FAQ

1. Stay in the pathways.  Plots are private areas and should be respected.  Zoom on your camera is a great way to see the monuments more closely.
2. Do not add or remove anything from a monument.  That’s easy when you’re respecting Rule 1.  Please DO NOT PUT ROCKS on any stone.  That is a beautiful Jewish tradition by Jewish families on loved-ones monuments.  It is very damaging and not appropriate outside that context.
3. It is illegal to bring alcohol or firearms into any of the city owned cemeteries.  Sorry, but it is not permissible to sit on Conrad Aiken’s bench with a bottle of wine.  Take a picture from the pathway as a memento.
4. Well-behaved children are welcome in Bonaventure.  This is still a cemetery and resting place for many families here in Savannah.  Please teach your children respect and reverence for cemeteries.  There should be no running, playing or loud noises.  Please show respect in space and volume to funerals that might be in progress during your visit.
5. Keep pets on a leash.  They should stay on the pathways and out of burial plots.  And of course, clean up after them.  Trash cans are scattered around the cemetery for easy bag disposal.
6. Do not litter.  This includes cigarette butts.  Trash cans can be found throughout the cemetery.  Do not interfere with plants or wildlife you may encounter.
7. Please park your car in designated areas.  If you must drive, please keep in mind that idling engines can be harmful to historical structures and turn your motor off when sitting.  Do not block pathways or park in a plot.  Do not park on heavily-traveled roads, especially Mullryne Way or Gracie’s lane.

Yes.  There are paid walking, golf cart and Segway tours available through private tour operators.  You can find information for these through a web search.

Bonaventure Historical Society offers free tours to the public on the Second Weekend of every month.  Click HERE for the schedule.

With advanced reservations, Bonaventure Historical Society offers tours for non-profit groups and schools only with a minimum of 10 people.  All other guests can take advantage of the local tour companies for hire or download our app.  If you want to contact us to make a reservation for your non-profit group, click HERE.

Yes.  Dogs must be on a leash and stay on the pathways with you.  And, unless your dog poops Miracle Grow, you must clean up after your dog.  There are trash cans throughout the cemetery for bag disposal.

Yes.  There are restrooms at the front by the entry gates.  There are no restrooms in the cemetery, so plan accordingly.

Yes.  Parking is free.  There are a few small lots on the inside and outside of the small brick bathroom building.  Visitors are encouraged to park in the large parking lot by the river at the end of Mullryne Way.  Do not park on heavily-traveled roads, especially Mullryne Way or Gracie’s lane.

Yes.  There is a bike rack about a quarter mile from the entrance down Mullryne Way.

Most of Bonaventure is accessible by car, but there are some sections or parts of sections that are explorable by foot only.  Please keep in mind that exhaust from cars is damaging to the stonework, so parking in a lot and walking is the healthiest way to help us maintain these priceless monuments.

Yes, for personal use.  You are welcome to take all the pictures you like from the pathways.  The plots, iron work and stone work are privately owned and should be respected.

Professional shoots and filming for commercial use require registration with the Department of Cemeteries.  Click HERE for more information.

No.  Rubbings are only allowed with written consent from the family that owns the monument.  You can see the rules and regulations for rubbings HERE.

Some major roads are paved and there are sidewalks in a few places.  Most of the cemetery paths are dirt and gravel and may be difficult to navigate with wheel chairs.  We suggest exploring the tour options available that might maximize your visit with ease.

No.  It is free to visit Bonaventure Cemetery.  The gates open at 8 a.m. and close at 5 p.m.

The gates open at 8 a.m. and close at 5 p.m.

Bonaventure Cemetery is open 365 days a year.

Bonaventure Historical Society has maps for sale, but there is no actual gift shop.

“Little Wendy”, the Bird Girl statue made famous as the cover image of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, resides at the Telfair Museum in Historic Savannah.

The statue was removed from Bonaventure shortly after the book was published in 1994 to protect Wendy from the throngs of visitors causing damage to her and the rest of the family’s plot.

We encourage you to visit the Telfair museums.

All cemetery business is managed by the City of Savannah’s Department of Cemeteries.

You can call the Cemetery office at 912-651-6843 for any cemetery questions or needs.

You can find more information on the department’s website at Cemeteries | Savannah, GA – Official Website (savannahga.gov).

All cemetery business is managed by the City of Savannah’s Department of Cemeteries.

You can call the Cemetery office at 912-651-6843 for any cemetery questions or needs.

You can find more information on the department’s website at Cemeteries | Savannah, GA – Official Website (savannahga.gov).

All cemetery business is managed by the City of Savannah’s Department of Cemeteries.

You can call the Cemetery office at 912-651-6843 for any cemetery questions or needs.

You can find more information on the department’s website at Cemeteries | Savannah, GA – Official Website (savannahga.gov).

A grave finder kiosk is on the side porch of the big brick office building.

You can also find the same information at the City’s grave finder site at  savannah.cemsites.com.

Quite easily.  Just go to our Membership page HERE or call us at 912-412-4687.

Donations are so important to Bonaventure Historical Society.  We are a non-profit that raises funds to help preserve, repair and maintain priceless monuments so current and future generations can enjoy them while they are still standing.

We currently accept Paypal donations via our website HERE.  You can also call us 912-412-4687 for alternate ways to donate.

The free Second Weekend tours begin inside the cemetery at Colonial Garden about a quarter mile from the office at the intersection of Mullryne Way and Wiltberger Way.  But we’ve made it easy for you…just follow the blue signs.

Non-profit and school group tours will meet at the pre-arranged location per group.

The private tour companies meet at different places.  Call your tour company to ask where you should meet your guide.

It is a very old Jewish tradition of showing visitation.  HOWEVER…it is only appropriate on a Jewish stone.

Rocks are very abrasive and damaging, to old marble especially.  No one is allowed in the plots but family.  People THINK they’re doing something respectful, but they don’t realize that they are trespassing and causing damage to other families’ property.

Take a picture and leave nothing behind but good thoughts.

Bonaventure and her sister cemetery, Greenwich, are popular places for weddings with the ancient oaks, Spanish moss and abundance of colorful flowers.

If you are interested in having your wedding at one of our cemeteries, contact the Department of Cemeteries at 912-651-6843.

All cemetery business is managed by the City of Savannah’s Department of Cemeteries.

You can call the Cemetery office at 912-651-6843 for any cemetery questions or needs.

You can find more information on the department’s website at Cemeteries | Savannah, GA – Official Website (savannahga.gov).