few places where people on ghost tours have actually reported supernatural experiences. The numerous ghost stories coming from the brewery have caused several paranormal investigators to film shows in the brewery and come see if they can find proof of the ghosts that haunt the floors of The Moon River Brewing Company.
The Haunted Brewery Basement
Starting at the bottom of things means beginning with the ghosts that haunt the basement of The Moon River Brewing Company. Arguably the most famous ghost of the brewing company is named “Toby” and is often seen wandering in the basement. This is one of the ghosts that the staff saw often enough they decided he deserved a name.
The basement is widely regarded as the most active floor in the brewery. It might not have the feeling of the top floor or the violent history of the other floors, but it certainly has the most ghost encounters. “Toby” is known to brush up against the people playing in the billiards room or get frustrated and push them.
There are a few people who will tell you that slaves were kept in the basement which would certainly be a reason for a haunting, but there is no evidence this is true. Still, the basement is where most people have experienced a paranormal experience and is therefore definitely worth visiting if you want a good scare. Even if you do not encounter a spirit you will see a beautiful building and get to play a good game in the billiards room while you sip your beer.
People who have been in the basement of the brewery have reported many different signs of a haunting. These signs include sudden coldness, bottles falling or being thrown, and the feeling of being touched by someone who is not there. All of these reports from patrons and staff have been enough to put the basement of the brewery onto many ghost tours and make it a must-see place in Savannah.
Main Floor of the Haunted Savannah Brewery
The second floor of the brewery is also known for having many strange occurrences. This is the floor where James Stark was Shot by Dr. Minus. There are differing reports of where exactly the shooting took place but they all seem to agree it was somewhere on the main floor.
Many people believe that Stark is the reason many people report liquor bottles being thrown. There are also those who believe he is the reason for some of the more violent reports of grabbing, hitting, and pushing that people experience while inside the brewery.
The main floor is also where the dining room is placed. There have been a few patrons who have said they felt someone touch them while they were eating but no one was around them. Several women have also complained of feeling cold in the bathroom or being locked into a stall.
This floor might not be the most haunted room in the building, likely because it is so busy with people, but it has its fair share of activity. Every floor of the brewery has ghost stories attached to it. The murder of James Stark gives the main floor a good reason to be haunted and adds a sense of history to the already beautiful historical building.
Third Floor Of Moon River Brewery
The top two floors are known to have more violent encounters than those happen in the basement or even the main floor. A full-body apparition is known as “the woman in white” and has been seen on the third floor several times by many different people. She is one of the most well-known ghosts of the brewery and is sometimes referred to as “Mrs.Johnson”.
The third floor is also one of the floors where many children died of yellow fever. This means it is no surprise that many workers and patrons have reported hearing children talking and playing on this floor. When even the people who run the brewery are talking about hearing children running in the halls, you know there is something going on.
In the 1990s there was construction being done on the third floor. During this time the wife of the foreman was pushed down the stairs on the third floor and fell all the way down the staircase. She was shoved hard enough that it was clear she had not simply fallen.
The foreman immediately stopped construction on the building and left. Several other people have reported feeling people pulling on them or pushing them when they walk on the stairs of the brewing company. This particularly takes place on the third floor which many people argue has the most aggressive spirits in the building.
The Creepy Top Floor Of The Brewery
The final floor of the brewery has been said to have a dark energy that the other floors do not possess. This could be because the majority of yellow fever victims and patients were housed on this floor while the building was being used as a hospital. The victims of the terrible virus might still be trapped feeling the hopelessness they felt in the moments before they died.
Interestingly, there are not many reports of actual activity on this floor. There are so many reports on the other floors that almost everyone who has been to the brewery has a different paranormal experience. Yet the top floor where hundreds died is only known for its terrible energy.
The same stories of children playing and talking are told about the fourth floor. This is likely because so many children have died on the top floor over the years. Many people agree that if anyone is haunting the brewery it is the ghosts of the children who died young and sick on the top floors of the building.
There is speculation that none of the spirits want to linger where so many died. Or maybe the lack of ghosts on the final floor makes patrons feel an emptiness after experiencing so much activity. Either way, the top floor of The Moon River Brewing Company does not seem to be anyone’s favorite floor whether they are dead or alive.
Ghost Tours
There are many ghost tours in Savannah that stop at The Moon River Brewing Company. In fact, you will have a harder time finding a ghost tour that does not include the brewery. It is such a beautiful and historic building that even if you do not see a ghost you can still say you enjoyed the tour immensely.
Those who do not believe in ghosts even go one the tour with those who believe in ghosts so they can have a beer and hear a good story. Even the haunted pub crawl that takes place in Savannah makes a stop at the brewery to get a drink and see if they can find a ghost. The brewery is the place to go if you want a good story, meal, and a great drink.
The ghost tours of Savannah are popular among tourists and locals. They are a fun activity that involves learning a lot about the history of the city while hearing some really good ghost stories. Many tourist sights of Savannah will tell you a ghost tour is one of the must-do things in Savannah Georgia.
If you do not want to go one a full ghost tour there are tours offered of just the brewery. It is a great way to learn about the history of the building, learn about how beer is made, and see a ghost if you are lucky. No matter what, if you are in Savannah you should go see the brewery even if it is just to grab a beer.
Ghost Hunting
There have been quite a few ghost hunters who have explored the halls of The Moon River Brewing Company. A few television shows have been filmed there after hours and ghost hunters will take the tours to see if they find anything. Sadly, the brewery is not exactly an ideal place for ghost hunting.
The brewery is active and has patrons throughout the day and night as well as workers. The building is also on a fairly busy street with car and road noise that comes through the thin, old walls. This has made many people say that the brewery is not the ideal place for ghost hunting.
As the brewer is an operating business you cannot get in the way of workers or patrons while you are there which can be hard to do if you are trying to stage an investigation. Many people will tell you the best way to experience a ghost at the brewery is just to go on the tours or have a beer and meal there. You might not catch a ghost on camera but you will experience the brewery more authentically and are more likely to experience the spirits that have haunted the brewery the last hundred years.
In Closing
There are a million beautiful and interesting things to see in Savannah Georgia. The live oaks, historical building, and great drinks are just a few of the reasons it is such a wonderful little city. The nice small-town vibe the city gives off is another reason many people keep going back year after year.
The ghost tours of Savannah are one of the must-see experiences that Savannah offers. Every great ghost tour in the beautiful city will stop by The Moon River Brewing Company to tell you the great tales of hauntings that have taken place in those walls. Some of the best ghost stories in America took place inside the building that houses the brewery.
Since its creation in the 1800s, the beautiful building has held stories of ghosts. Even when it was a hotel it was known for being both luxurious and deeply haunted. Those stories have only grown and gained more credibility over the years.
The Moon River Brewing Company is a place that you must go if you are stopping in Savannah Georgia. You are guaranteed to drink great spirits and might even see a few wandering around if you are lucky.
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