The Old Candler Hospital was Georgia’s first hospital, located in Savannah. It was chartered in 1804 and is recognized as the second oldest continuously operating hospital in the United States. But the Old Candler Hospital now lies in ruin, the hospital itself joining forces with St. Joseph’s and moving locations.
While the Old Candler Hospital was known for its outstanding patient care, it is also known as one of the most haunted places in all of Georgia.
If you’re lucky enough to take a tour of the old property, you will find a massive Candler Oak, 16 feet in circumference on the grounds. The tree is nearly 300 years old, and is often referred to as The Hanging Tree. Sometimes at night, you can catch a glimpse of an apparition hanging from the tree.
Perhaps the most intriguing, and haunted part of the Old Candler Hospital is the morgue tunnel. This tunnel runs from the hospital, and under Forsyth Park. This tunnel was used as a staging area for the bodies of the recently deceased.
In 1876, when the largest yellow fever epidemic hit the city of Savannah, a large number of people died in the Old Candler Hospital. Yellow fever was an illness that completely ravaged the human body. You would come down with a fever, then your organs would start to fail. You would vomit a thick black fluid that looked like coffee grounds. There was no cure.
With such a large number of people dying from yellow fever, tunnels were dug and secret burials were made throughout Savannah. While no one knows where many of these burials are now (you could be standing on one anywhere you happen to walk throughout the city), many are located in a tunnel that ran underneath Forsyth Park. The tunnel, having no exit, was merely a place to put the bodies of the dead, without having to bring them to the surface.
Forsyth Park is one of the most visited squares in all of Savannah. Numerous people come here to get married, kids spend their afternoons playing, and having fun – all the while beneath their feet, lie the bodies of the dead.
You can visit the Old Candler Hospital Morgue Tunnel. The ghosts of the departed spend much of their time hanging around the tunnel, not sure where to go to next. Check out Blue Orb Tours or Ghost City Tours for more.
Next up: Waverly Hills Sanatorium
I am a local that has teamed up with a group of aspiring paranormal investigators and are looking for places we could begin to hone our skills; I am assuming this is a city property and any hopes of gaining access for a night of paranormal investigation must begin there? I am also assuming gaining permission is almost impossible to accomplish? Any thoughts?
I’m honestly not sure how “impossible” it would be, though it could be a challenge. Ghost City Tours does tours all over Savannah, and they might have the inside scoop on who to talk to. They may even be able to work with you themselves to get you inside. I’d contact them and see what you can find out. https://ghostcitytours.com/savannah/ghost-tours/
Good luck to you, I hope you get in!
Thank you for your advise and I will follow up; we are all very much excited to begin this adventure. I will let you know how this all works out.
Fingers crossed! Can’t wait to hear about it.
May have found a potential way in… wil keep you posted
I am so excited for you!
Hey Scare Chamber. I’m just letting you know that your article inspired me to add this particular haunted place to The Ghost Attic’s 50 Most Haunted Places of 2018. Thanks for posting a great article. I will send over some of my readers. Keep it creepy! From The Ghost Attic.
I am so glad that we were able to inspire you. That means we did something right. Sending readers my way is awesome, and I greatly appreciate it. I took a quick peek at your site and cant wait to delve in deeper, and hopefully send some of my readers your way.
Do I need to schedule a tour to walk the morgue tunnel or can I go at my own accord?
So far as I know, you do need to book a tour. There are 2 companies that I am aware of that provide tours to this location. Blue Orb Tours (https://blueorbtours.com/old-candler-hospital/), and Ghost City Tours (https://ghostcitytours.com/savannah/haunted-places/haunted-tunnels/). I have also added their links to the original article for any future reference.