Savannah, Georgia

The Pirates' House

This kitschy tavern is also home to rare early editions of "Treasure Island."

A small plot of land, originally a botanical garden modeled after the Chelsea Botanical Garden in London, England, is now home to the Pirates’ House, a Savannah restaurant and one of the oldest standing buildings in Georgia.

In 1734, a small building was built on the plot of land to house the gardener who worked there. But in 1753, as Savannah revealed itself to be a port town, it was decided the botanical garden was no longer needed and this structure was the start of the Pirate House Inn, where it’s rumored seamen and pirates alike drank and shared stories of their adventures at sea.

The modern-day restaurant was established in the early 1950s and welcomes Savannahians and tourists alike to enjoy an extensive southern-inspired seafood menu, served by waitresses in full pirate garb in one of the 15 separate dining rooms. The atmosphere remains true to a pirate’s inn, with maps, helms, flags and skulls hanging on the walls, as well as some of the original dining sets protected in glass cases.

The current owners like to say that Captain Flint, a pirate mentioned in the book Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, died in the upstairs bedroom, and that his ghost still haunts the building. Haunted or not, visitors can see rare early edition pages of the novel hanging on the walls of the Captain’s Room and the Treasure Room.