Leave it to Magnolia the oldest public burial ground in Charleston , the beautiful Magnolia Cemetery was originally a 1790s rice plantation. This Victorian cemetery was founded in 1849 on the banks of the Cooper River in Downtown Charleston is home to 35,000 permanent residents. Authors, poets, artists, Confederate generals and soldiers, prominent politicians, bootleggers, prostitutes, and socialites, all share these grounds , together.

Magnolia Cemetery served as a Confederate encampment to defend the city from the Union bombardment during the Civil War. Over 2,000 Confederate soldiers lay at rest in Magnolia, including the eight-man Hunley crew, eighty-four soldiers who fought in the battle at Gettysburg, and six confederate generals.

Bulldog Tours is offering nighttime tours of this historic cemetery and a portion of the proceeds will go to help ongoing restoration efforts. The 90-minute walking tours promise the best of Magnolia’s history, mystery, and spirits. You’ll hear startling stories such as an unsolved murdered socialite, an outraged politician that ordered his butler’s execution and scandalous tragedies that are never told in history books.

Magnolia Cemetery is located at 70 Cunnington Avenue in Charleston.

To experience “The Spirits of Magnolia Tour,” visit www.bulldogtours.com.

The grounds are open to the public daily from 8 am-5pm.