Savannah in October: The Perfect Month for Haunted History and Golden Light
If Savannah were a month, it would be October. The summer humidity finally breaks, the light turns golden, the ghost tours hit their stride, and the city leans into its most atmospheric qualities with Halloween events that feel organic rather than forced.
I've visited Savannah in four different months. October was the one that made me understand why people fall in love with this city.
Why October Works
Three things converge in October:
The weather becomes walkable. Temperatures drop from summer's punishing 35°C to a perfect 18-26°C. Humidity drops from 90%+ to 60-65%. You can walk the 22 squares without melting into the cobblestones.
The light changes. October sun sits lower in the sky, creating longer golden hours. The light through Spanish moss — which is green-silver against blue sky in summer — turns amber-gold in autumn. Every square becomes a natural light studio.
The atmosphere peaks. Early sunsets (6:30PM) give you more darkness for ghost tours and evening square walks. The open-container strolls hit differently when the squares are lit by gas-style lamps and the temperature is sweater weather.
Weather Details
Factor
October Average
High
24°C (76°F)
Low
14°C (57°F)
Rain days
5-6
Humidity
60-65%
Sunset
6:30-7:00PM
Bug level
Declining (finally)
Compare that to August: 35°C high, 90%+ humidity, mosquitoes that qualify as small birds, and sunsets after 8PM that rob you of atmospheric darkness.
October is Savannah's shoulder season — not quite peak (March-April) and not off-season (December-January). Prices are reasonable and crowds are moderate.
Halloween in Savannah
A city that calls itself the most haunted in America doesn't treat Halloween casually.
Savannah Halloween Festival (late October)
Multi-day event with costume contests, live music, and themed bar crawls through the historic district. The open-container law means the entire district becomes a walking Halloween party.
Ghost Tour Peak Season
Every ghost tour company runs expanded schedules in October. Special Halloween-themed tours, extended hours, and some tours that visit locations not open the rest of the year. Book tours at least a week ahead — October sells out.
Bonaventure After Hours
Some tour companies (Bonaventure Historical Society) offer special October evening tours of the cemetery. Seeing the Victorian monuments under twilight skies with Spanish moss overhead is one of the most atmospheric experiences in the American South.
Haunted Pub Crawl
Multiple companies run haunted pub crawls through the historic district — combining ghost stories with stops at Savannah's most storied bars. $30-40 per person including some drink specials. The combination of open containers, haunted buildings, and costumed participants makes this peak Savannah.
Seasonal Food in October
October brings specific culinary events:
Savannah Food & Wine Festival (November, but preview events start late October): chef dinners, tasting events, and restaurant specials throughout the historic district.
Shrimp season: local white shrimp from the Georgia coast is still running in October. Order shrimp and grits at any Lowcountry restaurant and the shrimp will be from the same tidal creeks visible from River Street.
Apple and pumpkin everything: Leopold's Ice Cream releases seasonal flavors. Local bakeries do pumpkin pralines. The farmers market (Forsyth Park, Saturdays) has fall produce — local pecans, sweet potatoes, and muscadine grapes.
Packing for October Savannah
Light layers (t-shirt for midday, light sweater for evening)
Comfortable walking shoes (cobblestones on River Street)
A light jacket for evening square walks (temps drop to 14°C after sunset)
Bug spray (declining but still present through mid-October)
A to-go cup (kidding — the bars provide them)
Sample October Weekend
Friday
4PM: Check in. Walk to Forsyth Park. The fountain in October light, with the surrounding oaks in early autumn color, is postcard-perfect.
6PM: Drinks at The Grey (converted Greyhound station, craft cocktails $14-16)
8PM: Ghost City Tours walking tour. Start at City Market, end near Colonial Park Cemetery.
10PM: To-go cocktail, walk Monterey and Madison squares under gas lamps.
Saturday
8AM: Coffee and pastry at The Collins Quarter on Bull Street ($5-7)
9AM: Guided Bonaventure Cemetery tour ($25). October morning light through the oaks is extraordinary.
12PM: Lunch at The Olde Pink House (one of Savannah's oldest buildings, 1771). She-crab soup ($14) and fried green tomatoes ($12).
2PM: SCAD Museum of Art ($10) and gallery walk on Broughton Street (free)
4:30PM: Wormsloe Historic Site. The oak avenue in late afternoon October light is the most photographed thing in Georgia. Entry: $10.
7PM: Dinner at Mrs. Wilkes' — wait, it's only open for lunch. Dinner at Elizabeth on 37th ($35-55 mains, Lowcountry fine dining in a 1900 mansion)
9:30PM: Hearse Ghost Tours ($25). Different experience from the walking tour — covers more ground.
Sunday
9AM: River Street walk. Watch container ships pass. Pralines from Savannah's Candy Kitchen (free samples).
10:30AM: Line up at Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room. Doors open 11AM. Family-style soul food: $25, cash only.
1PM: Final square walk. Grab a to-go Leopold's ice cream ($5.50). Sit in a square. Let Savannah sink in.
Savannah in October is the intersection of everything the city does best — history, atmosphere, walking, drinking, eating, and the particular Southern Gothic quality that no other American city has. The squares are lit like stage sets. The moss sways in the cool breeze. The to-go cup stays cold long enough to make it through three squares before you need a refill.
It's the perfect month for a city that specializes in perfecting atmosphere.
