Our next story takes place in the heart of Savannah, Georgia. Moon River Brewing Company is located on 21st West Bay St, a building that first started off as Savannah’s first hotel. City Hotel was the name and it opened in 1821, at a time when Savannah was growing population wise and economically. Distinguished people would come to visit Savannah and stay at the popular hotel. Everything was going well for the hotel until one dreadful night.
Two gentlemen by the names of, James Stark and Philip Minas, had each booked rooms to stay at City Hotel. Now these two gentlemen did not know each other at the time. They each had booked their rooms for their own reasons. City Hotel had a bar, reports are unclear where it started by a disagreement happened between these two men that lead to James Stark dead. It is said that his ghost can be seen roaming the second floor looking for his killer. But that’s not all, the history of this building continues.
In the year 1865, the country was hit with Yellow Fever and Savannah was no exception. Many of the businesses had closed down temporarily for safety reasons, but that didn’t stop City Hotel from staying open. Instead of closing, City Hotel, turned into a mini hospital to help combat the virus. Of course, people died of the Yellow Fever while at City Hotel. Because of those deaths, there have been reports that people to this day can hear coughing, voices that are asking humans for help, and cold spots in various places in the hotel. These ghosts have been associated with the deaths of those from Yellow Fever. By the year 1851, City Hotel had a new owner and its last customer checked out in 1864.
After City Hotel closed the building took on many transitions, it became a lumber and coal warehouse until the coal rush ended. After, it became a storage unit for general items. Then the building was renovated and it became an office supply store. Still more transitions came as a hurricane hit Savannah destroying the building that once was City Hotel. It wasn’t until 1995 that the building was reopened to be a brew pub called Moon River Brewing Company (Wikipedia, 2026).
Through all the transitions, a lot of weird things continued to happen. Rumor has it that a couple going on a date entered the brewing company for their evening together. The woman excused herself to go to the bathroom and she ended up being locked in there. When she finally did get out a feeling of dread weighed over her. Staff at the brewery say people get stuck in the bathrooms all the time. The staff is quick to add in that the spirits are playful and annoying at times. Other spirits in the dining area have been said to grab the thighs of women.
Perhaps the worst, of all the ghosts and spirits we have talked about is this next one. His name is, Toby and the history behind his death is not known. What is known about him is that he haunts the first level. People say they feel spurts of cold out of nowhere, they hear Toby’s voice, and at times they sense someone hurrying past them.
Other various reports state, a little girl has been seen appearing to sneak up on guests at the Moon River Brewing Company. Bottles flying off shelves have been seen as they smash on the walls and the ground. A lady in white can be seen on the upper levels of the building. Guests on the upper levels have felt pushes on their chairs. Last but not least, the restless tables. Employees and customers alike have said they’ve seen spoons and forks sliding on the tables and falling to the floor.
The Moon River Brewing Company is well known for its haunted paranormal activity. People come from all over to visit in hopes of getting a glimpse of the spirits. Lots of paranormal investigators also come to visit like, Ghost Adventures and Ghost Hunters.
It is advised that visiting Moon River Brewing Company today can be a walk in experience but its hours should be verified for current hours. And so you’re aware, the upper floors are closed to the public. The owners ask that you do not wonder. That is if you’re not scared to visit…
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The facts for this story were gathered during years of going to museums, getting on tour buses, and talking to seasoned locals about Savannah’s history. Details on dates and other facts were gathered from:
Haunted Moon River Brewing Company. In Savannah. http://www.usghostadventures.com
Nightly Spirits Ghost Tour Pub Crawls. Moon River Brewing Company: Savannah’s Haunted Brewpub. http://www.nightlyspirits.com
Wikipedia. History of the building. http://www.wikipedia.org/moonriverbrewingcompany
