Georgia might be all peaches and sweet tea on the surface, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find some seriously spooky spots hiding in the woods.
We’re talking crumbling towns with falling-down buildings, forgotten graveyards, and streets where the only thing moving is the wind.
Some of these places once thrived on gold rush fever, the roaring of trains, and the promise of big dreams, only to be left behind in silence.
If you’re into haunted history, creepy ruins, and towns that time totally ghosted, this list is right up your (very quiet, very abandoned) alley.
1. Auraria
Auraria is a nearly-forgotten ghost town in Lumpkin County, roughly six miles south of Dahlonega.
After gold was found in the area in 1828, it quickly became one of the first places in Georgia caught up in gold fever.
Today, you can still find crumbling buildings like the old General Store, plus a few scattered gravestones hiding in the woods.
It’s eerily quiet now, but Auraria was once alive with over 1,000 miners, saloons, its own newspaper and dreams that disappeared almost as fast as gold.
2. Ebenezer
If you think Auraria’s story is wild, wait until you hear about Ebenezer which is a ghost town full of old-school drama.
About 25 miles north of Savannah in Effingham County, Ebenezer was founded in 1734 by German Protestants escaping religious persecution.
The town grew with the help of Georgia’s first water-driven grist mill, but after the Revolutionary War, it slowly slipped into decline.
What’s left now is a creepy cemetery with 1700s gravestones and the old Jerusalem Lutheran Church as well as some old abandoned houses.
3. Scull Shoals
Coming up next is Scull Shoals, where the history is fading away as nature slowly takes over.
Located roughly 16 miles from Greensboro in Oconee National Forest, this ghost town was once a busy mill village in the early 1800s.
The place started falling apart after a major flood in 1887, and by the 1920s, farming-related erosion had driven people out.
Now you can walk past the brick ruins of the old paper mill, spot pieces of the powerhouse, and feel the forest quietly reclaiming what’s left.
4. Godfrey
And just when you think things can’t get any creepier, Godfrey appears—a place that feels frozen in time.
Located about 12 miles south of Madison, this Morgan County farm town thrived in the late 1800s, complete with a train depot and post office.
It began to shrink as farming declined and the railroad shut down, but Godfrey kept its charter until 1995 and does continue to have a few residents who refuse to leave.
Today, some faded structures still stand, weathered and overgrown, as if the town simply paused and never restarted.
5. Pinehurst
Next, we move on to Pinehurst, a ghost town that’s less haunted and more hidden (but just as creepy).
Set in Dooly County just north of Cordele, Pinehurst took shape in the late 1800s, growing among the pine trees and the steady rhythm of passing trains.
The town never fully emptied, but its age is hard to miss because of the still streets, old buildings, and historic storefronts.
Walk through today, and you’ll find the quiet trace of a town that’s lived through many chapters.
6. Toomsboro
Toomsboro feels a lot like a forgotten movie set waiting for the next ghost to show up.
Situated in Wilkinson County, about 36 miles east of Macon, this once-busy railroad town boomed in the 1800s with a hotel and even an opera house.
As the years passed, the crowds disappeared, and what’s left are empty shops, peeling paint, and creaky buildings.
At one point, several properties in town were listed for sale, sparking rumors that the whole place was up for grabs.
7. Bartow
Bartow is a different kind of ghost town.
Located in Jefferson County, about 11 miles south of Louisville, Bartow used to be a bustling spot with cotton gins, a train station, and a lively little downtown.
Today, the tracks are rusty and storefronts are boarded up, but signs of life and efforts to restore the town haven’t disappeared.
Look closely and you’ll notice vintage signs, weathered homes, and a church that has stood the test of time.
8. Kite
From Bartow’s haunting stillness, we drift into Kite which is a ghost town with a name that sounds cheerful but feels anything but.
Located about 28 miles northeast of Dublin, this small Johnson County town once thrived on farming, with a few shops, a post office, and big ambitions.
As the farms dried up and younger folks moved on, the population slowly declined, leaving behind sun-bleached buildings and lonely roads that barely see any cars.
Against the odds, the post office is still open and quietly serves the few remaining residents.
9. Munnerlyn
Munnerlyn takes us deeper into Georgia’s ghost town graveyard with an atmosphere that’s pure Southern Gothic.
Set in Burke County just south of Waynesboro, Munnerlyn once had a post office, a depot, a handful of stores, and homes scattered along dusty roads.
The railroad’s been gone for decades, and now the town has slowed down with fewer people, many abandoned buildings, and the past gently hanging on.
It’s the kind of place where you swear you hear footsteps, but it’s just the wind…or maybe not.
10. Old Sunbury
And finally, we arrive in Old Sunbury, a ghost town with a bright name that hides a tragic past.
Located near the coast in Liberty County, roughly 11 miles east of Midway, Sunbury was a major port in the 1700s that once rivaled Savannah.
The town never bounced back after it was burned down during the Revolutionary War and following a series of hurricanes, and today, the cemetery is one of the only things that remains from the old town.
If you stand there long enough, you can almost hear the clink of ships and the echo of a once-bustling harbor swallowed by time and tide.
Related Posts
